BELOW ZERO: The Green Knight & The Winter Wolf VOL 3 (Cregan Stark x OC)

Chapter One (Alana)

CHAPTER ONE

Alana

Six Years Later

King's Landing

My mother is one of the most gorgeous women I've ever had the pleasure of looking upon and it's a damn shame I look nothing like her. I know I look like my father but I'm never allowed to admit that aloud.

Watching my mother put jewels in Helaena's bridal updo for today is mesmerizing. Alicent is chasing my mother around with a brush and trying to fix her hair for her while she does Helaena's. It's a masterpiece of imagery and a moment that should be made into a tapestry to be saved for ages. One that history will call a true wonder of the women of this world.

I sit patiently knowing that soon my time will come but Helaena is already of age and Jace and I both reached of age a few months ago. It's easier for a boy to be married off than it is for a girl, and considering my mother is heir to the throne and my brother after her, he and Helaena will enjoy staying here in King's Landing until it is his time to rule.

Me, however, I have found myself memorizing every corner of this castle until my time comes to leave forever. My mother told me on my sixteenth name-day that apparently when I was twelve she made the decision to wed me off to Gwayne Hightower, Alicent's younger brother. I've never met him. They said because he's older than me I had to wait until I was of age before I could meet and court him.

The time has finally come for me to meet Gwayne and I'm absolutely terrified. Helaena and Jace already knew each other and have been able to spend these last few years just bonding with each other. Meanwhile I've been couped up here while Jace even got to venture to Winterfell freely. Gone for weeks or months, depending on how he felt at that point in time.

But as for me, I've had to learn to sew and knit. I've had to make embroideries and tapestries to hang in my future home of Oldtown. Alicent even saw fit to making sure I had gowns of green and plenty of gold to wear with it.

I look horrible in green.

"Alana, come here for a moment." Alicent calls me over and she starts to pin my hair back. I feel one of the hair pins dig into my scalp, as I wince she scoffs at me. "Sensitive. I hardly poked you."

"You poked my brain, Your Grace." I tell her softly with a slight scoff. "My hair was fine just being down."

"You'll sweat in the throne room surrounded by all those people. And once the dancing begins you'll truly sweat and your hair will show for it. I'm pinning it back and adding braids. You'll thank me later." Alicent declares.

I look to my mother who is still so enamored by doing Helaena's hair that she's seemingly forgotten that today is a big day for me too. Although I've done all I can to block it out and ignore that it's all happening today.

Alicent insisted that I wore a dress with green but I asked Jace and Helaena's permission first. I did not want them to assume anything by me wearing Gwayne's house colors. I had hoped they'd tell me not to but they're both just balls of fucking sunshine that they instantly agreed that it would be so beautiful for me to meet him while garbed in his colors.

"Pick your face up." Alicent said. "You shouldn't be frowning and especially not today. Frowns cause premature wrinkles."

"My apologies." I wince as she pulls tightly while braiding my hair. "Ouch-"

"You have your mother's sensitive scalp." Alicent says with laughter. "Rhaenyra, of all the things she could inherit from you it's your tender headedness."