The Wolf and The Lion || Jaime Lannister

One

Rayna

It's late in the afternoon when I'm embroidering with Sansa and Arya and trying to suppress my laughter as they squabble while the Septa tries to settle them.
"Girls", I warn them as I try to hide my amusement from the Septa. They quickly settle down and I return to my embroidery. On the cloth an almost finished golden lion is embroidered.
"Why a lion?" the Septa asks curiously.
"Last week it was a raven and the one before that it was a fish", I reply smoothly "Why not a lion?"
The girls begin bickering again and I smile to myself. I run my thumb over the nearly completed lion and think back to the dream I had last night, a wolf and a lion running through the forest, side by side. The Septa would simply dismiss my dream but Old Nan always told me that dreams have meaning.
Ever since then I've always tried to decipher my dreams no matter how foolish they may be. The only meaning of a lion I can think of is the Lannister's. The creak of the door opening interrupts my thoughts and my brother Robb stands in the doorway.
"Rayna, mother's asking to see you"
I shift uncomfortably in my seat and look to see if the Septa is listening but she is distracted with Arya. I beckon him over and whisper in his ear "Does she know about Jon and I sneaking ale from the kitchens?"
"No", he laughs "Don't worry about it, she's probably just stressing about Sansa and Arya fighting"
He looks over at the girls who are now yelling at each other over Arya messing up Sansa's embroidery.
"Again", he adds and I chuckle quietly.
"I can't blame her", I comment then I turn to the Septa "Please excuse me, my Lady Mother has summoned me"
"Of course", Septa permits, pleased with my manners.
Robb and I talk as he escorts me to mother and fathers room.
"Have you heard them say any more about my marriage?" I ask him reluctantly "It's been months since they started discussing it"
"No, last I heard they were talking about marrying you to a man from one of the great houses, not a northerner"
I sigh heavily, any man from one of the great houses means that I would have to leave home, leave not just Winterfell but the North.
"Let's see there is Tyrell, Baratheon, Martell and well the Tully's are our cousins and so are the Arryn's and the only Greyjoy is practically our brother"
"Well not by blood, so don't dismiss Theon so quickly", he says trying to be a good friend to Theon but I shake my head laughing. Robb, Jon and Theon are my closest siblings, even if Theon is not blood I love him as a brother, despite how he can be at times he is a Stark.
"There is Lannister as well", I remember as my dream comes to mind.
He bursts out laughing "Would you marry the imp?"
I roll my eyes and elbow him playfully in the ribs "Be glad they haven't begun trying to find you a wife yet"
He doesn't have long before he'll be married off but I'll be first. Robb's my younger brother, only by a year though. As the eldest Stark I have to get married off first.
"It won't be long", he says just as unhappy by the idea of an arranged marriage as I am. For people of our rank it's very common, in fact a love match is rare but it's something we have always hoped for. I've always considered myself a romantic, read all the stories of the young lady and her charming knight but those days are long behind me now. I will soon be the lady of a great castle and he will be the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North so they'll be stressing about his marriage even more than mine.
"Except they need to marry me off first", I sigh and we reach the door to mother and fathers chambers.
"Good luck", he says squeezing my shoulder as he turns to leave, probably to go train with Ser Rodrik. Sometimes I truly do envy him, as much as I try to be a proper lady as my mother and Septa Mordane wish I know at heart I'd rather hold a sword than a needle, yet despite my proficiency with both I've found that words are the greatest weapon of all.

Finally I open the door nervous of what awaits me. She is sitting by the window nursing a cup of tea looking somewhat nervous herself. I clear my throat "You asked to see me"
"Yes", she says patting the chair across from her "Sit down and have a drink"
I brace myself knowing it must be something important. She wouldn't be inviting me to sit and offering me tea if she was just going to tell me to discipline Arya.
"It's time for you to find a husband Rayna"
I reach for the wine instead knowing I'll need that to get through this conversation.
"I suppose that's more suitable", she sighs in defeat and leans back in her chair. She doesn't seemed thrilled about this conversation either.
"Have you arranged anything?", I ask swallowing my resistance against it.
"Not yet but I do want you to have a say in it", she says much to my surprise. Her and Fathers marriage was arranged so I expected I wouldn't get a say.
"Who do you have in mind?", I ask politely.
"I expected you to argue me on this", she comments, surprised and somewhat suspicious by my lack of resistance.
"I'm not a fool, nor am I like my sisters. Sansa would be overjoyed at the thought of marrying someone from a noble house, and Arya gods I'm sure you dread the day you try to get her to marry someone, but I am a Stark and I know I have a duty", I've always known I'd have to marry a man I've probably never met, as father likes to say winter is coming and I know we need practical marriages to survive it.
"There are several young men from the greater houses, House Tyrell has a boy only a few years older than you, there are the Martells as well but I think their prince is a little younger than you"
"I am willing to have an arranged marriage but not with young boys, I'd rather marry a grown man than someone younger", I say voicing my distain for younger men. In arranged marriages it's often acceptable to have a woman wait for a man to come of age but I find it utterly gross. Some of the Northern Lords have introduced me to their sons who are several years younger and I've never been pleased by it.
"I've heard some of the younger men are lovely", she says but I know she doesn't quite believe it.
"I want a proper man, a strong man who can fight and is well grown", I say knowing that I'm a woman grown now, if mother was open to me marrying someone older, then I'd be much happier "Not an old man of course but I want a man who can look after me and provide, not a boy who can barely look after himself"
"And you are a woman who should be wed, you are eighteen, my eldest daughter", she reminds me, we both know I should have been betrothed a few years ago but I argued against it then, saying I wanted to get betrothed once I was a proper woman. "If you desire an older man than I'm sure we can find one, it might just be a bit more difficult"
"I know but since I know I must have an arranged marriage I wish to meet the man, I would like the opportunity to get to know the unmarried lords of Westeros and see if I like any, and I know you'll only marry me to a man who will look after me and treat me well", I'm glad that they wouldn't marry me to someone who isn't worthy. Father loves us girls too much to give us to someone he doesn't approve of.
"An arranged marriage is often stronger than lust", she says with warmth in her eyes "Look at your father and I"
"Let me have the chance for love", I ask and then I realise how childish I sound " I mean let me choose a man I deem worthy, someone I like at least, then if I meet no one who takes my fancy then you can arrange a marriage with a son of whichever lord you think is the best man"
"Deal", she agrees relieved we've finally come to an agreement "I should tell you that the King is coming to Winterfell and he will be arriving soon, to ask your Father to be hand of the King I suspect"
The King is coming to Winterfell. I curb my girlish excitement at seeing the King and the Queen whom I've never met before. We are so far north anything excites me.
"Will he accept", I ask, hand of the King means that he will live in Kings Landing. Away from mother and all of us.
"I don't know but if he does he will have to stay in Kings Landing", she says and I can see the anguish she is hiding. She doesn't want him to leave her.
"If he does accept I will go to Kings Landing and find a husband", I decide knowing that will be the perfect compromise and easiest way to be introduced to suitors. That way father will be the one that decides who I marry and I will be able to bend his will easier than mothers. If I want to have a husband I will grow to love that is my best chance.
"So will Sansa I suspect, you know how she is, see if you can find one before her", she laughs and I know Sansa will likely be fawning over prince Joffrey who is around her age.
"At least you know I'll find one before Arya"
My mother laughs again and squeezes my hand. I'm closer to her than any of my sisters are which is why I suspect she's giving me the responsibility to find a husband, she trusts me enough to make a good choice.
"Who else is coming to Winterfell?", I ask curiously as I remember my dream.
"The Lannisters, the Baratheons the whole lot of them"
The Lannisters. Perhaps Old Nan was right, dreams do have meaning. A wolf and a lion running side by side.