Game of Thrones: Of Fire and Gold

Prologue

Rosei sat with Maester Luwin, a large map of Westeros lay spread out before them on a table. Luwin tapped on the map with a smooth wooden pole. She hated his lessons. She often grew tired of learning of dead kings. The living ones weren't very interesting either.

She looked to where the end of the pole pointed to find her answer.

"The Vale. Lords: The Arryns. Seated in the Eyrie. Jon Arryn is Lord of the Eyrie but serving as Hand of the King in King's Landing. House Arryn's sigil is a bird. Words: ..."

"You should know this," Maester Luwin scolded.

"I've forgotten," she muttered.

"As High As Honour," he declared. "And their sigil isn't just a bird. It is a white moon and falcon upon a sky blue field."

Rosei rolled her eyes. Luwin always demanded far too much detail from her. Was it not enough that she had remembered the animal on the sigil?

He pointed again to a new place on the map.

"Dorne. Lords: The Martells. Seated at Sunspear Castle. Doran Martell is the Prince of Dorne. House Martell's sigil is a red sun and spear. Words: Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken."

"-a red sun pierced by a golden spear. The rest is correct."

Again he pointed.

"The Reach. Lords: Tyrells. Seated at Highgarden. Olenna Tyrell is the Queen of Thorns-"

"Very funny," Luwin remarked sarcastically. "Now, who is really Lord of Highgarden."

Rosei couldn't think. "I don't know."

"You should."

"Olenna is the oldest. It makes sense for her to-"

"Mace Tyrell," sighed the Maester. "That was the answer."

Rosei continued.

"Sigil: A golden rose on a grass green field. Words: something about growing...we sow?"

"Sow? You're thinking of the Greyjoys' words. Tyrell's words are Growing Strong. Next."

He pointed again at the map.

"...The Riverlands?"

"Yes." 

"Lords: The Tullys. Seated at Riverrun. Hoster Tully is Lord of Riverrun. Sigil: A fish...is the fish red?"

"A leaping silver trout on a field of rippling blue and red. That is Lady Catelyn's house. You should know it better. What are their words?"

"Family, Duty, Honour."

"Good," he said before pointing this time to some islands on the map.

"The Iron Islands. Lords: The Greyjoys."

She couldn't help a smirk crawling on her face when she thought of the arrogant Theon Greyjoy, Eddard Stark's ward.

"Seated in Pyke. Balon Greyjoy is Lord of the Iron Islands. Sigil: A golden kraken on a black field. Words: We take what is ours-"

"No."

"Ironborn- no -What is dead may never die?"

"No."

"Then I have no idea."

"Think of the answer you gave for the Tyrells."

Rosei shrugged and sighed in frustration.

"We Do Not Sow."

He then pointed to the top of the map.

"The North. Lords: The Starks. Seated in Winterfell. Eddard Stark is Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. Sigil: A grey direwolf. Words-"

"-On an ice-white field"

"...a grey direwolf on an ice-white field. Words: Winter is coming."

She always felt a shiver when she heard those words. Luwin pointed to the Stormlands. Rosei grinned. She knew this one well.

"The Stormlands. Lords: The Baratheons. Renly is Lord of Storm's End while my father, Robert, is King of the Seven Kingdoms. Sigil: A crowned stag on a golden field. Words: Ours is the fury."

"Very good. You'll know the next one too I suppose," Luwin chuckled as he pointed to South West on the map.

"The Westerlands. Lords: The Lannisters. Seated at Casterly Rock. Tywin Lannister is Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West. Sigil: A golden lion on a crimson field. Words: Hear me roar!"

Maester Luwin nodded. Rosei breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now that my lesson is over can I go watch the archery?"

She knew that the Stark boys were in the yard practising.

"Please, I promised Robb I'd watch."

"I don't doubt that you did, Lady Rosei, but you must believe I'm terribly dim-witted if you think I don't know you'll be shooting arrows yourself."

He was right, of course. Archery was one of the few things she was good at. She couldn't swing a sword, wasn't even allowed to try. But she was known to spend a few hours a day shooting a bow at a target. She got away with it too, being a princess had its privileges.

She got up and made her way to the door.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" asked Luwin.

"What?"

"One more house."

Rosei groaned. She'd forgotten the Targaryens.

"Targaryens, from Valyria, Essos." She opened the door from the room and made her escape towards the yard.

"Sigil? Words?" shouted Luwin after her.

"A red three-headed dragon on black. Fire and Blood," she shouted behind her as she raced away.

She didn't stop until she saw Robb with Bran and the bastard Jon Snow. The two older boys were teaching Bran to shoot an arrow.

She called to them and Robb met her with a warm smile and a hug. It wasn't unusual for him to display such affection towards her. He was her betrothed after all.