Carliene Stark

Chapter 6

Carliene

I was awoken by the door creaking and jerked up immediately, my head felt dizzy and I immediately winced at the pain in the side of my neck. 
 

 "Good morning M'Lady" Irys beamed as she came rushing towards me. 


I sat up and stretched, relaxing a little as I saw it was only her. I massaged my neck with one hand, it had gotten stiff from the strange position I had been lying in all night. "What is that?" I frowned as I saw her neatly place a bundle of fabrics over one chair. 
 

 "Your new dresses" she smiled at me, somehow she seemed really excited about that. 
I flinched as the door opened again and a few servants carried in a great wooden bathtub, placing it in the middle of the room before starting to fill it up with steaming water. 
 

 "What is all this" I asked suspiciously. 
 

 "Your bath M'Lady"
 

Yeah I could see that. I stood up stretching my neck some more. I walked over to the pile of dresses and looked through them briefly. It only took a few glances to see that none of them were to my taste. All of them too colourful, too bright and too little fabric.

When the bath was full I sent all the other servants away, they gave me looks of uncertainty first, but finally they left me with Irys. I was barely feeling comfortable with her around, I didn't need six other maids staring me down and touching me. Only the thought of that made me sick. There was no doubt that Irys was reporting everything that happened in this chamber back to the Lannisters too, but that was just something I would have to accept. I took off my dress reluctantly and slid into the warm water. It felt good, that much I had to admit. Irys wanted to start scrubbing my skin with a rough sponge, but I refused her and insisted in doing it myself, so she started on my hair instead.

"Can I ask you a question M'Lady" Irys soon asked, sounding almost nervous.


Here it comes.. the interrogation. "Sure" I mumbled. 
 

 "Why do you hate the Lannisters so"


I sighed and rolled my eyes, though she could not see it. "I thought news travels fast through the seven kingdoms" 
 

"Well I heard that the Starks were fighting against us. But the young wolf was winning they said. They say he turns into a wolf at night as large as a dragon and that he tore up and ate entire armies and their horses too..."


I clenched my jaw as anger sparked up inside of me. "And you believe those stories?" I managed to ask calmly. She was more stupid than I had thought. 
 

"Well not exactly M'Lady, but my point is that to me it sounds like your family was causing more damage to the Lannisters than they did to you" she explained herself. 
 

"Until they had my brother and mother killed" I hissed through my teeth. 
 

"But weren't those the Freys and Boltons who did that, M'Lady" 
She was overstepping her boundaries. 

"And on who's orders do you think that was?" 
 

"I understand M'Lady" she said and went silent again, brushing my wet hair as I sat in the bath, hugging my knees. 
 "But why do you hate Ser Jamie so? He was your brother's prisoner at the time" she started again after a while. 
 

"He killed my father's men and wounded him and he pushed my little brother out of a window I think that is reason enough" I growled through my teeth. 
 

"But-"


I cut her off turning my head to her. "He put you up to this, didn't he?" 


I took her silence as a 'yes'. 
 "Well you can run back and tell him that they might as well cut of my head right now, because I will never cooperate. "
 

"Maybe if you try you will find it in your heart to forgive the Lannisters" she mumbled shyly. 


The anger rushed over me and I stood up in the tub angrily. "I don't need a bloody serving girl to lecture me on forgiveness and maters she does not understand" I yelled at her infuriated. 


She looked at me in shock. 
 "M'Lady I didn't-"
 

"Out!" I yelled at her and pointed at the door. 
 

 "But your-"
 

"I said out!"

Just as she got up the door opened and someone stepped into the room. I sat down back in the tub immediately, sending the water splashing out over the sides and covered my chest with my arms as I noticed a man standing in the door frame. I was too surprised to be angered and outraged so I just stared at him in shock. 
 

 "Ladies" he beamed as he stepped further into the room. "Forgive me, I did not mean to interrupt" 

He looked to be a man in the prime of his years, with dirty blonde hair and a square chin covered in pale brown stubble. He was quite tall with broad shoulders and sparkling white teeth as he smiled. He wore a simple leather tunic with some brown wool pants, along with a simple black belt, completed with a dagger. 
I eyed the dagger for a second, imagining all the throats I could cut with it. 
 

"Who the hell are you?" I finally got over the shock and asked him annoyed. 
 

"Pardon me My Lady, my name is Ser Eron Hill, I have been appointed your personal guard" he explained rocking on his feet and doing big gestures with his arms... something between a bow and something that reminded me of someone swotting away some flies. 
 

"I already have two guards keeping me here, what are you for?" I was tired and not in the mood for being polite. 
 

"I am suppose to escort you and keep you save"
 

"Even if I am having a bath?" I questioned raising my eyebrow.

He smirked. "If you wish I would be happy to join you"
 

"Get out" I muttered sinking deeper into the water. 
 

"As you wish my Lady" he went to exit the door. "And when you are done I might show you some of the castle" with that he closed the door. 


I sat up straight. Did that mean I could finally leave this room? I was allowed to go free? 
 

"What dress would you like to wear, M'Lady" Irys asked shyly, still intimidated by me trying to throw her out.

I looked over at the bundle of clothes. "Just grab one, they are all ugly" I muttered and got up. 


She dressed me in silence in a beige dress, lacing up my back as I braided my still moist hair into a simple braid over my shoulder. 
 

"You look very beautiful M'Lady" she attempted to put herself into a better light by complimenting me. 
 

"Thank you" I said absentmindedly as I stared into the mirror. I had stopped caring about wether or not I was beautiful by the age of six and ten, when I had been sat down by maester Luwin and my mother and they had told me that the engagement with Renly Baratheon had been canceled as I turned out to be unfit as a wife, especially to a prince. First they just thought I was a late bloomer, but as I neared my nameday of six and ten they declared me barren and I guess I stopped being a proper Lady from then on. I felt surprisingly liberated to be honest, no more having to look a certain way and speak like I had a stick up my arse. I stared wearing pants and after months of protest and begging, father even allowed me to have some practice in sword fighting and bow and arrow. 
And now they wanted to steal that liberty again by declaring me fit to be the Kingslayer's wife. I don't know how much moon tea Tywin Lannister had in his system as he decided that, but at this point it seemed impossible to reverse, their mids were really set on this.