As Benjen had predicted, neither Brandon nor Eddard had been happy to know that Lyanna had extended an invitation for the lord of house Terra to dine with them. They were even less pleased to know that the offer had been accepted by his companions and that they would be arriving in a matter of hours.
"If father was here he'd ban both of you from attending this dinner." Brandon scolded his younger siblings. Benjen was looking remoseful, but Lyanna carried that same willful look that told Brandon that she wasn't going to back down.
"Well it's too late now." Robert guffawed next to Eddard. "They'll expect places at the table once the official feast ends. I'm sure seating them next to the Umbers or the Mormonts will work out well. They have a good respect for warriors, even southern ones."
Robert was probably saying that because the lords of house Umber and Mormont had been so taken with him. While many lords criticised her father's choice of southern spouses for his eldest son and daughter, none really complained about Robert himself, for he fit right in with the wild northmen.
Lyanna watched as Eddard rolled his eyes at his friend, but a small smile was already blooming on his face as Robert slapped his back and laughed. Ned had always been the quietest of the Stark children, never one for great laughter or bouts of rage, but Robert's largeness of spirit seemed to rile up her brother.
'Perhaps Robert should marry Ned. They certainly get on better.' Lyanna thought, trying not to look at Brandon's disappointed face.
"Besides, it's not like their lord will stick around long. He won't be able to leave lord Tywin's side for long during the opening feast."
"Exactly." Brandon barked. "Inviting them for the first feast of the tourney is incredibly rude, no matter if you two didn't mean offence. Now we have to host them if they choose since I can't have it said I couldn't control my servants, let alone my two siblings."
"We're sorry Bran." Benjen mumbled.
The oldest Stark sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Damn it Lya, Ben. I wanted to enjoy the first night here, now I have to spend the whole night making sure that we don't bruise lord Tywin's ego." A glint flickered in his eye suddenly.
"Which is why I think you two will be seated with lord Tywin's lords tonight, while lord Terra and his companions are seated at our tables."
Lyanna gasped and Benjen looked shocked.
"What?" Lyanna asked incredulously.
"Right." Brandon clapped his hands. "Since you two caused this whole mess, you two should be responsible for cleaning it up."
"That's not fair." Lyanna complained, puffing up her cheeks and pouting.
"It absolutely is. Now get ready, you two will be seated with the Westerlands lords tonight."
The two younger Stark siblings protested, but in the end they were both sent out of their brother's borrowed solar and to their own rooms in one of the towers of Harrenhall. As they left they were followed by Ned and Robert.
"Ned. Please can't you change Bran's mind?" Lyanna begged.
"Sorry Lya." Eddard seemed genuinely remorseful. "You brought this on yourself. If you'd just let Brandon invite them himself this wouldn't have happened."
"But-"
"No buts Lyanna. This isn't Winterfell. We can't just let your wolf's blood run wild causing trouble."
"You never cared before." She protested again.
"Because that was back North. Here we are not the only great lords, and no matter how much you may not like it, you can't just do whatever you wish. Just be thankful it wasn't father or you would have just been confined to your rooms."
Lyanna huffed, turning and storming down the hall to her rooms with Benjen hot on her heels, complaining the whole way.
"She's a wild one isn't she." Robert guffawed, watching her leave with Ben.
"Indeed." Eddard rubbed his brow. "You'd better head back to Jon now Robert. He'll want us both presentable for the feast."
"Aye, the old man's been uptight since we started this journey." The lord of the Stormlands walked off in the opposite way of Lyanna and Benjen, waving goodbye to his friend before he disappeared around a corner.
Eddard waved back until his friend was no longer in sight before turning and returning to his older brother's solar.
"She'll not go quietly Brandon. You know that." Eddard said as he re-entered.
"I know." Brandon sighed. "Damn it Ned, it's the first day and she's already caused us trouble with the lord paramount of the Westerlands. What's next? Will she kick Prince Rhaegar in the shins if he asks her to dance?"
"Knowing Lya, she just might." Eddard smiled slightly.
"Wonderful, and here I was hoping I could dance with some pretty southern maids before the tourney started."
"Wouldn't your betrothed have something to say to that?" Eddard asked, brow raised.
Brandon groaned, leaning back in his chair.
"Don't start that with me Ned. I'm to marry Catelyn soon enough. That doesn't mean I can't still dance with a pretty maid or two."
Eddard shook his head in exasperation as he regarded his older brother. Brandon was a wild man, and often prone to impulse and willfulness. Still, it wasn't his place to judge his brother.
"What will you say to lord Tywin and lord Terra?" He asked.
"I'll tell lord Tywin the truth. Our siblings were being willful and so as punishment I will be depriving them of the company they so recklessly sought. Lord Terra will be told that our dearest siblings were unable to join us at the table tonight."
Eddard nodded.
"And if lord Tywin tells lord Terra the truth?"
"By then it won't matter, and I doubt lord Terra will be eager to stand on our siblings' behalf when they started such trouble."
"Very well, we'd better get ready then. The feast will be starting come the evening."
The opening feast of the tourney of Harrenhall was a large and lavish affair. It was a joyous affair, filled with singing, laughing and merryment. Eddard looked out across the hall, seeing dozens of men and women, both noble and less, cavorting and celebrating as food and wine were eaten and drunk in large amounts. Eddard could see Howland Reed seated with Lyanna and Benjen, conversing and sharing stories, though it was mostly Lyanna who did the talking while the young crannogman remained soft-spoken.
The quiet wolf's face split into a smile as he watched his friend Robert Baratheon enter into a drinking contest with GreatJon Umber and several other men from the North and Stormlands.
Lyanna and Benjen had been seated between a set of guards to make sure that nothing they did could cause any trouble, and more than that, to ensure that they would go over to the Westerlands' benches when the time came.
Over at the long tables of the Westerlands, Tywin Lannister sat with his twin son and daughter, flanked by his brothers and his most loyal lords. Eddard could see the lords of House Westerling, House Lefford and House Crakehall surrounding his family and the Lannisters of Lannisport. That wasn't what was drawing Eddard's attention though.
The massive lord Terra sitting just outside of lord Tywin's inner circle drew many a wandering eye. He was tall, so tall it almost boggled Eddard's mind, and dressed quite oddly. He wore some kind of black doublet, with long black trousers and black shoes . He had a black hat with a golden rim and wore a white shirt with buttons along the front under the black doublet and a black piece of cloth tied around his neck and hanging down inside the coat but over the white shirt. Eddard himself thought it looked quite strange, but not ugly in any way. it was sharp and looked suitably formal for an event such as this. The oddest thing about his dress though was the fact that all of his company seemed to be wearing the same thing. Even the women had forgone wearing dresses of any kind and instead wore that same uniform. The only difference in any of them was that they appeared to wear some kind of pattern on their left breasts and they all seemed different, and less extravagent, than the lord's.
The lord Terra also seemed to be the talk of every table. Most every kingdom in Westeros had heard of the new lords on Fair Isle and what prodigeous warriors they were. However, none had had the chance to test that claim, which made the appearance of such a small number of them at the tourney an even greater attraction.
A few men and even more ladies approached the lord, talking and making conversation. Some even approached his retinue, who all together numbered no more than eight, not counting their lord. As the night drew on, bards and minstrals played great songs and the room became filled with dancing. Even the men and women of Fair Isle didn't seem immune, as four of thr group stood and joined the assembled groups in a merry jig. Eddard could see the four of them stay close to each other, and though they danced less vigorously than the rest of the Westerosi, they still seemed eager to partake in the atmosphere of the feast.
It was only once they got up from their seats that Eddard saw just how tall all the members of house Terra's entourage were. Even the smallest of them, a woman who's age Eddard could not quite determine, was six feet tall easily, and maybe more. The others were all on the way to seven feet themselves. Easy to pick out amongst the crowd even disregarding their strange dress. The only one who was not massively tall was the older man who Eddard estimated to be in his seventh decade of life. He was still tall, almost six feet, but did not have the outrageous height of the others.
As the night wore on neither the singing nor the celebrations seemed to wane, at least until Prince Rhaegar decided that he wanted to sing. The room grew silent as the prince plucked at the strings of his lyre. His voice carried all throughout the hall and the meloncholy tone he sang in, Eddard could tell, plucked at the heartstrings of every maiden who heard it. Eddard even saw Lyanna's eyes water as the last words left the dragon prince's lips. He smiled as Benjen teased their sister for her swooning at the handsome prince and even laughed as Lyanna poured a nearby goblet of wine over his head.
Benjen squeaked as the wine soaked his clothes, almost falling off of the bench as he jumped from the shock. Several other lords seated near them laughed and offered Lyanna and Benjen good-natured pats.
A flowing gown of royal purple caught Eddard's eye as the dancing began once again in the aftermath of Prince Rhaegar's song. A beautiful woman was moving along the dance floor, escorted by a dornishman with dashing features. The beautiful woman laughed at something the dornishman said and her eyes wandered the crowd. For a second, Eddard thought that their eyes might have met across the crowded hall, but as quickly as it happened she was once again spinning around the floor. It was over so quickly that he believed that he might have imagined it but he shook his head.
"Ned!" Brandon said, colliding with Eddard's shoulder with a full glass of wine in his hand. "What are you doing sitting here? You aren't being punished, no reason you should sit with out little pup siblings."
Lyanna shot Brandon a seething glare, only to huff and go back to her conversation with Howland and a slowly drying Benjen.
"I've never been one for festivities Bran." Eddard said. "You know that."
"Aye, but still. There has to be someone you have your eye on. Some pretty maid out there?"
Involantarily Eddard's eyes flickered over to the woman in the purple dress. She had finished her dance with the dornishman and was now sitting with another woman with darker skin dressed in red and black.
Brandon followed his eyes however, seeing the woman and chuckling.
"You have good taste little brother, go ask her to dance, the night's almost over."
"I'm sure she has a dozen more prominent suitors to dance with."
"No one is around her now Ned, no one wants to approach the Princess. Come on."
"Leave it Bran. I don't want to embarrass myself."
"Fine then, if you won't do it, I will."
Before Eddard could stop his brother he was off, weaving through the crowd with a dexterity that was shocking given how drunk he must have been. Before Eddard could even get close Brandon was standing in front of the Princess' table. As he got closer his brother looked back, beckoning him forwards with a smile. The two woman seated at the table were both looking at him with interest even as Brandon spoke.
"Ah, here he is. My lady, I'd like you to meet my younger brother Eddard. As I was saying, it would do a concerned older brother's heart a great service if the lady Dayne would consider a dance with him, perhaps as a favour to our house."
"Oh?" Ashara Dayne regarded the two Stark men with a raised eye. "And what may I ask in return for such a favour?"
"Ashara." Princess Elia Martell rolled her eyes in exasperation at her friend.
"A matter for a later date I'm sure." Brandon smiled. "And I'm sure that any favour you ask of our house, Ned here will be most happy to comply."
"Really?" She asked, turning her attention to Eddard. "Is that true lord Stark? Would you repay me a favour for this dance?"
Eddard found himself unable to speak under her piercing violet gaze and offered only a mute nod in return. Smiling, Ashara rose from her seat, extending her hand for him to take. As Eddard took it he found himself led away onto the dance floor as Brandon shared a laugh with Elia Martell.
The dance was unlike any Eddard had had before. Ashara was a much better dancer than him, and at times it seemed that she was leading him more than the other way around.
"How has the tourney been treating you so far lord Eddard." Ashara asked as they spun.
"Well enough." He replied. "Though my younger siblings have gotten us in a situation with lord Tywin and lord Terra."
"Oh? I hear that the men and women of house Terra are the greatest warriors in the world, though I believe that there are several others who might dispute that claim."
"I assume your brother is among them?"
"Ha! Arthur is determined to face off against their best, and from the looks of who their lord took with him to this tourney, he just might."
"They are quite fearsome, aren't they."
"The shortest among them, aside form that older man, must be six feet tall at least and I hear she is even competing in the archery competition. Their lord himself must be as tall as Gregor Clegane himself, I wonder if he will be riding in the tourney."
"You worry for your brother?"
"Of course. Even as good as Arthur is, he isn't invincible, and the gods often play their tricks. I don't want to lose him to an errant shard of a lance."
"Indeed, it would be a tragedy."
Ashara regarded him for a moment.
"Because of the loss of one of the men who safeguards the king?" She asked.
Plucking up every ouce of his courage, and secretly channeling as much of Brandon and Robert's charisma that he possibly could, he offered a smile and answered.
"Of course, though moreso that it would bring tears to a face as lovely as yours."
Ashara giggled and snorted in response, and Eddard felt his stomach turn over as she smiled at him.
"Well lord Eddard, you had better hope for my brother's safety and victory then. After all, I'm sure you would hate to leave me in tears."
Eddard dipped Ashara slightly as the song came to an end. Lifting her up he brought up her hand to place a kiss on her knuckles.
"Of course my lady, I will most certainly pray for your brother's victory."
He led her back to her table. Brandon had long since left it seemed, leaving only Elia Martell with a contented smile on her face.
"Thank you for the dance lady Dayne. You were wonderful company."
"As were you my lord. Please, when the next feast comes, do not wait until the evening's end. I would enjoy your company very much."
"Of course my lady."
As he left the table to return to his siblings and countrymen he looked back at the Westerlands' table. He saw that a good number of lord Tywin's men had left, likely to partake in the revelry. Tywin Lannister himself remained seated, accompanied by a pair of guards and one of his brothers. The lord of house Terra was also still sitting, only accompanied by his oldest companion who seemed of age with Tywin.
There was no better time, Eddard realied, to make contact with the strange man. Making his way across the hall, avoiding the celebrating men and women who pushed and crowded all throughout the hall, Eddard Stark stepped up to the Westerlands' table, right across from lord Terra.
"Greetings my lord." Eddard said, bowing his head slightly to him before turning and doing the same to lord Tywin, who had turned to look at him as he approached. The lord of Casterly Rock returned his bowed head with a nod before he returned to a conversation with his brother.
"Hello." The lord said, offering Eddard a kind smile. "A pleasant evening isn't it."
Eddard nodded, taking a seat.
"Indeed my lord. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Eddard Stark. Second son of Lord Rickard Stark. Lord of Winterfell." The lengthy greeting was necessary but long-winded and as soon as he was finished lord Terra offered his hand, which Eddard grasped and shook.
"A pleasure Lord Eddard but please, you don't have to call me lord. I am Captain Kurt Ambrose, the head of house Terra of Fair Isle."
The other man, of age with lord Tywin, grunted and offered his own hand.
"Mendez, Franklin Mendez."
It's the Spartan IIIs. That's the army that arrived in Westeros. Of course it's not the IIIs from the original Halo universe. I changed a few things to get what I wanted but overall just go with the assumption that all the Spartan IIIs that existed, with a few exceptions (Noble Team) are alive and on Westeros.
Also, can any of you guess who exacly accompanied Kurt and Mendez to Harrenhall. One or two of them are obvious to fans of the IIIs but the rest might be harder.