Chapter 16

The southern games

Jon felt quite good as he headed to the stables. He had spent a very pleasant morning with Elyse, and she had found herself plenty of books to read. Things were looking much better than yesterday, and he was looking forward to going riding with her. If that would make her smile half as much as the library, he could feel a true sense of accomplishment. He wasn't sure how experienced a rider she was, so he was planning to choose her a calm mare. He would have plenty of time to get their horses ready while Elyse got changed.

Jon turned around the corner and saw the Queen approaching. She was accompanied by a couple of her handmaidens and members of the Queensguard. Jon tensed, but it was too late to turn back. Instead, he bowed and murmured a respectful greeting.

"Your Grace."

Cersei stopped, her lips curving into a smile. "Lord Jon. I didn't see you or my dear Elyse at breakfast. Is everything alright?"

Jon straightened, forcing a polite smile. "Yes, Your Grace. Lady Elyse and I had breakfast in our chamber."

"How charming," Cersei replied, her tone sweet but laced with an undercurrent Jon couldn't quite place. "And Elyse, she is adjusting well?"

"She is, Your Grace," Jon answered, keeping his voice steady.

"Wonderful." Cersei paused, her eyes observing the scratch marks on Jon's face. "Oh dear, that looks painful. What happened?"

"Just a little accident, Your Grace," Jon replied tensely. "Nothing serious."

"Hmm," Cersei hummed and motioned her handmaidens to back away. "If I may, my lord, I would like to offer you some advice." She paused and leaned closer to Jon. "Elyse is my good-sister and I love her dearly, but… I am afraid she can be a little…spoiled and defiant at times. You mustn't tolerate that kind of behavior from her, or it will only get worse. What she needs from you is a firm hand."

Jon's jaw tightened as Cersei's words sank in. He maintained his polite demeanor, though it took considerable effort to suppress his true feelings. He knew Elyse was not spoiled or defiant, but a woman who had endured much and deserved compassion and understanding.

"Your Grace," Jon began carefully, "I appreciate your concern and advice. However, I believe a firm hand isn't necessary with Lady Elyse."

Cersei's eyes narrowed slightly, but her smile remained fixed.

"I understand, my lord. She is the King's sister, but she is most of all your wife now. You have every right to correct her behavior." She paused and glanced at the scratch marks again. "Especially if she refuses fulfilling her wifely duties. Then it is your duty as her husband to make sure that she won't dishonor the King by dishonoring you."

Jon's resolve hardened as he listened to Cersei's words. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was that a common way for the southern lords to treat their wives? The thought was nothing but disturbing and disgusting. Jon knew he had to be cautious in his response, but he also couldn't allow the Queen to believe he would ever mistreat Elyse.

"Your Grace," he said, keeping his voice measured and respectful, "I understand the importance of honor and duty. However, I assure you, Lady Elyse has shown me nothing but respect. As her husband, it is my duty to ensure her well-being, which I believe can be achieved through mutual respect, rather than correction."

Cersei's smile thinned, but she maintained her composure. "How nice. It seems that my dear Elyse should be grateful for such an understanding husband. But do remember, my lord, firmness does not exclude kindness. It is, in fact, sometimes the kindest thing you can do."

"I will keep that in mind, Your Grace," Jon murmured. "Thank you for your advice."

Cersei nodded curtly, her eyes lingering on Jon's face for a moment longer before she turned and continued on her way, her handmaidens trailing behind her. Jon needed a moment to gather his thoughts before he was able to move. That had been disturbing. How could anyone think that it would be acceptable for him to "correct" his wife's behavior? What kind of man would do that? Lord Arryn, apparently.

Shaking off the unsettling encounter, Jon focused on the task at hand. He was determined to make this day a positive one for Elyse. As he approached the stables, Jon saw stable hands bustling about, tending to the horses and cleaning the stalls. He greeted them with a nod and headed towards the paddock where the older, gentler horses were kept.

His eyes scanned the paddock until he found the perfect horse for Elyse, a gentle mare named Buttercup. She was well-known for her calm demeanor and steady gait, making her ideal for a rider who might be nervous or inexperienced.

"Hello, my lord," one of the stable hands, Tom, called out as he approached. "Need help with the horses?"

"Hello, Tom," Jon replied with a smile. "Yes, I'm getting Buttercup ready for my wife, Lady Elyse. We're going for a ride."

Tom grinned. "Buttercup's a fine choice. She's a sweetheart. I'll help you get her saddled."

"Thanks, Tom," Jon said appreciatively.

He selected his own horse, a sturdy stallion named Shadow, and began to saddle him up as well. By the time Elyse arrived at the stables, dressed in riding clothes, both horses were ready. She looked slightly nervous but also excited.

"Buttercup is a gentle mare," Jon reassured her as he helped her mount. "She'll take good care of you."

Elyse nodded, giving the horse a tentative pat. "Thank you, Jon. She's beautiful."

Jon smiled. "Ready to go?"

"Yes," Elyse replied, her voice tinged with anticipation.

They set off at a leisurely pace, Jon keeping a close eye on Elyse to ensure she was comfortable. The air was crisp and fresh, and the sun cast a warm glow over the landscape. As they rode through the woods surrounding Winterfell, Elyse's initial nervousness began to melt away, replaced by a sense of peace.

"This is lovely," she said after a while, glancing at Jon with a genuine smile. "I haven't had a chance to ride like this in a long time."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it," Jon replied, feeling a warmth spread through him at the sight of her smile. "We can do this as often as you like."

"Thank you."

"Elyse," Jon stated cautiously after a moment of silence. "May I ask you something?"

"Yes, of course," she replied, smiling at him.

Jon hesitated, not wanting to ruin her joy.

"Actually, it can wait," he stated, deciding to bring the matter up later.

"No, no, please ask," she assured, studying his face. "I can tell this is important."

Jon was still hesitating, regretting for bringing the whole thing up now.

"Well, I… I met the Queen on my way to the stables and… I found some of the things she said disturbing."

Elyse's smile faltered slightly, concern creeping into her eyes. "What did she say?"

Jon took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "She suggested that... if you were ever... defiant or if you refused to fulfill your duties as a wife, I should be firm with you, even... correct your behavior."

Elyse's expression shifted from concern to a mix of shock and anger. "She said that?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

Jon nodded, his eyes filled with sincerity and concern. "Yes. And I want you to know that I completely disagree with her. I would never, ever do something like that. I don't know if something like that is common in the south, but..."

"It is not," Elyse murmured. "Or at least it shouldn't be. The Queen had her own reasons to say that to you."

Jon's eyes widened.

"What reasons?"

Elyse took a deep breath and pressed her lips together.

"Cersei was the one who drugged us and put us in the same bed. Or at least she was the one who planned it."

Jon stared at Elyse in shock. "The Queen did that?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Elyse nodded, her expression troubled. "Yes. She wanted to make sure I would be married off quickly, to avoid a marriage alliance with someone she didn't approve of."

"Who was that?" Jon asked cautiously.

"Her brother," Elyse murmured. "Ser Jaime. The King was going to marry me off to him."

Jon's eyes widened in disbelief. "Ser Jaime? The Queen didn't want you to marry her own brother?"

Elyse nodded, her expression still troubled. "Yes. For reasons that are not entirely clear to me, Cersei did not want Jaime to marry me. She took matters into her own hands to ensure that it didn't happen."

Jon shook his head, trying to make sense of it all. "And instead, she orchestrated this... this scheme to force us into marriage?"

Elyse looked down, her voice quiet. "Yes. I am truly sorry you were caught in the middle of this."

"But… why me?" Jon managed to ask.

Elyse shook her head. "I am sorry, but I don't know. Perhaps you were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Jon took a deep breath, processing the information. "It seems so unfair that we were both used in such a way," he said, his voice steady but filled with frustration.

Elyse nodded, her expression mirroring his. "It is unfair. You didn't deserve any of this."

"Neither did you," Jon murmured. "Do you… do you love Ser Jaime?"

Elyse let out a bitter laugh. "He helped Cersei, so no, I do not love him. My only wish was to keep things civilized with him since I would be forced to wed him, but… no matter." She paused and took a deep breath. "He did do one kind thing to me though, so I suppose I should be grateful for that."

"What thing?" Jon asked cautiously.

Elyse was quiet for a moment before replying. "He told me that you were not their accomplice."

Jon's eyes widened in surprise. "He told you that? Why would he do that if he was part of the scheme?"

Elyse shrugged, her expression a mixture of bitterness and confusion. "I suppose even he has a line he won't cross. Or maybe he wanted to clear his conscience, I don't know. But he made it clear that you were innocent in all this."

Jon sighed, feeling a mixture of relief and anger. "I'm glad he told you, but it doesn't change what they did. Using people like pawns... it's despicable."

Elyse nodded in agreement. "It is."

"But… what can we do about this?" Jon asked, his frustration evident.

Elyse gave him a sad smile and shook her head. "I am afraid there is nothing we can do, Jon. Cersei isn't only the Queen and the mother of the next king, she is also Tywin Lannister's daughter. She is practically untouchable, at least for now."

Jon shook his head, struggling to comprehend the situation. "So, we are just supposed to pretend that nothing happened?"

"Precisely. We will smile and bow while she derides us, or hopefully mostly me. That is the only thing we can do right now."

Jon didn't know what to say.

"I am sorry, Jon," Elyse sighed. "I truly am. I understand you must be angry at me…"

"No," Jon cut in. "No. Why… why would I be angry at you?"

She hesitated for a brief moment before replying. "You are in this situation because of me."

He shook his head. "None of this was your fault, Elyse. You didn't deserve this."

They were both quiet for a long moment, Elyse's hand gently patting Buttercup.

"I want to support you," Jon finally broke the silence. "But I must admit this is a foreign situation to me, I'm not familiar with all the southern games. Could you teach me?"

Elyse looked at him, clearly surprised.

"You are very kind, Jon, but I couldn't ask…"

"You are my wife, Elyse," he cut in calmly. "I want you to know that you can count on me."

She blinked a few times, turning her head away.

"Thank you, Jon. You can also count on me."

He nodded.

"Thank you. How about we finish our ride first? We have time to talk more after that."

"Sounds good," she agreed. "I believe we have a lot to talk about."