The next day started much like the previous. Robert was excited to spend time with Lyanna today but knew keeping his routine was just as important. He was up early and broke his fast on his own before going out to the yard to practice and spar with the other men. He was pleasantly surprised to see a much larger number of men. When he inquired about it, he was told that during winter at least once a sennight when possible, the levies staying in Wintertown would come to Winterfell for martial practice. When Robert asked if anyone was interested in sparring with him, the group pushed forward a giant of a man. He was clearly over seven feet tall and built solidly. Not quite as tall as The Mountain, but still it was not often Robert had to look up at his opponents.
"M'lord, I'll fight ya, if you'll 'lowit." He said humbly. The man was carrying a spear and shield and dressed in the common leathers and chain of northern levies. Robert was excited for the challenge of fighting such a monstrous foe.
"Of course I'll allow it." Robert laughed and nodded to the man to join him. Based on his stance, Robert could tell that the man was no master of the martial arts, but his reach and strength alone made him a dangerous foe.
"Get 'im pa!" cried the young man who had been the witness of yesterday's brawl. He had pushed his way to the front of the circle of men that had gathered around to watch the match.
"Walder! Get back and finish your work in the stables." An older woman called out in an admonishing tone.
"But Nan, pa's gonna fight the southern lord." The boy's excitement over the match warmed Robert's heart as he took his stance facing the northern warrior. Robert circled a bit noticing that the giant did a good job of moving with him. Eventually, Robert thought he saw his opening and moved in. He darted in, but his opponent was watching carefully and was able to fend him off with several quick thrusts of the spear. Robert couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh, happy to have initially underestimated his opponent. The dance continued with Robert darting in and out while being kept at bay by the spear. Eventually however the giant started to tire, and Robert truly found his opportunity to end the fight.
"Well fought, I don't think I got your name." He said to the man who had just yielded.
"My name's Wylis, m'lord." He said with a humble smile.
"Well Wylis, with men like you in the army's ranks there's no wonder it took dragons to take the north." The gathered men all gave a little cheer at that. "I saw your boy watching, he looks like he'll be a mighty warrior himself someday."
"Aye, m'lord, he he'll have the build for it, but he's got too soft a heart for war." Wylis replied, "At least that's what me Nan says."
"True, not everyone hears the call of battle." Robert says with a grin. After that, he continued training with the men helping the Master-of-Arms as best he could. Eventually Eddard came around and sparred a few times with Robert. Maybe it was the homefield advantage, but Eddard managed to take more wins than losses this time much to the adoration of the gathered northmen. Robert was definitely in his element and loving every minute of it. He even took time to help young Benjen with his sparring, which in turn increased his standing with the young lord considerably. Eventually, he heard a feminine voice calling out over the clash of training weapons.
"Excuse me Lord Baratheon, I believe we agreed to take a ride together." Her tone was particularly proper. Robert noticed a guard in House Stark colors trailing respectfully behind her.
"We had, let me get cleaned up here and I will meet you by the stables." He said with a smile. She gave a quick curtsy before heading in the direction of the stables as he had suggested. Robert changed as quickly as he could out of his training gear and into his riding clothes. He saw Lyanna and the guard already mounted and waiting for him when he was finally ready to go. The stableboy who had cheered on his father was brushing down Robert's coal black destrier as Robert approached.
"You're steed m'lord. He sure is a beauty." The boy said with a shy smile.
"Yes, he was a gift from my friend Denys Arryn. Thank you for taking such good care of him." Robert said happily before mounting his steed. The boy bowed his head and humbly mumbled that it was his job. Robert chuckled and turned towards Lyanna and her guard. "Shall we?" She nodded and then started towards the gate.
"Fortunately, it hasn't snowed in a few days so the paths in the Wolfswood are open for riding." Lyanna said with excitement in her voice. Robert noticed the guard give a defeated sigh and started to think that this wasn't going to be a pleasant ride on a sunny winter day. As they passed through the Hunter's Gate, Lyanna looked back at Robert with a sly grin before letting out an excited "Hyaaah" spurring her horse into a full-on gallop and laughing as she left her escorts behind. Robert looked at the guard who just gave him a resigned shrug before urging his horse to catch up, he let out a laugh of his own as he followed suit.
Robert felt that he shouldn't be surprised by how good Lyanna was on a horse. Everyone he had ever talked to about her had commented that she was a centaur, half-horse, or some other manner of praise. But seeing it and trying to keep up himself was eye-opening. Once they had entered the forest proper, it was as if she and the horse were of one mind speeding through the narrow and winding game trails as if it was nothing. Robert did his very best to keep up and had done a better job than the guard, but still only just managed to keep her in sight. Eventually though, as she entered a clearing in the woods, she slowed to a trot letter her horse rest and Robert catch up.
"It seems as if your reputation is well earned my lady." Robert said with a charming smile. Lyanna seemed to preen at the words for a moment before fixing him with a studying eye.
"I was told that I have been unfair to you since you've arrived. You'll forgive me if I seem a little forward here, but I must ask you. Is your reputation well earned as well?" Her grey eyes hid a steely determination behind them. Robert wondered when this would come up and it seems as if she was not willing to dance around the point.
"Yes, my reputation was well earned, and yes, it is true I have sired at least one child that I know of." He replied plainly. She looked at him with the same passive glare that her father Rickard had perfected.
"I can see why you are shit at the joust." She said almost casually.
"Excuse me?" Robert questioned clearly thrown by the change in topic.
"When you ride, you don't trust your horse. You command him like he is a challenge to conquer not a companion to work with. Is that how you see…" She paused her lips indicated that she was about to say 'women', but she caught herself. "…everything? Is it all just a challenge to overcome before you move on to something else?" Her voice was steady, and the steel remained.
"I ride like that because that is how I was taught. And perhaps that is how I ultimately see the world because that is how I was taught." Robert admitted. It was a new way of looking at his life he hadn't considered before.
"Do you love the mother of your child?" She pressed on. Robert was beginning to grow frustrated by the interrogation.
"No," he said more coldly than he probably should have. "Not in the way you're thinking"
"How is that right? How is that fair? That you would lay with a woman like that and just leave her with a child." Her voice was full of righteous indignation. Robert couldn't help but lose his anger over it.
"It is neither right nor fair!" he roared causing Lyanna to lean back and her horse to take a few frightened steps away. "It was a mistake that she and I have to live with for the rest of our lives, but don't you dare stand there and judge me as if I just tossed them away. I love Mya dearly, she is the light of my life, and I have cared for her mother as best as our stations would allow." He defended himself vigorously.
"You make it sound like you couldn't do the right thing and marry your daughter's mother because society prevented you. Society didn't keep Prince Duncan from marrying Jenny of Oldstones. You're a Baratheon, a Lord Paramount, you could have just told everyone to stuff it, and then your daughter, the light of your life, wouldn't grow up a bastard."
"As if the damn Targaryens are a the prime example of wisdom and honor in this world. Summerhall might never have burned if Duncan had just married my kin as was his duty. Spiting on society for your selfish needs isn't how you change the world for the better. Gods, you and Rhaegar deserve each other." Robert buried his face in his palm as he realized what he had just said.
"What does Prince Rhaegar have to do with this." She asked, a small blush darkening her confused features. It served to stoke Robert's anger further, and he was silent for a while as he wrestled internally to bring it under control. He would not push her into the hands of that manipulative bastard.
"Nothing, you just reminded me of him just now. My cousin doesn't think about the consequences of his actions either." He growled, "If he thinks he is in the right, then the world just needs to change to suit his needs. That's not how the world works, and it only leads to suffering."
"So, you are saying that there is no hope to change the world? That we should just lie down and accept our stations in life?" She fired back emotionally.
"I am saying that change is hard. It requires men and women to choose to do the right thing every day. To sacrifice their wants and needs for those around them. To love others more than yourself as the Mother teaches." He reasoned while doing his best to control his anger. Lyanna's fire had diminished, but not gone out.
"So, why are you here? Is it the right thing to come here looking for my hand rather than staying south and caring for your daughter?" Robert was getting fed up with her defiant attitude. She had found something that was dear to him and was pushing on it.
"Brandon asked the same thing." Robert murmured before continuing. "I am here because I thought that if I came to you in person, then the betrothal request would be more palatable. There is so much more at play here than just our feelings. We are high-born and noble; we have power over the lives of tens of thousands of smallfolk and nobles alike. Love and romance are not luxuries normally afforded to us, but I thought that maybe, just maybe, we could find it where so many others failed." Robert was ranting out his frustrations. "So, tell me, my lady, what are you so afraid of? Why are you trying so hard to run away from your duty?"
"I don't want to be bound to a man who could never stay faithful to the marriage bed." She yelled defiantly. "You can tell me you would love me all you want, but love doesn't change a man's nature."
"So, you thought that by being enough of a bitch you could scare me off and I'd run away to the south and just give up on you?" Robert couldn't help but laugh at the thought.
"Don't laugh at me." Lyanna said hotly.
"Apologies, Lady Lyanna." Robert said quickly recovering his composure. "Please know that I admire you for a great number of things. I admire your fire, tenacity, and honesty. And I even admire your straightforward and slightly naïve view of the world to an extent. I would love to have you serve as the lady of Storm's End if only to see the sour look on the faces of every other social climbing harpy in the south." This actually got a small snicker out of Lyanna. "I recently learned a thing or two about love from a northern born bastard. You are right that love, the feeling most people think of when you use the word, can't change a man's nature. But true love isn't a feeling, it is a choice one makes to put aside your needs for another. I would like the opportunity to love you as a husband should love his wife."
"I wouldn't make a good southern lady." Lyanna said turning away in embarrassment.
"Who said I want a southern lady." Internally he thought that he had had enough of southern ladies for one lifetime, literally.
"Wouldn't I just shame you and your house?" She was obviously grasping at anything to try and dissuade Robert.
"Lyanna, what do you want from marriage?" Robert finally asked. She stopped and thought for a few moments before slowly responding.
"I just want a good man who won't expect more of me than I can give, who will love and honor me for who I am." She said in a challenging tone.
"Do you know what I want from a wife and future lady of Storm's End?" Robert asked, she simply shook her head.
"Frankly, I want a woman who can have just as much fun as me, who'll go hunting and riding with me, who'll love and raise our children to be honorable and good, and if I am truly lucky, I would like a woman who could accept Mya into our household." Robert stopped and studied Lyanna for a moment, locking eyes with her. "If you can be the woman I want to have as a wife, then I can be the man who you want as a husband. And remember, marriage is still years away. I won't steal you away from your father just yet." He said with a grin. She was silent for a little while looking around the clearing deep in thought. Eventually they heard the hoofbeats of the guard who had been left behind.
"I suppose that betrothals can be amicably broken if need be. Two years is plenty of time see if your actions match your words." She said returning his smile. "We should head back; my father's man is always so put out when he has to search the forest for me."
"As you wish my lady." Robert replied. "On a different note, can you teach me to ride like you do?"
"I can try." Lyanna replied. "Why is it important to you?"
"There's a stubborn young lady I would love to be able to crown the Queen of Love and Beauty at Harrenhal." Robert said with a roguish smile. Lyanna just blushed and urged her mount into a canter ahead of Robert.
A/N And so we finally have the moment where Robert and Lyanna cut to the heart of their issues. It's a bit of a shorter chapter and I struggled writing it. I have tried to portray a version of Lyanna that is stubborn, naïve, and a bit of a romantic at heart. I hope I am getting the point across that she never thought that Robert could love her like she wanted to be loved. She decided that the best course of action would be to act like a brat and prove that she wasn't the kind of woman Robert wanted. Which I think is on brand for a teenage girl. As for Robert, I think he's come to the realization that the Lyanna that he built up in his head and longed for since his coronation doesn't exist. That being said, this Lyanna he is getting to know is still preferable to other options. I am not sure if I managed to get all of that across in the past few chapters, and I'd like to hear what you think.