CHAPTER 18
In the morning after making slow passionate love with Jorah, they got cleaned up and dressed to go break their fast with the Starks and the other lords. They both walked into the hall and Jorah pushed in her chair seating her first then sat next to her. More lords had arrived overnight. She smiled at everyone at the table and nodded her head as they smiled back. Ned introduced her to the three lords that arrived.
Lord Medger Cerwyn was sitting with his son Cley to his right and said to Ned, "Mistress Brightflame is a fine looking beauty. Is she by chance Maegor Brightflame's daughter? She would be the rightful queen then above all. My son, Cley, is looking for a wife at this time."
Cley who looked around eighteen to twenty years old. He blushed, peering over at her and whispered, "Father."
Ned said, smiling at the Cewyn's trying to see if they could aline their house up to secede to the throne somehow, "I do not believe that Mistress Brightflame is looking for a husband at this time, Lord Cerwyn."
Cerwyn asked gruffly and curiously, "Are you with Ser Jorah? Is that why? You know he sold slaves breaking the law of the land and almost lost his head if he didn't run, but did lose his title as Lord of Bear Island anyway?" Jorah remained quiet with his head down in his shame and anger.
Ivy said flatly, squeezing Jorah's hand under the table on her leg, while looking at the man unflinchingly, "I am well aware as is everyone else in this room of that piece of information. Ser Jorah is my sworn knight, shield and advisor, but most of all my dear friend. He has received his pardon by King Robert and will always remain by my side in earned respect. I wish no titles or betrothals at this time but thank you for the offer. I do not know if Maegor Brightflame is my father or not because I was not aware of anything prior to being eight name days old. I was found floating in the middle of the ocean and was picked up by pirates. Until I have confirmation I am just a wealthy female sea merchant named Ivy Brightflame." The lords were all talking in whispers to themselves.
Ser Geremy Frey smiled and said out loud, "You and you men are all coming to the Twins at the Crossing day after tomorrow and are very welcome." She looked at Ser Geremy and smiled nodding.
Ned Stark said out loud to, "You are always welcome at my table, Mistress Brightflame. You have more than earned your place here."
Merger Cerwyn was confused and asked, "Why is that Lord Stark and Ser Geremy? She is of no title and you revere her, why? What have I missed?"
Ned Stark said stoically, "Yes, Lord Cerwyn, you have missed a lot in the past few days. Roose Bolton died in his sleep the night his bastard was killed by wolves in the Wolfwood. Before that his bastard set his two hounds to tear apart my children upon their arrival and my eldest son was attacked. Mistress Ivy was there and killed both dogs by herself and attended to my son to keep him from bleeding to death. She performed a miraculous surgery on my son's arm under Maester Luwin's observation, saving his arm. She promised to travel to the Twins to help deliver Ser Geremy's child. She will do her best to keep his wife Carolie alive in the process. She knows how to remove children from the stomach without killing the mother. You see, Mistress Brightflame is not just a beautiful woman, but an incredibly talented and intelligent woman who has traveled the world and learned a great deal of many useful and wise things."
Ivy blushed and said humbly looking at him and Catelyn smiling next to him, "Thank you, Lord Stark and Lady Catelyn." He smiled and nodded at her.
Lord Cerwyn cleared his throat and said, "I see. My apologies for my outburst." He stayed quiet and observant.
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Later, that evening as the feast was underway, the musicians began to play. They started singing and dancing. Ivy was leaning back drinking wine with Jorah sitting next to her.
Lord Stark asked Ivy in front of everyone, "So tell me, Ivy, do you sing?"
Ivy said, "Actually I do, a little bit. I just haven't sung in front of other people. You probably have never heard the songs before."
Ned said smiling, "Go on, give us a song then! We need something new."
Catelyn was laughing, clapping and said, "Please, Ivy." Then Sansa, Arya and the older boys were saying, "Come on, Ivy!"
Jorah whispered in her ear, "Now yer all in, love. Give them a song." She blushed and went over to the musicians.
She started very slowly, smoothly and closed her eyes as a song came into her mind. As the song continued her voice increased acapella, the drummer joined in the beat. The others filled it where they could once they recognized the tempo. She swayed side to side, picked up her dress hem and twirled as she danced to the tempo of the melody. She was beautiful in her long purple dress and her long curly dark tresses that were loose and held back by two braids on each side of her head. She let the song carry her away in her mind and movements.
"The Voice" by Brendan Graham Sung by Celtic Woman
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I hear your voice on the wind
And I here you call out my name
-
"Listen my child, " you say to me
"I am the voice of your history
Be not afraid, come follow me
Answer my call and I'll set you free"
-
I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice that always is calling you
I am the voice, I will remain
-
I am the voice in the fields when the summer's gone
The dance of the leaves when the autumn winds blow
Ne'er do I sleep throughout all the cold winter long
I am the force that in springtime will grow
-
I am the voice of the past that will always be
Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields
I am the voice of the future
Bring me your peace
Bring me your peace and my wounds, they will heal
-
I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice that always is calling you
I am the voice
I am the voice in the past that will always be
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice of the future
-
I am the voice
I am the voice
I am the voice
I am the voice
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Everyone in the Great Hall was silent in complete awe and stunned. Her voice was strong, vibrant and so very boldly flowed so smoothly. The words were so appropriate and struck a chord as a new song to them. They all erupted scaring her for a second with a shout in cheers, clapping and banging their wooden tankard mugs on the table. The lords, the children and the servants were all applauding. She was astonished and had no idea she could even do that actually. She bowed.
They were shouting, "Another!", "Sing us another!" She smiled really big. She looked at Jorah as he clapped and he was smiling amazed at her. He was always surprised at her doing something different and remarkable. She thought of another song. She never thought about singing before and had no idea where the songs that came into her head were even coming from.
"Jenny of Oldstones" Songwriters: Dan Weiss / David Benioff / George R. R. Martin / Ramin Djawadi
-
High in the halls of the kings who are gone
Jenny would dance with her ghosts
The ones she had lost and the ones she had found
And the ones who had loved her the most
-
The ones who'd been gone for so very long
She couldn't remember their names
They spun her around on the damp old stones
Spun away all her sorrow and pain
-
And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave
Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave
-
They danced through the day
And into the night through the snow that swept through the hall
From winter to summer then winter again
'Til the walls did crumble and fall
-
And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave
Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave
And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave
Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave
-
High in the halls of the kings who are gone
Jenny would dance with her ghosts
The ones she had lost and the ones she had found
And the ones
Who had loved her the most
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She danced and had a great time at the feast. She danced with a few lords. Before Jon, she even danced with Robb who was out of bed for the feast. She was careful with his arm. The only awkward moment. Theon approached her to dance after she danced with Jon.
He took her in her arms to dance and said, "This has been a great feast. You have a beautiful voice for a beautiful woman. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." She could smell the ale and wine on him and knew he had a lot of liquid courage to approach her.
She said warily, moving his hands up higher, "Thank you, Theon."
Theon said slurring a little and his hands got too familiar, "If you were my girl, I… I would kiss you much better than a disgraced… knight would. I saw you in town… let… letting him kiss you."
Ivy said to him, "That is none of your business, Theon."
He looked at her getting a bit upset, "I was born a Greyjoy. We are made to live on a ship. I would be perfect to be… with a woman like you. Wh… Why don't you ever kiss me too? I bet I'm better than that old man." He grabbed her and tried to kiss her.
Ivy was pushing him away and said, "Stop, Theon!" Jorah stepped in quickly. Ned came up behind both of them at that moment because he saw it escalate and had been watching the whole time.
Jorah said loudly, taking him by the scruff of his collar, warning Theon, "Here, here… take it easy boy! Leave the lady alone!"
Theon said, getting angry, "I'm not a boy and I am a Greyjoy! Get your hands off of me! She would be better off with me than you old man!"
Jorah said placating him, "Calm down. You need to sleep it off." Ned took hold of Theon to get him out of the Hall.
Theon yelled desperately reaching out to her, "I don't want to sleep it off! But… but I love you, Ivy! No, I… I want to stay." People around started laughing at hearing him say that as Ned was dragging him away to his room.
She said to Jorah, "Thanks, he was drunk and getting a little carried away."
Jorah was holding her close with his arms wrapped around her waist. He whispered in her ear, "I told you that the Greyjoy boy was attracted to you. He will have to learn that you're mine now and I will not share with another, especially a Greyjoy." Ivy looked up at him and smiled, caressing his face. He started dancing with her like the others.
She said to him, "He knows that because he said he saw us kissing in Winter Town."
Jorah said smirking, "Then I guess I'll have to make sure everyone knows your mine." She rolled her eyes at him.
He suddenly picked her up off her feet causing her to wrap her arms around his shoulders and neck. He kissed her very hard and passionately as she kissed him back. People around them cheered.
When he broke the kiss, she was grinning down at him. Ivy thought, 'Damn men, marking their territory. He is so sweet the way he holds me being so assertive and possessive.' She kissed him again.
Once they retired for the night, Jorah built-up the fire in the fireplace in her room. She was removing all of her clothing when he came up behind her and started doing it for her. His hands roamed over her body.
He said in a deep voice, "You are the most incredibly beautiful woman. Everyone was so surprised at your singing and that one song was so different. Where did that one come from?"
She said, sighing as he was licking her neck under her ear. She had her head back on his shoulder and said, "I have no idea. It just popped in my head. Everyone seemed to like it."
Jorah said softly cupping his hands over her breasts that were exposed, "You always do something so surprising, my love. You make me wonder what you will do next." She turned in his arms and started taking off his clothes. They made love on and off through the rest of the night.