The she-wolf and the lion

Chapter 6 - Don't EVER touch my niece

Ned drags the slowly sobering Jory kicking and screaming through the halls of Winterfell.
"What were you thinking, boy? Did you think you could just take my niece with force when she said no to you? Is that how your father raised you?!" Ned asks.
"No, lord Stark", Jory whimpers as he's dragged through the castle. "Where are you taking me?"
"Where do you think I'm taking you, a brothel? No, boy, since we have an empty cell after you helped my niece free her lordling lover, you are taking over that cell", Ned says. "And remember...don't EVER touch my niece."

By the cell door, Benjen waits, gone there after consoling his daughter and leaving her with her maids, looking twice as grim as his older brother.

He holds the door open and Ned tosses Jory like a discarded glove across the floor of the cell and Benjen locks him in.
"How long am I gonna have to stay here?" Jory asks.
"Well, let's count out your crimes, should we...helping a prisoner escape the dungeons, then getting jealous of said prisoner for getting privileges from my daughter that you wanted for yourself...then trying to force yourself on my daughter when you didn't get what you wanted from her...it will be a while until we let you out of here", Benjen says.
"She tricked me!" Jory complains.
"What did you think? Did you think she would let you have your way with her when she could have Jaime, who, for all we know, is good to her?" Benjen asks. "Sure, I may not be overwhelmed with joy at the prospect of having the Kinslayer as my son in-law, but it's better than having some lowborn house guard captain, and better for her too, she'll be safe with him in her bed."
"Weren't you propositioned from house Targaryen for her hand as well?" Ned asks. "From queen Rhaella?"
"I was, she proposed that my daughter marry her son prince Rhaegar, but I felt Tywin Lannister was a safer ally for us and a safer father in-law for my daughter than Rhaella's husband, you know what they call him", Benjen says.
"I'm aware of that, yes", Ned says. "But is Jaime free to marry her? Isn't he a king's guard, for Rhaella's husband?"
"He is, but she can decide to free him from those vovs....in return I will send her Lyra's sister, Brianna, to marry Rhaegar, we have agreed to it", Benjen says. "I give her one of my daughters for her son, she gives me Tywin Lannister's son for one of my other daughters."
"And what does the great Tywin think of this idea?" Ned asks.
"He was furious at first, but accepted it because it was what his son wanted, and because everyone would benefit from the union of Lyra and Jaime, it would prevent further war between the Stark's and the Lannister's", Benjen says.
"He's a cleaver man, that lord Tywin, and of course he wants what's best for his children, especially for his firstborn son", Ned says.
"Obviously, and I want what's best for my daughter, and if that means marrying her off to a Lannister, then so be it", Benjen says.
"You're really unhappy about her decision, aren't you?" Ned asks, reading his brother's mind.
"I was, but I've accepted that my daughter picked Jaime as her man, that despite what I think about his father, he makes my daughter happy, and she loves him, and I know she didn't just pick him because he is a beautiful man, she picked him because he's a good match, a safe match, and because she knows he will keep her safe and give her many strong sons, god help us", Benjen says. "I will send lord Tywin a raven, to claim his son for my daughter, regardless of what he thinks."
"He will be furious", Ned says laughing.

"Honorable lord of Lannister, I'm writing you this letter because I would very much like for you and your family to come up north to Winterfell to discuss the prospect of a betrothal between your son Jaime, who's been a prisoner in our dungeons but is now freed after request, and my daughter Lyra.

The reasons behind this request is both to strengthen the bonds between our two houses and because I have seen the love starting to grow between your son and my daughter and feel I would be a fool if I didn't at least try to make my daughter happy by giving her the man she desires.

I hope we get to see you and yours here at Winterfell soon.

Lord Benjen Stark, lord of Winterfell, warden of the north"

Benjen lets the ink dry on the paper before he rolls it up and closes it with the direwolf seal and hands it to maester Luwin.
"For lord Tywin Lannister in King's Landing, a letter to invite him here to discuss the betrothal between his son and my daughter", Benjen says and maester Luwin nods and leaves to send the raven.
"Yes, lord Stark", maester Luwin says.