Light the Way

CHAPTER 13. dragon's lullaby

BAELOR

Baelor Hightower stood by the great window of his solar in Oldtown, staring out at the mist-covered harbour. His hands were clasped behind his back, the weight of his family's ancient seat feeling heavier than ever on his shoulders. The wind carried the distant echoes of the bustling city below, but his mind was miles away, fixated on his daughter — Alina — who was in the North, entangled in a marriage that now threatened to brand their house as traitors.

"You're too calm, Baelor," Rhonda's sharp voice cut through the air, and he sighed inwardly. His wife's footsteps echoed in the chamber, deliberate and angry. "We need to bring her back now before it's too late."

Baelor turned from the window, his grey eyes meeting Rhonda's fiery gaze. She was pacing the room, her usually composed demeanour shaken. "Rhonda, I've sent ravens. I've tried to—"

"Ravens?!" Rhonda interrupted, her voice rising. "You sent ravens when our daughter is married to Robb Stark, the Young Wolf, who has declared himself King in the North! Baelor, she's aligning herself against the crown. Do you understand what this means? If King Robert were still alive, this would already be settled in blood."

Baelor's jaw tightened. "I know what it means, Rhonda. You think I don't? But Alina is more than a daughter of Oldtown now. She's Robb Stark's wife. Do you think the Starks will allow her to simply walk away without consequence?"

Rhonda stopped pacing and turned to him, her blue eyes filled with desperation. "She is still our child. They will have to allow it. Baelor, she's only fourteen — barely more than a girl. This is not her war, nor is it ours. We can say she was swept up in the romance of it all, that she didn't understand the gravity of the situation."

Baelor lowered himself into the high-backed chair beside his desk. "You think it's that simple? That she'll just come back, and everyone will forgive her for being 'a girl in love'?" He rubbed his temples. "You forget that Alina is not just any girl. She is a Hightower. She carries our name, our legacy. We must tread carefully."

Rhonda's lips tightened into a thin line as she sat across from him. "She's young, Baelor. Naive. People will believe that. It's our only way out of this without being labelled traitors ourselves. If we bring her home, we can make it clear that she acted impulsively, and that we — her family — do not support this rebellion."

Baelor shook his head, frustrated. "Alina may be young, but she is not without understanding. Do you think for a moment that she doesn't know what she's involved in? She's clever, Rhonda, perhaps too much for her own good. Robb's no fool either. They've declared war on the Lannisters. Bringing her home now could make her a traitor in the eyes of the North as well."

Rhonda's expression softened, but her worry remained. "I can't lose her, Baelor. She's our daughter. Our child. And this... this war — it's not hers to fight. She's only been swept away by the tides of war and love. If we act now, we can protect her, keep her safe."

"I understand, Rhonda." Baelor's voice was quiet, pained. "But you underestimate how powerful love can be. If we pull her away too forcefully, we may lose her forever. She's not the girl who left Oldtown anymore. She is the wife of a king now, and that binds her more deeply than any political alliance. To make her leave Robb now... she might see it as a betrayal from us."

Rhonda clenched her hands into fists, her voice trembling. "Then we make her see the danger. Make her understand that she's jeopardising everything. Baelor, we're walking a fine line. The Iron Throne will see the Hightowers as traitors if we don't act."

"I know," Baelor replied heavily. "That's why we can't make any rash decisions. If we handle this poorly, we may lose more than just Alina's love. The whole of Oldtown could pay the price for our mistake."