grounded, yet rising | BOOK ONE IN THE ''OF SINNERS AND SAINTS'' SERIES
[ game of thrones seasons 1 - ? ]
[ fem!oc × bronn ]
[ fem!oc × robb stark ]
[ male!oc × margaery tyrell ]
[ cover made by @goodhYOUman ]
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THE CARRIAGE bumped around, tossing the highborn nobles inside from their left to their right.
Hera Arlington despised travelling. She hated everything about it. From the tight space inside the carriage, to the fact that she no longer had her own chamber pot.
However, her father had insisted that if she did not travel with her family now, she may never meet her daughter's betrothed. That was reason enough to head to the North. All she had ever wanted was to marry her children off to worthy suitors - nothing like what she had endured. Her father, though, had found a match for her only daughter before she could find a man. A man she already didn't approve of for the simple fact that he was a Northernman. For her children, she would have never chosen a marriage with such a distance from herself; she enjoyed seeing her children as much as she could and couldn't do that if they lived in the North.
She wrapped her arms around herself, pulling the lion fur over her shoulders closer. Gods, how she hated the North. She couldn't understand why someone would willingly live up here. Why would they want to suffer through the cold?
The Reach didn't have winter. She was thankful for that. That was one of the few things she had liked about her arranged marriage - at least her father hadn't married her off to someone in the North.
To her left, her only son had laid his head on her shoulder. His eyes were shut and he snored softly, but he still resembled an angel. His blonde hair fell into his face, hiding his pointed nose and rosy cheeks.
Across from the woman, sat a girl with golden locks hanging to her waist. Her green eyes lit up as she stared out of the carriage window, watching everything they passed.
Hera smiled, tilting her head to the side, "Do you like it?"
The young woman nodded her head, not turning away from the opening, "It's lovely."
"This will be your home now."
"It will be a change, but Lotuses are adaptive," she turned to her mother this time, clarifying for the older woman.
But they don't survive harsh winters, Hera told herself, especially with the sharp teeth of large dogs gnawing at them.
However, she simply nodded her head in agreement with her daughter.
She prayed that within a fortnight, her daughter would dread everything about the North - the cold, the culture, her betrothed. She prayed that her father would break the engagement and allow his granddaughter to come home.
She just couldn't bare the thought of leaving the girl here. The thought of not seeing her daughter's beaming smile everyday haunted her mind. She couldn't do it. She wouldn't. She would drag the girl back South, if she must.
The boy laying on her shoulder lifted his head up. He rubbed his eyes, asking aloud, "Have we arrived?"
Hera placed her hand on her son's knee, replying, "Not yet, dear."
He groaned, slumping down in his seat. He crossed his arms over his chest, mumbling, "We've been on the road for hours."
"And we'll be there very soon," his mother assured him.
He was like Hera in that way - impatient. As a young man, he hated sitting still for too long; he always wanted to be moving, always wanted something to do.
"You're a Lord now, Henri," Hera began explaining to the boy of one and five. "That means you are in control of what everyone in our House does. If you want more men escorting us, they'll come. If you want your sister to stay in the South, she will. It's all up to you, son."
Henri uncrossed his arms as he sat upright. His thin eyebrows were lowered as he questioned, "So now I have control over our armies?"
Hera nodded her head, "Once you become of age, yes."
He cocked a single brow, "And I decide which Lady will marry me?"
"I suppose, once you're older, of course." She didn't want to put the idea of his own marriage in his head. She simply wanted to put the idea of denying his sister's marriage in his head.
The thought of both of her children leaving her one day was unbearable. She wanted to break down into tears right there. She wanted to beg her daughter to ride back with them. She wanted to plead to her son to ensure their family stayed together, always. But she didn't.
"Henri, look!" his older sister exclaimed as she pointed out of the window. "We're here!"
He leaned forward, his face beside his sister's as he peered out into the cold. Both of their eyes grew wide as they stared upon the grand castle built by the First Men. Hera watched as the grins on her children's faces grew when the carriage came to a pause and the sound of the gate was being opened.
The two sat back, their smiles not fading as they listened to the announcement of King Robert Baratheon, their uncle. They knew that at any moment, they would be stepping out of the carriage. Hera feared what they would think of it; she feared that they would like it.
The door opened, causing more sunlight to break through. Hera stood up and took the band of the carriage driver, carefully stepping out.
She let out one deep exhale as the cool air hit her face. Hugging the lion fur closer to her arms, she felt a shiver creep up her spine. Taking a quick glance around, she saw just how dead everything looked. Where she lived, everything was green all of the time. Here, all was grim and gray and lifeless.
Hera loathed it.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
I've been working on this book and the overall series for so long and am so happy to be posting it finally!
This book will be told through three pov characters.
It will also have three love interests, including Robb, Margaery and Bronn!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this book as much as I have coming up with ideas and writing it.
