Milk Of The Poppy {Tyrion Lannister} [ON HOLD]

Prologue

Catelyn Stark breathed heavily as she pushed. The sky thundered but there was no rain. Ned waited outside, holding little Robb and Jon. She screamed and he nearly dropped the boys in fright. Surely it had not been this bad with Robb.

Again she pushed and again she screamed. The Thunder could not hide her pain. She felt as if she was being torn in half. Then the pain was gone. The baby, born and the mother, bleeding.

The Maester handed the child to a handmaid as he worked on fixing the Lady Stark who continued to bleed profusely. The girl looked horrified as she looked down at the newborn. She was beautiful. Beautiful and monstrous surely. Where a tiny left leg should be, was a misshaped stump. Once the Maester had stopped the bleeding, Lady Catelyn called to her handmaid.

"Let me see her."  
"I'm not sure if that is wise..."
"Please."

The handmaid nodded slowly and placed the small baby in the mother's arms. Catelyn looked down at her child. She shifted the blanket that was wrapped around her and saw the stump. She swallowed harshly and looked away.

"My lady?" Asked the Maester.
"Morlyna."
"I beg your pardon, my Lady?"
"That's her name. Please take her away now. I can't look at her."
"Of course." He nodded and took the baby into his arms carefully before leaving the chamber.

The Maester held the small girl as delicately as he could as he left the chamber. Ned stood quickly, but carefully, still holding the two boys. He looked at the bundle in the Maester's arms and swallowed when he looked at the man's worried face.

"Is that?"
"Your daughter, my Lord."
"Her name?" He asked as he took his daughter into his arms after passing his sons to a servant.
"Morlyna."
"Oh, sweet child. Why do you look so worried, Maester? Is she not alright?"
"It's her leg, my Lord. I'm afraid she was born a cripple."

Ned frowned and looked down at the small baby in his arms. His daughter. He looked at her with sad, kind eyes. The longer he looked, the more he fell in love with the girl. His fondness grew with each passing moment until eventually, he made a silent vow. Cripple or not, he would love her. That was the only thing he was certain of now.