IDEA OF SCHOOL
Lyanna had always hated school. In her opinion, it was a waste of time. She would rather pretend to play soldier or practice catching lizards as you had to be quick and stealthy for that. She liked to be athletic and playful. Her mother forced her and her brothers to attend school to learn about the boring things like the history of Westeros and Essos as well as learning to write and read.
It would make things a lot better if Septa Teresa and the other girls weren't so mean to her. Lyanna did not know why they would always be so horrible but in truth, it was pure jealousy. Even Septa was jealous of her youthful beauty as were the girls.
Ed was very popular at school, the most popular boy. The girls fancied him and his handsome looks and the boys admired his bravery and athleticism for being the fastest and strongest.
PARENTS DAY
Ed, Lya and Jai were all at school in a cosy house south of the village that every child attended. There were thirty children in the village who attended regularly.
Coming up was a parents day, where parents were welcome to visit the school and see how their children were progressing. During their break where all the children would play in the yard, a few cheeky girls walked up to Lyanna who was seated quietly on the steps.
"Who are you going to bring to parents day Lya?" the girl named Elisia with blonde hair and blue eyes at the front of her friends asked while snickering.
Lya straightened up wondering what she meant by that. The two girls once were friends but when Elisia learned that everyone thought Lya was prettier than her, she turned all the girls against her so Lya was left either playing with her brothers and the boys or by herself.
"My father will definitely be coming…" Lya proudly said.
Elisia gulfed and laughed, making the other girls join in.
"That man is not your father!" Elisia said practically cracking up in her face at the thought of a dark man being her father.
Lya stood up angrily to walk away. She tried to contain her anger and deal with it peacefully even though she wanted to punch the girl in the face. Her mother had taught her to control her impulses. Elisia stood in front of her blocking her way.
"I've never seen your mother? Do you even have one?" the annoying and rude girl asked.
"Yes I actually do… but she probably won't be attending…"
Elisia laughed even harder, making the others laugh with her even though it seemed like they didn't even know why they were laughing.
"Your mother clearly doesn't care about you for not bothering to attend such an important day."
At that moment a shadow loomed over them. The girls looked up freightfully at their shared Septa, Septa Teresa. A scary looking old woman dressed in grey head to toe.
"What are you girls quaffling about?" the septa asked them.
"Lyanna's parents won't be attending parents day septa…" Elisia said quietly. Elisia was Septa's favourite student and she was always biassed towards her. She looked at Lya with disapproval as she always did. She liked to pick on her especially and would occasionally take joy in making her cry.
"Your mother has never once come to check up on the progress of your studies. I have been meaning to speak with her about you." Septa said as if she were in trouble.
Elisia snickered at this.
"She doesn't like to leave the house…" Lya said shyly. "I don't really know why…"
"The bad thing is that I don't know why either. Not even for the sake of her children she will meet with me… hmf." Septa grouched. The girls quietly giggled. "That explains you. Like mother like daughter I guess. Pure rudeness."
The girls laughed in unison and even Septa smiled a little at her hurtful joke towards a mere child.
"I promise I will try to ask her Septa… I would love for mama to visit the school…" Lya said with hope.
Septa rolled her eyes knowing that it was a long shot and left the girls to it. Elisia shoved Lyanna to the ground once Septa's back was turned and the girls quickly scurried away in fits of laughter. Lya used the back of her palm to wipe at her tears as she whimpered.
As Elisia was running away, Ed, who had been watching, suddenly caught up to her and purposely tripped the girl so that she fell flat on her face causing her nose to bleed. The young boy scowled at her as the girl turned on her back with tears in her eyes.
"Don't ever shove my little sister!" Ed angrily shouted. He turned around spitefully and walked over to Lyanna while Elisia cried out loud in panic holding her nose and soon ran towards the classroom to tell Septa.
"Are you okay Lya?" Ed asked as he reached his hand out to help her to stand.
"Why did you do that? Now you're going to be in trouble…" Lya said as she took his hand to stand and then wiped dirt from her dress.
Ed shrugged, thinking it worth being punished. Jai had seen what had happened and quickly ran over to his older siblings.
"Are you alright Lya?" he sweetly asked, seeing his sister in tears. He wrapped his arms around her tightly to give her a hug.
"You again!" said a terrifying and cranky voice.
Septa towered over the three siblings looking consumed with anger from the stern and strict tone to the crinkles in her glare.
"Elisia has come into the classroom with a bleeding nose and she says that you pushed her Lyanna." Septa said with fire.
Lya shuddered under the very presence of her.
"That's not true. I tripped her. I am the one that should be punished. Lya did nothing and Elisia shoved her to the ground."
"It's true!" Jai said, backing up his big brother.
Septa frowned, piercing her lips tightly together at the trio.
"Is it true Lyanna?" Septa harshly questioned.
Lya looked at her brother who was only wanting to protect her. She wanted to protect him too…
"No… I caused her nose to bleed…" Lya said.
Ed turned to her in question, angry that she had lied.
"Right then, you know what happens now. Follow me." Septa said turning around and leading the way.
Lyanna looked back at her brother and mouthed a thank you before she left to follow the grouchy woman and be dished a punishment.
Lyanna was struck hard on both hands with a wooden ruler. She cried out as Septa hit her knuckles and she tried to hold back tears as much as possible.
After school, Elisia's mother had come to pick her daughter up and when she found out about the incident… (Elisia's lies), she insisted that Lyanna be dished with a harsher punishment. At the time of overhearing the insults and as both women conversed about the many cruel ways of how Lyanna could be further punished for what she had done… Lya only wished that her own mother was here to stand for her and protect her… but she knew that would never happen… It made her upset… It made her angry.
A REQUEST
The children sat around the dinner table with their parents excitedly talking about parents day coming up. Lyanna sat in silence, both Dany and Tai noticing that she wasn't really talking or eating tonight.
"You'll be coming right Tai?" Ed asked gleefully.
"Of course I will be there."
Ed and Jai smiled widely.
"And you too mama? " Jai soon asked, turning to look at Dany. Lya glanced up at her through her lashes with a small bit of hope. Please say yes.
"I'm afraid I won't… it's better if your father goes with you."
Ed and Jai looked down sadly but did not protest as once their mother had made up her mind, it was final. Lya plucked at her food with her fork.
"Please…" she quietly said. "Please come…"
Dany looked at her with a sad smile.
"I can't my dear."
"Why not!?" Lya suddenly angrily asked, raising her voice.
Dany felt a little startled by her daughter's sudden temperament as did everyone else. Lyanna still felt angry over the incident at school and her rage had been building up since. Only then did Dany notice that her knuckles were covered in shades of blue, black and purple.
"You never leave the house and you never come with us anywhere… Are you ashamed of us?" Dany's daughter asked, her lip quivering with tears in her eyes.
That was all Lyanna could conclude it down to… her mother was too ashamed of her disappointing children to be seen out in public with them.
"Lya, that is no way to talk to your mother." Tai interrupted in a stern tone.
"Stop talking to me as if you are my father. You aren't and never will be!" Lya screeched.
It was shocking for them to hear her say such hateful and foul words. She loved Tai…
"Who is our father, mama? Whenever we ask about him you brush us off and never give Ed and I answers. We don't even know if he is alive or dead!"
"Lya…" Dany said quietly in a sad tone. "Who did that to you?" she asked, gesturing to her bruised knuckles.
Lyanna felt even more enraged at her mother brushing her question off once again.
"Just forget it. You wouldn't care anyway." her daughter said, rising from the table and escaping to her room in tears.
Dany and Tai looked at each other wondering where this sudden anger had come from. They looked at their sons for answers. They both shrugged and decided to keep quiet about what had happened at school.
UNDERSTANDING
After hearing Lya's sudden outburst, Dany felt a failure as a mother. She was doing the best she could to be a good parent to her children but it was so hard. Being motherly had always come natural to her but that was well before… before everything had happened. Now one wrong move and she could put all of her family in danger… and that was a chance she wasn't willing to risk.
Dany had finished cleaning up the kitchen and went to walk to her bedroom when she overheard Lya and Ed speaking from behind Lya's closed door.
"They said that mama doesn't care enough about us to visit the school. Septa is angry with me and Elisia and the other girls hate me… they shamed me for not having a mother or father that is there for me…" Lya said through sobs.
Dany felt her heart stinging at hearing how her minimal exposure was now affecting her children at school. She gently knocked on the door and the twins stopped speaking as she carefully opened it.
"May I come in please?" she asked her two oldest who were sitting on Lya's bed together. Ed nodded while Lya didn't respond.
Dany stepped in closing the door behind her. She felt they needed to chat and without exposing too much unnecessary information, she would answer their questions. Dany sat at the end of the bed and looked at both of the twins who were waiting for her to speak.
"I'm sorry that you think I haven't been there for you. I need you both to know that I love you very dearly with all my heart… as does Tai. Lyanna, I want you to apologise to him for what you said." Dany began to speak.
Lyanna looked down sadly… she felt awful for what she had said… but she didn't want to show it.
"Then why don't you want to come to parents day?" Lyanna asked, crossing her arms feeling still quite mad.
Dany stared into space and sighed. It was because she didn't want to risk being recognised. It had been ten years and she was certain that there was an extremely low chance of anyone from this small village knowing who she was… but still, she couldn't do it. She needed to protect her family.
"I just can't." Dany said sympathetically.
"I want to know why you can't? Septa is angry with me and I told her that I would ask you to come and meet her. She wishes to speak to you about my lessons and all the other girls think that you don't care enough about me to come."
Dany bit her lip. Oh how she would love to know more of her children's schooling… but… again, it was too risky. Dany didn't know how to respond and was quiet for a few seconds.
"I do care about you Lyanna… please do not listen to those girls…" she replied.
"Who is our father?" Ed asked suddenly.
Dany gulped at the sudden question. She wasn't ready to tell them yet and they weren't ready to know. They wouldn't understand a thing about her past as well as the relationship she once shared with their father.
"One day I will tell you about your father… but it won't be any time soon." Dany said firmly.
Ed though sad, nodded knowing that it was probably for the best. He was quite happy with Tai and so didn't often crave to know who his real father was anyway… though the thought did cross his mind a lot.
Lya crossed her eyes at her mother brushing their questions aside yet again. Dany noticed but didn't care. Her daughter was stubborn and persistent but she wouldn't succumb to a ten year old. They weren't ready and the less they knew the better.
"Are you going to tell me who did that to you?" Dany asked her, looking at her bruised hands. She felt angry that someone had hurt her.
Lyanna looked down at her knuckles sadly and unintentionally began to cry as she couldn't hold back the tears. Ed naturally placed a comforting hand on her shoulder while Dany carefully reached out to grab her hands and soothingly massage them.
At the feel of her mother's gentle touch, Lyanna succumbed to her overwhelming emotions and crawled over to her and went to sit on her lap and wrap her arms tightly around her mother, crying into her shoulder. Dany hugged her back and caressed her hand against her as she whimpered.
"Tell me my love," Dany said in a motherly tone.
"It was the Septa… she hates me mama… she is always mean to me…" Lyanna's little voice spoke. "She said that I was rude when I did nothing and she said that you are rude too for not bothering to come to the school to meet her…"
Dany could feel her blood boiling and her heart shattering as her daughter went on to tell her the truth. How dare the septa strike her child... Dany suddenly was realising that the reason that her children were easy targets was because they didn't have a mother to protect them. Someone there to complain about the Septa's methods. She suddenly felt awful…
"I'm so sorry…" Dany quietly said. "I'll think about coming to parents day…"
"Promise?" Lyanna replied, rubbing at her teary eyes and resting her quivering chin on Dany's shoulder.
"I promise." Dany said.
Dany left the twins to it, telling them to sleep soon before she kissed them both goodnight and then went to her shared bedroom with her husband.
"Is everything alright?" he asked her as she entered.
Dany quietly nodded. Things weren't alright. Not at all.
"Lya will come around. She's a good girl. I know that I promised that I would never ask any questions but, is whatever reason you never leave the house worth breaking Lya's heart over?" Tai asked.
Dany sighed. Yes, but she couldn't explain why… No, because she loved her and wanted to be there for her. Now there was another reason to consider going to parents day… to meet this Septa of theirs that had already infuriated her. She had come to this village to protect her children and allow them to have a good and safe life, not put them in harm's way and be bullied by their school Septa.
UPRISING
Brandon Stark was named the King and Lord of the Six Kingdoms. At first, it had been going well in Kings Landing with the progress of building a newer and better realm for the sake of everyone. All the Lord's and Lady's backed up Bran.
Lately, there have been more and more uprisings from the public. With the knowledge of knowing that a cripple reigned over and made all the decisions for the people, not everyone was okay with that… in fact, the majority weren't okay with it. Of course these rebellious people were not aware of Bran's abilities.
It had been worse than ever now. Everyday the keep was attacked and several thousand of protestors stood outside of the keep demanding a new ruler playing soldier with blunt swords and work out armour.
Hundreds were dying everyday and it was becoming hectically chaotic
Tyrion Lannister, who was hand of the King, did his best to attempt to keep the peace. He first suggested handing out scoops of grain and wheat for each citizen as a peace offering. The citizens of course, took the offerings but just ended up coming back a month later. Tyrion hardly knew how to handle the situation next… A dwarf working with a cripple… it didn't look very good to those who did not know what they were capable of achieving.
Tyrion sat in the small council chambers with Bran. He sipped at a goblet of wine anxiously and was beginning to lose his patience as they had been sitting here for almost an hour and had accomplished nothing so far. Talking to Bran was like talking to a brick wall. Blunt with one worded answers… maybe five at the most if Tyrion was lucky.
"They won't obey you because… they don't fear you…" Tyrion spoke. "That's what Olenna Tyrell told Daenerys Targaryen once… A cripple and a bastard… who would think to fear us? We appear as one of the weakest species." Tyrion said as he drank his wine. "We can't win them over by love either… who would love a cripple and a dwarf?"
Bran looked at Tyrion clutching his hands together gently.
"Is this your way of justifying violence?" Bran asked his hand.
Tyrion sighed. It sure was hard without it…
"Of course not." he said while pouring himself more wine. "I just think that perhaps they need something of a small reminder… something to put them in their place… of course nothing huge such as burning down King's Landing but… an act strong enough to force them to obey us."
"So you are suggesting we use violence?" Bran asked.
Tyrion pierced his lips together thinking hard on it. Violence would be the quick way of solving the uprising… but they would then risk losing the commoners' support completely.
"I have already come up with a tactic." Bran bluntly said. "One that involves little to no violence… and not many people have to get hurt."
Tyrion subtly groaned and rolled his eyes. It was very annoying when he decided not to consult with him first before he was certain of a decision… It reminded him of someone…
At that moment, Arya Stark entered the small council chambers, needle sheathed at her side and her hair tied back like the Northerner she was.
Arya bowed before the King, her brother, and then took a seat across from Tyrion who eyed her suspiciously.
"Welcome back, Lady Stark. I'm pleased to see that you are well." Tyrion said with a friendly smile.
Arya nodded in his direction.
"I'm sending Arya to Essos to find Drogon. He's been spotted hanging around off the coast of a small village close to Pentos. I want her to attempt to retrieve Drogon for us. With the presence of a dragon, it will serve as a reminder to everyone of just how powerful we are." Bran said.
Tyrion gaped, shocked to hear of this idea. The very sight of a dragon here in Kings Landing again would be terrifying for the citizens and would for certain make them obey… but surely there was a better and less cruel way.
"Your grace with all due respect… how would this even be possible? Will you attempt to warg again?" Tyrion questioned.
Both Arya and Bran looked at Tyrion as if they knew something he didn't… Tyrion raised his brow.
"What?" he asked.
"It's none of your concern to worry about how we intend to bring the dragon to King's Landing. Do not worry Lord Tyrion, just know that it will be done one way or another."
Tyrion was confused by this plan that hardly made any sense… It almost felt like he was being shut out as well. However, he was beginning to grow tired of using only his brain to come up with everything so this time, he would sit back and wait to see what comes of Bran the Broken's plan.
Arya went behind Bran to wheel him out before he motioned for to stop for a second. He turned back to Tyrion.
"Also… send a letter to the wall… to Jon. Summon him to the Keep immediately but tell him no detail of our plan." Bran said.
"Your grace, Jon Snow is exiled for perpetuity… it would not be wise to bring him here… there are still many people who hate us and haven't forgiven Jon for killing their Queen… even after ten years."
Bran almost glared at Tyrion for talking back… as if he were a child. Tyrion hated it when he did that. Most of the time it was because he knew something that he didn't. Tyrion was only trying to be wise about all of this.
"Just do your job as hand and obey my final word without question." Bran said firmly.
He and Arya left Tyrion alone in the room. Tyrion took another swig of wine. This cannot end well at all.