A Dragon In Wolf's Clothing ~A Game of Thrones fan fiction~

Chapter Fifty Six: Her Own Love

It wasn't just Lady Olenna who was coming home from Kings Landing. A week after Willas' grandmother came home, word came from the Capital that Margaery and Loras would be returning too. Willas was excited, he'd not seen his brother and sister since the death of Renly Baratheon and Margaery's betrothal, though Lyanna felt sick with nerves whenever she thought of meeting more Tyrells.

She didn't really understand her worry. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Margaery Tyrell was said to be the most beautiful woman in all of the Seven Kingdoms, so beautiful she turned Joffrey's head, which was only turned by torture and pain. And Loras, a knight, a man her sister used to be in love with. These two were probably just as kind as Willas and Garlan, but what if they were just like everyone else in the Capital, since they'd been living there for two years?

The day they came back, Willas walked down to the Gates with Lyanna, who had Winter on a leash padding along next to her. The two of them were walking in silence, the only noise coming from Winter, panting in the sun, that was until Willas broke the quiet, pointing up to a balcony.

"Winter roses, that's the only place they'll grow here in High Garden since there's so much shade up there," he pointed out, though Lyanna knew he was just saying something to not make her feel awkward.

"They're not the right shade of blue," Lyanna noted, remembering the ones she grew when she was younger on her windowsill. "The ones in the north are darker,"

"I didn't know you paid attention to flowers," Willas said, sounding a little surprised.

"You've never left High Garden much have you? When you leave your home and then lose it, sometimes you lie awake at night trying to work your way through every detail you can remember, filling in any gaps, willing yourself to remember more," Lyanna explained.

"I want to leave High Garden,"

"No, you don't," Lyanna felt herself practically snap.

"Yes I do," he argued back. "Since my injury, High Garden has basically become a prison. Why do you think I know so much about the plants here? It's not because I've read about them, it's because there's nothing but them for me to look at. I may be a cripple, but I'm still highborn, which means I'll be Lord one day, but why would I want to be a Lord to a place that I have committed to memory just like you have to a place you've not been to in four years. I want to see something new. You've explored, been to the East, you've left home. The only time I left home I came back for good with a crushed foot,"

Lyanna was taken aback slightly. She'd never thought about how he would feel trapped. Maybe that's how she'd have felt at Castle Black, stuck there forever, just like Willas was to High Garden. Is that why he seemed to like her, because she'd travelled the East? Did he like her because she'd done everything he wanted to do?

She loved Willas, but she didn't love him enough to stay in High Garden forever with him. It turned out he didn't want that either. Maybe he would go to Winterfell with her? No, that wouldn't be fair to expect that of him, and he probably didn't love her enough to do something like that. Why would he love her?

"Wherever you go, you'll always have High Garden in your heart, this is your home," Lyanna sighed.

"Not if my heart is so consumed by someone else," Willas said back to her, his arm brushing hers as they walked alongside each other, and the way he spoke told her that he was talking about her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lyanna asked, playing dumb for once.

"It means how can I be so concerned about something that is mundane to me when something new and exciting and-" he hesitated, cutting himself off as he tried to find the right words. "And beautiful is right in front of me? Everything which concerned me before no longer seems to matter, becoming Lord of High Garden, being the heir to House Tyrell, being a bloody cripple. None of that matters and I would give it all up in a second if you asked me to. I would leave everything behind, because the life I once saw for myself no longer matters, the only life I want now is with you, because..."

"I love you," Lyanna couldn't listen anymore, wanting to say the words herself.

As she finished, her heart jumped and before she could stop herself, she'd grabbed his shirt collar and pulled him close to her, pushing her lips against his. It felt so right, and Willas clearly agreed as he kissed back, the two joining together the way Lyanna had wanted for so long.

Willas pulled away slightly, moving to rest his forehead against hers, their noses rubbing against each other. He let out a soft laugh which made Lyanna want to kiss him again, and so she did, placing both her hands either side of his face. Her kisses moved from his lips to his cheeks all whilst he held her close, both their hearts letting off fireworks of joy.

"I love you, Lyanna," Willas said when the two split at last, his hand on the back of her head, his thumb stroking her hair. "Although we've only known each other for a few months, I would rather die than live without you,"

Lyanna had lost loved ones before. Her father, her son, her brothers, Alize. She didn't want to lose someone else. She'd hesitated in going to Robb and went to the East, and now he was dead. She'd hesitated in drawing her sword at the Lannister assassin, and now Alize was dead. She wasn't going to hesitate here. She'd followed her head so much, but for once, she wanted her heart to lead the way.

And so, Lyanna pulled away from him, leaving just her hand within his as she lowered herself onto one knee. It was a tradition for the man to do this, but Willas wouldn't be able to with his bad leg, and Lyanna knew this was for her in this situation. She wanted to do this. She'd been forced into marriage before with Joffrey, but now he was dead and rotting, and Lyanna wanted to choose her own love.

"Willas, will you marry me?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly. "I don't ever want to be away from you, I want to be with you forever and call you my husband,"

"And I want you to be my wife, Lyanna Stark," he smiled down at her. He gestured for her to stand again, and when she did she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips again. Pulling away, he spoke again, "I don't want you to be the lady of High Garden, that will make us both unhappy,"

"You'll like the North then," Lyanna laughed, grinning ear to ear, not able to remember being this happy. Her heart was singing, and her stomach was fluttering.

"My Lady, I'll love anywhere as long as you will be with me," Willas said gently.

Lyanna Stark-Tyrell, the thought made her heart ache in happiness.

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Word count: 1239

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Yo dudes, 80K!!! Best 17th birthday present ever!
~Olivia