Winter's Fire → Game of Thrones

lxii. Storm Lords

I had spent the past week in my chambers. Since Lucien left, I have felt hollow. I have had no motivation to do anything. The only thing that had motivated me to leave my chambers was thinking about why I had let Lucien go.

Lucien had left because I told him to marry Myrielle Lannister. He would not have had to leave if it was not for me. Yes, Daemon gave him the same advice as I did, but he would not have taken it if we had not said the same thing. So my pain was my own fault and I was at least going to follow through on the ambitions that caused this pain.

Though I cannot leave just yet, I can make sure that I am still ready to take back Winterfell. I can look at maps of the North, plan out how I will approach the lords and where I will go first, and I can make sure I am the strongest fighter on any battlefield. At least by doing that I can take back my home. When I take back my home, I will have brought reason to the pain that I feel.

Daemon had checked on me every day the past week. He had even sat with me as I cried the morning after Lucien left. He had not pushed me to leave my chambers or do anything other than eat. He did warn that he would be forcing me out of my chambers when his lords began to arrive though.

Right now I was standing in the courtyard. Daemon's lords were all set to arrive today, but I figured that I would have time to train. If now, it did not really matter. They are not here for me anyway. I just have to play nice so that one day, if I ever need it, they will willingly come to my aid in battle.

Some of Daemon's men were willing to train with me. We were just using our swords to train, as they were all scared of my arakh. I did not blame them. Most of these men saw me cleave someone's head in half with it by swinging up instead of down. If I did not use the weapon myself, I would also be scared of it.

There was no real competition here. Even with them fighting together, it was still easy for me to fight and defend myself. It was not about competition or challenge though. It was about keeping my skills sharp for when I need to use them next.

With a number of men training against me, my movements were fast and precise. I had no room for error. All I could do was block and strike quickly. If I slowed for even a second, they would land a blow on me and I would lose our training battle. I was never going to lose any kind of battle, whether it is for training or not.

"Lady Stark!" Daemon called out, stopping the training. "Some of my lords here wish to meet you!"

Daemon was standing with a few men. None of them really seemed too happy to be referred to as his men. They did not say anything though. I wondered why. They would face little repercussion for speaking their mind at the moment. Daemon would not strike against them yet. So perhaps they were not saying anything because of me.

I sheathed my sword and picked up my arakh. I attached it, still in its sheath, to my sword belt. Then I finally headed over to where Daemon was standing with the men we were hoping would finally agree to become his lords.

"I am Lady Alessia Stark," I introduced.

"This is Lord Ralph Buckler, Lord Casper Wylde and Lord Selwyn Tarth," Daemon informed me.

An introduction was all I needed to know everything about these lords. Daemon and I had discussed them with Maester Jurene, as he has met all of them. I also offered what little I remembered about the houses from when I was a child.

Lord Buckler is the Lord of Bronzegate, the castle we passed close to on our way here. Lord Wylde is the lord of Rain House, which sits along Cape Wrath, just like Storm's End. As for Lord Selwyn Tarth, aside from being Lord of Evenfall Hall, his daughter is Lady Brienne. He was by far the most interesting of these lords.