Crowns and Cruel Intentions || Game of Thrones

5| 𝔩𝔶𝔞𝔫𝔫𝔞

winterfell, westeros

— LYANNA WAS WELL AWARE OF EVERY EYE IN THE ROOM TURNING WHEN THEY ENTERED. She couldn't care less. She just flashed a smile before turning and dragging marianna along to where she knew it would be quietest for now. People turned back to their conversations as the girls went by, but she could still feel the lingering stares here and there.

Finally, she found the usual corner with the usual face. "Hello father."

A small smile tugged his lips at the sight of her arm in arm with the princess. "What are you up to now, Trouble?"

She placed a hand on her chest in mock offence. "My feelings are so hurt I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that. May I introduce my new best friend?" Marianna flushed slightly at that.

He chuckled. "Don't tell Jay you said that. Good evening princess."

"Good evening Lord Stark." She returned politely.

"Now that you mention it, I should find Jay." Lyanna mused, eyes scanning the room. "I told him I'd keep him away from Amalie tonight."

"Who's Jay?" Marianna spoke up.

"You'll see." Lyanna started off again, taking the princess with her and Ned watched them go with a small smile. He hoped they'd be good for one another. After all, should he choose to go South, Lyanna would stay. He would not subject his first girl to the capital. Let her be free.

After weaving around drunk, laughing and stumbling bodies, the girls somehow found themselves at the opposite end of the dining hall where Lyanna spotted a boy with dirty blonde waves of hair and hazel eyes. "Jay!"

He turned, grinning when he spotted her and quickly finding himself at her side. "My lady."

She thwacked his arm lightly with her hand. "Shut up. Jay, this is Marianna."

He blinked, eyes widening when he realised it was the King's daughter that stood before him. "Princess." he said, hurriedly bowing.

Marianna smiled. "Please, there's no need."

He rose with a nod and a tiny glare at Lyanna, who only rolled her eyes. "Ser Jason Karstark."

"It's a pleasure."

"Jay and I were to be married." Lyanna said, making Marianna blink and Jason smile. "He was on his way to Winterfell when my father told me."

He shook his head as if to say, can you believe her? But amusement was plain in his face. "This lovely lady," he began. "Locked herself in her room for three days. Wouldn't even see me. The only reason we met at all was because I caught her trying to escape through her window on the third night."

Lyanna laughed. Jason really had caught her. She remembered the sheet she'd attempted to use to climb down beginning to rip beneath her fingers. She'd barely had a moment to scream before she fell and was caught by a complete stranger. He'd introduced himself, and she immediately hid her face in her hands. "I won't tell anyone." he'd said. "Under one condition." She'd waited for him to say she had to agree to the marriage, but was shocked at what came out of his mouth next. "You don't have to marry me, but will you at least talk to me before you decide I'm horrible?" Once she did, she couldn't believe she'd avoided him for so long. Jason was wonderful. It was safe to say that House Karstark was displeased at the fact that no wedding would take place, but their son had instead been offered knighthood, which was not so common here as it was in the south. He became her personal guardian and her best friend.

"You don't want to be married?" the princess inquired curiously.

Lyanna shrugged. "I don't know, but I know I don't want someone else to decide that for me." she tilted her head. "Do you want to be married?"

Marianna shifted slightly, her diplomacy suddenly coming out to play. "I'm sure your brother is a fine man who will make a fine husband."

Lyanna smirked. "Yes, but that's not what I..." she trailed off, eyebrows raised as she spotted a figure watching them from across the room. "Speaking of, you have an admirer, princess." The three of them turned to find that Robb Stark's eyes were, in fact, trained on the Baratheon girl. His flush matched the one already growing on Marianna's cheeks when he realised he'd been caught. "Hm..." Lyanna smiled. "Does anyone fancy a dance?" without waiting for a reply. She took Marianna's hand and nodded for Jason to follow as they moved across the room.

"Is this a good idea??" Marianna inquired, sounding slightly nervous.

"Of course." Lyanna replied cheerily. "Hello, little brother."

Robb looked to be doing his best to collect himself as he faced them, but his sister could see right through him. Oh, she thought with amusement. He likes her already. He really does. "Good evening, princess. Lyanna."

"Jay, Marianna and I would love to dance," she said breezily, "But I'm afraid we're one person short if we're partnering up. Join us?"

She could practically see it in his face that he already knew what she was up to, but how could he refuse without seeming rude? Besides, he did want to dance with Marianna, he just wasn't sure how one was meant to approach a princess of the Seven Kingdoms with such an inquiry. "Of course."

"Wonderful!" She nudged a smiling Marianna towards her brother and took the arm Jay offered her, the four of them falling into a simple but enjoyable dance. Across the room, she caught sight of her mother attempting to make polite conversation with the queen. They both looked rather tense. Oh well...

"You should be making matches all across the kingdoms." Jason joked, pulling her thoughts back to the feast. "Clearly, it's your calling."

Lyanna chuckled. "I'm just trying to get my poor brother to actually talk to the girl he likes instead of having to deal with his longing stares for the next year until he finally approaches her on his own."

"You think tonight will go well?" he wondered.

She shrugged, letting him spin her smoothly around. "That depends more on father and the King and Queen than on us, but hopefully if Robb and Marianna make nice with one another, it'll nudge their stubborn arses in the right direction."

He snorted. "Serena as always, my lady."

Lyanna grinned. "Of course, my brave knight."