Reborn in Westros

Chapter Twenty-Four: Funerals & Rage

There is a bit of emotional scenes in this.

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It has been three days since the red wedding and it was time to cremate our dead and send them home to be put in the family crypts.
I could not even look at Catelyn without wanting to kill her.

I held my son Torrhen while Jeahaerys held Ceasar but he was standing with silent support and Jaime Lannister was far away in a tent I had set for him as it would be inappropriate for him to be there.

My father gave his speech, I spoke a pray to the old gods and walked forward then kissed each of their heads and whispered to Alarik that he had two sons and their names, telling him how much I love them and believe he would love them just as much then leaving a strand of my hair tied to his to keep me close.

I walked away from the pyre with my son held tightly against me.

I saw Catelyn who was standing next to Edmure and Brynden walk towards Robb and his wife, she hesitated at Alarik but paid her respects then walked back to her maternal family when she saw me glaring at her.

I closed my eyes and started to sing the Helvegan song (like up above) as the pyre was being lit.

My song seem to enchant all that were listening but I could feel Alarik around me wishing me goodbye before he was gone and my brother apologising before leaving as well.
Being blessed by gods was a gift and a curse.

I stayed there even after the song ended till the boys started to fuss, I walked away with Jeahaerys walking behind me, we got to my tent and the nurse maid helped me feed my sons before she and several winter guards took them to rest.

I had barely adjusted myself before Catelyn was announced but I turned her away, she managed to weasel her way into my tent.
She looked at me with teary eyes but I could not stand it.

"Get out."

"Lyarra, please."

"I said leave, you are not welcome here."

"Please Lyarra, I want to meet my grandsons. What happened was tragic, I lost my son and a good daughter. We both lost someone."

I could not believe her, how dare she.

"I lost my twin, the other half of me. I lost my husband, I loved him and because of you I have lost them both. My sons have to grow up without their father because of you. YOU WILL NEVER KNOW MY CHILDERN."

"Lyarra, you can't....."

"Oh but I can, from this moment you are dead to me. You will be divorced from father and never see your childern again as you are banished from the North."

"You do not have that power Lyarra."

I turned to her with a smirk on my face because this foolish woman doesn't understand what it means to be a woman in my position.

"Oh but I can and already have everything in motion, guards remove her."

She was trying to fight them but it was no use, she kept trying to shout to me but I ignored her.
It took a little while to calm down but I managed to do thst and ignore Edmure Tully trying to force his way into my tent at the behest of his sister.
Uncle Brynden was wise enough to leave it be and told them both they needed to stop.

I could hear the gods calling me home to prepare for winter and I knew we had to retreat because we still had the war with Deanerys Targaryen but luckily her forces were minimal compared to mine.
I had taken the majority of the unsullied and slave population in essos and freed them. They like to call me 'múna', meaning mother in High Valyrian.

Lost in my thoughts, I did not talk when  Jaime Lannister entered the tent, I looked at him with a small smile which he returned.

"Thank you for the tent, change of clothes and bath. I have never felt so relieved."

"Your welcome"

"Why? Why did you save me after what my father did."

"You are not your father Ser Jaime, I will not punish you for his sins. You must work to prove yourself to my people Jaime. If you fail then you fall to the hands of Lord Karstark and I do not think you would survive that."

"I understand Lyarra."

We talked for a little while about different things and asked after my babies, I told him about my sons and their names. He told me he thought they were amazing names and that we chose well.
With all of this, I turned and grabbed a box to give to Jaime that I forgot at the competition.

"This is my gift to you."

Jaime looked confused but accepted the gift, he put the box on the table and opened the lid to see it was a sword but when he looked and saw the pommel then the design on the blade he could not believe it was his family sword.

"Brightroar."

He said this in awe, he took a hold of handle and the sword was evenly done and well balanced, he looked away from the blade to Lyarra then pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you."

That was all he needed to say to show his appreciation to her.

I smiled at him and then he left in a state of shock but I sat down thinking about everything that has happened.
Knowing the future is no guarantee to changing it, Robb, Talisa and my Alarik are all gone.
My childern are going to grow up without their father and it made my heart break all over again but I swore that I would make sure that boys knew that their father loved them.
I was brought out of my musing by my father entering with a slight limp.

"Lyarra, how are you?"

I looked at my father with a sad smile on my face.

"I have no choice but to accept that my husband is gone. We were barely together a year and he is already gone. My twin is gone and the woman who birthed me helped kill them. I am angry  but I am determined that my childern will know their father loved them. I have to be strong for them and for our people."

"You can let go sometime Lyarra, it is going to be alright."

"I know father"

He pulled me into a hug and let me cry, I had not realised that I needed this

"The one's we love never really leave us, they will always be here when we really need them."

He points to my heart as he talks to me and I knew he was right and it felt like a weight had started to lift.

"We need to retreat to the North father. We need to prepare. I have sent men to take dragon stone for Jeahaerys. He will need the magic of his ancestoral seat."

"I know and that is what we shall be doing. Catelyn has been made aware that she is banished and our marriage over. She was not best pleased about it."

"Thank you papa."

We knew with everything going on this was going to be few and far between.