[I thought I would write more since it's summer, but writer's block has me in its icy grip. Fun fact: the "magic" words are just English translated into Finnish. I'm a sham.]
The next morning my parents summoned me to the Small Council Meeting. My handmaiden Freya had braided pieces of my fair Lannister hair and tied them back, while the rest of my hair hung loose. A lavender dress clung to waist and billowed around my legs. My mother had said the meeting was very important and that I must look my best.
The Council's eyes all turned to me when I entered the Hand of the King's chambers. Tywin had been Hand of the King before I was born, but he died a year before my birth. The new Hand was my mother's brother, Loras Tyrell.
"Princess Lehna, you look lovely," my grandmother Cersei kissed my forehead lovingly. Cersei was known to be cruel, but she had a soft spot for me, as did every person in the Seven Kingdoms. People only hated me because they wanted to be me; which makes it all the more ironic that the angel of King's Landing was a witch.
"Lehna," my father said gently. "We called you to this meeting for a matter of great importance. You're 17 years old now and will one day take the Iron Throne as rightful Queen. It's time we found you a King. In order to improve relations with some of the lords, we were hoping to find you a Northern husband. Theon Greyjoy will be riding here in 3 week's time. Please make him feel welcome. This relationship doesn't have to be purely political," he winked and kissed my mother's cheek.
My smile threatened to waver from my lips. Underneath the great table, my mother grabbed my hand. "You are absolutely right, Father. Theon will make a lovely husband." I wanted to cry, to scream, but I understood it was my duty as princess to marry for political reasons, not for love. Love is one thing the Lannisters cannot afford.
The members of the Council all agreed with Joffrey, although Lord Baelish had the audacity to bring up Bran Stark. He was removed from the room. A few other matters were discussed, like whispers of white walkers on the Wall and Daenerys's disappearance from Mereen after her marriage to a man of high status. I could barely hear over the sounds of my own thoughts. I was consumed by fear of what kind of husband an Iron Born would be. In all my studies, the people of the Iron Islands were cold and cruel. I hoped Theon's time with the Starks as a "ward" would make him less cruel.
The moment the meeting adjourned, my father grabbed my arm and asked me to stay behind. I had to, of course, because he was my King. When everyone had left, he turned to me. Before he could open his mouth to speak, I cut in.
"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me you were looking for a husband for me? You didn't even think to consider that I might not want a husband!"
"Lehna, dear, please listen to your father." My mother was fabled to be a strong woman, a warrior Queen. Right now she looked like any other noble woman, desperate for her only daughter to marry rich.
"Why should I? He's never thought to listen to me!" I sounded so childish for a woman about to be wed.
"Watch your tongue," Joffrey warned. "You are going to marry Theon. It is best for the Realm."
"What about best for me?"
Queen Isabel sighed. "Royals don't get to decide what's best for their own heart. Besides, you may grow to love him."
"Even if my heart belongs to another?"
Joffrey's eyes darkened. "Who is this 'other' pray tell?"
"N - no one, Father, it was merely hypothetical. I thank you for helping me decide what is best for the Kingdoms." I rose and bowed to the King and Queen of Westeros and left the room. As soon as the door to my freedom slammed shut behind me, I ran to the dungeons as fast as I could, my slippers tapping on the cold stone floor of my home, my dungeon.
The guards had all abandoned post to protect the King and the Council Members after the meeting in case anyone tried to beat the information out of them. I flung open the heavy door and hurried down the long stairway to my only source of freedom.
"I am sorry, little one," came his calm voice from the darkness.
"Wha - what?" I asked, breathless. "How do you know?"
His eyes rolled back in his head and all I could see were the glaring white orbs staring back at me. At my feet, a mouse tapped my toe with its paw not once, but four times. Jojen slowly came back, glistening with sweat and smiling. "A little bird told me," he laughed.
"How can you-?" I gasped. "Can you teach me that?"
I stepped closer to him, eyes full of wonder. He smiled weakly. "No, Lehna. I cannot teach you warging. I can teach you a spell that will allow you to see what an animal sees, but not control it. Magic has...limitations..."
I sat down in the dust beside him, not caring about the beautiful dress I was wearing. "Is there a spell to get me out of a marriage?"
"I'm afraid not," he sighed and placed his hand over mine. "Which is why your first lesson will be in how to defend yourself."
