Chapter 10: A Viper's Delivery, a Wolf's Whims
Summary:
Oberyn reflects on his time at the tourney, and helps Elia put her plan into action. Lyarra reacts to an unexpected invitation, and starts having fantasies of her own.
Notes:
Another week, another chapter, with more character interactions and more plans being put into practice.
Information:
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Chapter Text
Oberyn I
Elia's Chamber, Stark Camp
Oberyn felt coming to this tourney had been one of the best decisions he'd made in his entire life, as the tourney seemed to be providing an endless source of entertainment for him. There were the usual things you looked forward to at tourneys: the melee, the joust, drinking, nights of passion. Oberyn had always been a man of boiling blood and burning passions, and he loved each of these more than his fair share — much to his family's chagrin more often than not. Even so, it was the unexpected developments that were truly keeping things so interesting for Oberyn.
Oberyn had been walking through the market, stopping at the various stalls to pore over the merchants' wares. Oberyn had admittedly been impressed with what he'd found, even as well-traveled as he was; this tourney truly was the largest one in the history of the continent, so he'd supposed it made a sort of sense that the merchants would bring their best and rarest wares. He'd purchased a collection of trinkets and toys, jewels that caught his eye, daggers and other small weapons easily carried about. The people of Westeros could say what they would of Oberyn Martell, but let none dare say he didn't love his daughters, or his family.
During his shopping his eyes had caught a flash of a familiar sight, long raven black hair above a beautiful purple dress, but Lady Ashara Dayne hadn't been alone; she was accompanied by a woman crowned in golden locks over a red and gold dress. Based on rumors and hearsay, Oberyn would wager quite a lot on this being Lady Cersei Lannister, Ashara's supposed rival. Oberyn privately scoffed as his Dornish pride flared; he hadn't seen Cersei Lannister, but he personally doubted anyone but his sister Elia could rival Ashara in beauty. Even so, Oberyn crept along behind the two ladies, certain that not only could he witness one of their rumored 'fights,' but also that it would be extremely entertaining for him.
The spectacle had ended up surpassing all of Oberyn's expectations, and had proved to be far more entertaining than he could've imagined. He'd gotten to see the trading of barbs he'd wanted, and he'd been unable to keep a smirk from his lips as he felt Ashara had gotten the better of her rival. Still, the best had yet to come. The ladies had snipped at one another until they petulantly turned away from one another even as they kept walking, neither seeing the breach in the path until they tripped over it. Oberyn was certain they'd both been terribly embarrassed at their folly, but further indignity had fortunately been avoided as a large northerner with a long face, grey eyes, brown hair, and a neat beard — these features and the colors he wore marked him a Stark if Oberyn were to guess — had caught each lady with a single arm, as if they had fallen into a stone wall.
Oberyn had found himself begrudgingly impressed at the feat of strength, as well as the northerner's calm demeanor and stoicism in close proximity to two of the most beautiful ladies in the Seven Kingdoms, as if holding two beauties was the most natural thing in the world. Oberyn supposed it was, but that was for a man like himself; he didn't expect the mysterious northerner was so worldly as himself. However, what had made Oberyn's day had been the ladies' reactions. For as long as he'd known her, Ashara Dayne had been an unassailable wall; she was beauty and dignity personified — even when her bare feet swept her through the Dornish sands to handily win races at the Water Gardens. Dozens if not hundreds of men had tried to woo her, but as far as Oberyn was aware, she'd never given any of them a second glance.
Yet it appeared that Ashara Dayne's wall had formed a crack, as Oberyn would recognize a smitten woman anywhere. He watched her reaction with glee, engraving it into his memory in anticipation of teasing her with it later. It appeared Cersei Lannister's interest had been piqued as well — though she'd been trying very hard to hide it. Oberyn watched as the mysterious northerner assured himself that both ladies were unharmed, before he — his name, or nickname, was Ned, it appeared — left the ladies to their own devices in answer to his friend's beckon. Oberyn had been surprised yet again when Ashara had immediately staked her claim over Ned to Cersei; perhaps this northerner had made even more of an impression upon her than Oberyn had first thought.
He'd remained in relative concealment as the ladies had gone their separate ways, and returned to his chamber in Harrenhal to distribute his purchases to his beloved daughters. Later that day, he'd accompanied Elia and Rhaenys shopping, and he'd been as terrified as — if not more than — the rest of them upon their solecito's disappearance. Oberyn had spent years in Essos and around its culture of slavery, so he'd been far more aware than the rest of his family that there were worse fates than death awaiting kidnapped ladies in this world. His blood had boiled in anger at the thought: Dorne would wage war against anyone who dared harm their princess's child, and Oberyn himself would lead the charge.
Oberyn had been surprised when they'd found Rhaenys — as well as her notoriously cantankerous kitten, who seemed to harbor a special brand of resentment for Oberyn even above his feelings on most people — in the arms of the mysterious northerner Oberyn had witnessed catch the ladies earlier that day. Oberyn's feelings on his brother-by-law were best left unsaid, even in the privacy of his own thoughts. Elia had stopped Oberyn from doing something impetuous and stupid in defense of her and Rhaenys more than once. It was nice to see that some men knew how to properly treat a child, and Oberyn's respect for the northerner grew yet again as he watched the man care for a child who was a stranger to him more than her own father ever had.
Oberyn had observed the interactions with a smile on his face, and though his attempts to tease Ashara had been thwarted — both by Ashara herself and by the crisis Balerion had caused — his entertainment had continued. Ashara Dayne hadn't been able to take her eyes off the northerner. She'd mooned over him like a lovesick girl, and Oberyn had noticed — even if his beloved sister hadn't, her gaze not leaving the northerner and her daughter. Oberyn had watched as the northerner saw them, recognized the kingsguard, and pieced together the identities of his sister and her daughter. He had given them the proper respect, and had introduced himself as Lord Eddard Stark. Oberyn's glee only grew as he realized that the unattainable Dornish beauty had seemingly fallen for a second son.
Oberyn had accompanied his family back to Harrenhal, and had just finished a meal with Rhaenys and his daughters when a servant had informed him of Elia's summons. He left Rhaenys with Ashara, who had entered just after the servant, as he walked through the hallways to his sister's chamber, knocking at the door and waiting for her acknowledgement before he entered, seeing Elia seated in her favored chair before the hearth. He took a seat in the adjacent chair, his eyes on hers as he smiled warmly at her. "Rhaenys has been fed. I left her with Ashara when I received your summons. It's not exactly typical for you to summon me to talk alone, sweet sister. We recovered Rhaenys, and she seems happier than she's been in a while, so that begs the question: what's wrong?"
Elia remained silent for a while — long enough for Oberyn to get slightly uncomfortable — before she finally spoke. "I need your help Oberyn, and for once I need you to be completely serious. This is a serious matter, and I have no time for your usual japes and games. I'm involving you in a plan, and if you jeopardize that plan with your usual antics, I will hide Balerion's catnip in your smallclothes and encourage Rhaenys to sleep in your room for a week — not only because having my daughter around means you wouldn't dare engage in your usual… escapades, but also because where Rhaenys sleeps, Balerion sleeps. Do I make myself clear?" Oberyn's eyes widened, and he gulped against his will, his thoughts drifting to the horrible images Elia's threat had conjured. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, before he finally responded, "Yes Elia, though I'm a little hurt at your insinuations; you know I can be serious when the situation calls for it."
Elia sighed, leaning back against her chair. "I'm sorry Oberyn, but I had to stress the importance of this undertaking. When I took Ashara on as my handmaiden, her mother Lady Adara privately asked me to look after Ashara's interests while she was at court, and she wanted me to keep my eyes and ears open in the hope I might find her a suitable match. She also gave me full authority to arrange a match for Ashara on behalf of Ashara and House Dayne. This arrangement has meant nothing until now, as you yourself should be well aware Ashara hasn't shown any man the slightest hint of interest," she said, smirking as she finished, and Oberyn repressed a scowl at the thought of how his one attempt to flirt with Ashara had turned out. "Today, Lord Eddard Stark protected my daughter in a crowd of strangers, and also made her happier than I've seen her in a long time. For this reason, I owe Lord Eddard a debt, and as he's the first man I've ever met I consider worthy of Ashara's hand, it spawned a plan in my mind to make a match between the two of them. So I questioned Ashara about Lord Eddard, and asked for her help considering his marriage prospects. She tried to remain neutral and act uninterested, but based on her reactions — though she tried to hide them — she hassomesort of feelings about him; it's enough for me to suspect she wouldn't be unhappy in a marriage toward him at any rate, and that's what I needed to proceed with my plan," she finished.
Oberyn shook in his chair in an effort to suppress the laughter that threatened to bubble up from his chest. Elia was decidedly not pleased. "Oberyn! I just told you this is serious!" she snapped at him, and Oberyn held up his hands in a defensive gesture, continuing to shake as he tried to calm himself. "Forgive me Elia," he began, "but based on my observations, what you've just said is akin to saying Balerion doesn't like me: it's the understatement of the century," he paused, waiting for her acknowledgement. Elia raised a perfectly-groomed brow and motioned for him to continue.
"When I was in the market today, I saw Ashara walking — and heatedly arguing — with Lady Cersei Lannister," he began — while Elia rolled her eyes as if exasperated with a child, seemingly knowing what was coming — "so heatedly in fact that neither of them noticed a breach in the path, and both of them tripped over it. But before they could reach the ground, a northerner — whom I now know is Lord Eddard Stark, nicknamed Ned by his friend — caught each of them with a single arm. Still, Ashara's reaction is the best part. She seemed enraptured, and after he left she immediately staked her claim on him to Cersei; I think she may have made a contest between the two of them the way she phrased it — and I'm willing to wager she regrets that now — but that's not all. You were too focused on Eddard and Rhaenys, but I noticed: during the entire time Lord Eddard held Rhaenys, Ashara couldn't take her eyes off him. You should've seen the look on her face Elia; it was as if her head was in the clouds, and she was trapped in her own fantasies," he finished.
Elia's eyes widened, and she gave him a beaming smile. "Oberyn, that's wonderful! This new information only makes my plan more important, so finally we come to you: I need you to deliver a letter I've written to Lord Rickard Stark in the camp of House Stark. Take Rhaenys with you, as she hasn't stopped talking about Lord Eddard since she met him; I think she'd be happy to see him, and the feeling should be mutual if I don't miss my guess. The letter is an invitation for Lord Rickard and his wife to meet with me here, whereupon I will attempt to negotiate a betrothal between Lord Eddard and Ashara. I'd also like you tosubtlyattempt to ferret out whether Lord Eddard would be amenable to the match. By all accounts he's a dutiful man who would marry whatever match his father picked without complaint, but I'd prefer he actively wanted the match as well," Elia finished.
Oberyn nodded, reaching forth to take Elia's letter, sealed with the three-headed dragon of House Targaryen. "Of course, sweet sister: you can count on me," he said, standing and bowing before taking his leave, returning to the great hall and finding Rhaenys and Ashara. He sat down next to her, ruffling Rhaenys's hair affectionately. "Hola solecito, would you like to go see Lord Stark?" Rhaenys only gave Oberyn a puzzled look, tilting her head adorably. "He means Ned, the northerner Balerion likes, solecito," Ashara chimed in helpfully. Rhaenys squealed happily, and Balarion was pulled from his resting place beside Rhaenys as she snuggled him into her chest. "Come Balerion, we go see Nappa!" Oberyn smiled as he stood, taking Rhaenys's hand. "I'm coming too, Rhaenys is liable to get up to too much mischief with only you as a chaperone," Ashara said. "Oh, is that why?" he began, inwardly smirking at the teasing opportunities this would give him even while Ashara glared at him, "Suit yourself, my lady," as the three of them arranged for an escort of guards and left Harrenhal, heading toward the camp of House Stark.
Oberyn rode up to the wheelhouse and dismounted, opening the door and extending his hand to help Rhaenys and Ashara exit the wheelhouse. They were approached by a guard, and Oberyn met him with a nod. "I'm Prince Oberyn Martell; Lady Ashara Dayne and I are escorting Princess Rhaenys Targaryen to see Lord Eddard Stark," he said confidently. The guard only nodded, sending another guard off at a run, no doubt to fetch Lord Eddard, before he spoke, "Follow me my princess," with a smile at Rhaenys. Rhaenys looked around with wide eyes — as excitable as any child should be — Balerion still snuggled into her chest. The three of them followed the guard to a large tent near the center of the camp. As they approached the tent, Balerion squirmed out of Rhaenys's arms and darted forth. Oberyn's eyes followed Balerion as he ran straight to Lord Eddard Stark, followed closely by a squealing Rhaenys yelling, "Nappa!" as she jumped into the chest of a kneeling Lord Stark. Lord Stark looked confused at the name Rhaenys called him, before smiling warmly as he puzzled out her childish meaning and cradled her against him.
"What brings you and sweet Balerion here, Little Sun?" Lord Eddard asked as he stood, Rhaenys clinging to his chest while Balerion had leaped up onto his left shoulder and nuzzled into his neck. Rhaenys excitedly babbled, "Play with me, Balerion, and Ara?" as she stroked Lord Eddard's beard, eyes widened excitedly. Lord Eddard only chuckled amiably, "Of course, Little Sun. I'd be delighted," he said. It was only then that Oberyn noticed the dreamy expression on Ashara's face, and he nudged her in the ribs with his elbow to bring her out of her reverie. The two of them approached, and Oberyn extended his hand, "Prince Oberyn Martell, a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance Lord Stark," he said, shaking Lord Eddard's hand as he extended it and responded, "Likewise, my prince," before turning and noticing Ashara. His eyes widened in familiarity as he recognized her, but before he could speak Ashara stepped up to him, performing a perfect curtsy. She kept her eyes on Lord Eddard's as she extended her right hand, saying, "Lady Ashara Dayne; I didn't get the opportunity to thank you earlier — so thank you — and it's a pleasure to officially meet you, Lord Stark." Lord Eddard replied, "Think nothing of it, and the pleasure is all mine, Lady Dayne," before bowing to place a kiss upon her knuckles. It was only Oberyn who noticed the effort she was putting forth to maintain her noble mask, but even then there was a crack in it as she fought to maintain her composure.
With the introductions made, Oberyn returned his attention to Lord Eddard and Rhaenys as she directed them all like loyal subjects, and he watched them play for a while, thinking to himself that their solecito truly had Lord Eddard wrapped around her little finger. He found himself thinking that any woman who convinced Rhaenys to be in her corner when pursuing Lord Eddard would have a powerful ally. Still, he had business to attend to, and he couldn't watch them all day. He found a guard as he spoke, "I have a letter from Princess Elia Targaryen for Lord Rickard Stark, could you take me to him?" The guard nodded, responding, "This way, my prince," as he led Oberyn to the lord's tent in the center of the camp. "Wait here, my prince," as he entered, before momentarily opening the flap and motioning Oberyn inside.
He entered the tent, seeing an older lord and lady seated at the table over a meal. He approached them, bowing before rising upright as he said, "I'm Prince Oberyn Martell; I have a letter for Lord Rickard Stark from my sister, Princess Elia Targaryen," and he proffered Elia's letter toward Lord Stark. Lord Stark took the letter and read it, the contents unfamiliar to Oberyn. Lady Stark rose and read the letter over her husband's shoulder, and the two of them nodded to one another, before looking to Oberyn as Lord Rickard spoke, "Tell Princess Elia that my wife and I would be delighted to meet with in the castle for dinner tonight, if that's convenient for her." Oberyn nodded and smiled, "Thank you Lord and Lady Stark. I suppose I should inform my sister as quickly as possible so she can have an appropriate feast prepared. Lady Ashara Dayne and I escorted Princess Rhaenys here to see Lord Eddard, so I would appreciate it if you could escort the two of them back to Harrenhal when you come this evening." He waited for Lord Stark to nod before taking his leave.
He approached Ashara, and Rhaenys noticed him, "Tío Oby!" she squealed excitedly, running to hug him. He ruffled her hair affectionately, smiling down at her, "Hola solecito, I need to go tell your mamí Lord Rickard's response. Can you be a good girl and stay with Ara and Lord Eddard until Lord and Lady Stark escort the two of you back to the castle when they come to see your mamí?" Rhaenys nodded excitedly, babbling, "Nappa come too?" she asked as she turned to Lord Eddard. Lord Eddard knelt before her, smiling as he spoke softly, "I would be delighted to have dinner with your family tomorrow night if they'd have me, Little Sun, but I'm afraid I have a prior engagement tonight. Lady Joanna Lannister has invited me to dine with her family tonight, and I've already accepted." Rhaenys looked disappointed, but she quickly hid it and smiled at Lord Eddard, "Okay Nappa! You come tomorrow!" before hugging Lord Eddard tightly.
Oberyn noticed Ashara widen her eyes and clench her fists as she heard Lord Eddard's words, suppressing a smirk as he approached her. "I trust you'll watch after our solecito and her Nappa?" Ashara glared reproachfully at him, and Oberyn could tell she was considering stomping his foot — or worse — in retaliation for his teasing, the only thing holding her back being the presence of Lord Eddard. "Of course I will, my prince, it's my duty as the princess's handmaiden." Oberyn nodded to her as he turned to take his leave, a guard escorting him back to his horse. He rode back to the castle, intent on telling Elia the favorable news.
Lyarra I
Camp of House Stark
The invitation from the princess had been a surprise for Lyarra: getting invited to dinner by the wife of the crown prince was not something that happened every day. Even her husband seemed to be very surprised, sitting in his chair and holding the letter in his hand while saying nothing. Lyarra had seen a lot of things in her life, but her husband being speechless was new to her.
She slowly approached him — looking over his shoulder again — and read the letter a second time, searching for any hints or remarks she might have missed earlier. She found nothing. Maybe her husband was covering something that might give her a clue? With that thought she took the letter from Rickard and walked away, looking at every inch of the parchment before reading the letter once more.
"To Lord Rickard Stark,
I request you and your lady wife meet with me at your earliest convenience to discuss a matter important to both our houses. It is my hope that we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement for both our houses, and that our kingdoms will continue to prosper as a result. I look forward to your response, and hope for a favorable one.
Elia Targaryen, Princess of Dragonstone"
Nothing; she found nothing in the letter that should make her husband speechless. "I wonder," her husband suddenly said as he got up from his chair. "Rickard?" She asked, but her husband had already opened the entrance of their tent and went outside. A sigh left her lips when she moved to follow him. As soon as she stepped outside she bumped into her husband's back. "It can't be," she heard him say before he walked towards Ned and whom she assumed to be Lady Ashara and Princess Rhaenys. Lyarra thought she knew her husband, but this was just confusing. He approached Ned with long strides just to stop a few steps from them. She slowly followed him — looking around and nodding at some guards with a small smile — before her husband's bellowing laugh pulled her attention — and that of the guards — back to him.
"Oh it really can't be," it was clear to Lyarra that her husband was amused about something, but for everyone else it might sound as if he was shocked or even angry. It seemed it was no different for Lady Ashara Dayne, as the young woman rose from the ground, her eyes wide — and Lyarra was sure she saw a bit of fear in them — but her son followed just as quickly, moving a bit in front of the young lady as if he was ready to protect her from his own father.
Lyarra watched how her husband took a few more steps forward before stopping directly in front of Ned and Lady Ashara. Her attention was then pulled to Ned — seeing how his arm moved – and she couldn't stop herself from moving down along his arm with her eyes. A small smile came to her lips as she saw how her son had wrapped his hand around Lady Ashara's smaller one — probably giving it a gentle squeeze to reassure her, and to show her he was on her side. Lyarra would never have expected Ned would have a romantic liaison before he was betrothed: he was too honorable to risk breaking a woman's heart in the event his father wouldn't betroth him to her. However, there was another reason: Ned simply didn't notice how women swooned over him and wanted his attention – something Lyarra had noticed when he'd visited them at Winterfell four years ago. Another interesting thing she noticed was that the girls in Winterfell seemed to be more attracted to Ned than Brandon; it was then she thought it may be for the better that Ned didn't notice: Lyarra didn't even want to think about the trouble it would bring if he'd noticed and was more like Brandon.
"You're the daughter of Uther, aren't you?" Rickards booming voice pulled Lyarra out of her thoughts and her attention back to him. She'd rarely heard her husband this excited and amused at the same time; Lyarra shook her head and approached the group. "Rickard," she said in a scolding but playful tone, "don't you see that you're frightening Lady Ashara?" Another shake of her head followed, accompanied by a tutting sound before Lyarra looked at the young lady with a smile on her lips. The first thing she noticed were Lady Ashara's purple eyes, and she was sure those eyes had captured Ned's when the two of them had first met – maybe they'd med when Jon took the boys with him to King's Landing, and the two had been exchanging letters ever since – she couldn't hold back a smile at the thought of what a sweet a story that would be. "Forgive my husband, sometimes he forgets his manners," she gave Rickard a light and playful swat before making a curtsy towards Lady Ashara, "I'm Lady Lyarra Stark, Ned's mother," Lyarra didn't really pay attention to Lady Ashara's curtsy, her eyes drawn to the joined hands of the young couple, and she noticed how Ned was drawing small circles on the back of Ashara's hand with his thumb. "And I'm Lord Rickard Stark, husband of Lyarra and father of Ned," it seemed as if her husband had found his manners again as he gave a small bow, his arm suddenly sneaking around Lyarra's waist. "We are happy to meet you Lady Ashara," Lyarra said before slowly kneeling down, "and you my princess," she finished with a bow. "Nappa mamí?" the little princess asked, and Lyarra saw how she looked at Ned, "Nappa papí?" she added before Ned could answer. Nappa — the name the princess called her son — confused Lyarra a bit, but still it made her smile as it simply sounded sweet and innocent. A low chuckle escaped her son's lips before he knelt down and nodded. "Yes Little Sun, these are my parents," Ned said. Ned's tone reminded Lyarra of Rickard, of how he'd spoken to their children when they'd been so young, but then the little girl squealed, and she felt tiny arms wrapped around her neck.
"You're Uther's daughter, aren't you?" Lyarra heard her husband ask more quietly, and she could imagine the grin on his face from his tone alone. "Yes," the young woman slowly answered, "my father is Uther Dayne, Lord of Starfall." Her husband laughed that booming laugh again. "Forgive me," she heard him say between laughs, "it's just… so many years have passed since I met your father, and now I meet you here with my son. The gods like to play funny games with us," he finished. At least her husband gave an explanation and didn't keep confusing them all even more. Lyarra moved her attention back to Princess Rhaenys, running a hand through her hair with a smile.
"Lord Stark," a guard appeared next to her husband, giving a small bow. "Your presence is requested," he said. Lyarra noticed how the guard handed a small piece of parchment to her husband, who read it silently before giving a nod. "I'll be there in a moment," was all he said to the guard, who went back to whomever was waiting. "This is sadly an important matter that I must attend to immediately; I'm sure we'll be able to talk later. Princess Rhaenys," Lyarra looked down at the little girl, who let go of her and now looked up at her husband. "Bye Nappa papí?" the little girl asked in her sweet and innocent voice, and as soon as her husband nodded the little girl was hugging his leg. It surprised her — and she was sure it also surprised Rickard – but she also noticed the small smile that appeared on her husband's lips as he moved a hand gently through the princess's hair. "I'll see you later princess," the gentle tone of her husband's voice brought back so many memories that made Lyarra smile while she watched the princess let go of her husband's leg before Rickard left with a smile still on his lips.
Rhaenys was walking back towards her, and that was when Lyarra got an idea. "Why don't you two go and spend some time together?" She asked Ned and Ashara with a smile. "But I must take care of princess Rhaenys," was the answer from the young lady, and Lyarra was sure that she heard a bit of disappointment in her soft voice. "Oh don't you worry. I will take care of our little princess and her sweet kitten," as if on command Rhaenys stood next to her with a big smile as the black kitten also slowly approached them. "Off you two go, and don't worry. I raised four wolf pups," with that Lyarra stood up and lifted Rhaenys with her, settling the little princess against her hip before walking off in the other direction. "Bye Nappa, bye Ara," Lyarra heard the little girl say loudly before Rhaenys's attention was already back on her when she started to tell the princess stories about the North and her family.