PYROPHILIA ▸ Aegon the Conqueror

18. ( Goodbye, Lyarra Stark )

° Chapter 18 °

" Goodbye, Lyarra Stark "

"Did you reach the King?" Lyarra asked the young boy in front of her. "Did you give him my message?"

"No, m'Lady." The boy shook his head, the greasy hair that clung onto his head barely moving. "Our Lord Hand said the King is very busy today, he will not see anyone."

"So the Hand is hiding him." Lyarra scoffed. "I see. Thank you, Malcolm."

Malcolm bowed his head to the Lady Stark. Malcolm has been of great help to her, hiding in the shadows, learning and listening, protecting and informing her of everything there was going on in the Keep. Malcolm had never betrayed her, he had never judged her or looked down at her for what she's done, something quite a lot of servants had done. Lyarra was no fool, she knew that Malcolm hoped to get something from her, for he too might have believed her stay in King's Landing was more permanent than temporary, but perhaps they had both believed the same devastating lie. That Aegon could love her more than his Dragon wife... Than his Rhaenys. "It has been a pleasure to serve you, m'Lady. The South will miss you."

"The South never loved me in order to miss me, Malcolm." The boy seemed startled by her words. "But I do appreciate everything you've done for me. Loyalty is hard to find so far away from home."

"M'Lady" Malcolm called, seconds before he turned to leave. "Forgive me, if I'm out of place to ask you that-"

"Ask freely, Malcolm." Lyarra offered him a weak smile, one the young boy appeared to appreciate, for he smiled back at her... A genuine smile, one Lyarra had not seen for a while.

"Will you go home now?" He asked. "Will you return to the North?"

Lyarra froze for a moment. "No." She responded coldly. "I will not see Winterfell again. I knew I would never go back home, the minute I left." Malcolm offers her a weak smile, one of sympathy. "You should go now. I don't want you to get in trouble."

The dusty boy simply nodded his head, mumbling words Lyarra could not understand, before he started to walk away from her, stumbling along his way.

Lyarra sighed heavily, letting her shoulders fall. He had left her. He had left her alone to deal with all of this, while he hided privately, trying to stay away from the upcoming storm, the one both Lyarra and Rhaenys expected to start soon. So much for King, Lyarra thought, braver than most. So much for the infamous conqueror,who trembles at the sight of a woman he claimed to love.

Lyarra wanted to blame him. She wanted to convinve herself that it was his wrong doing, that it was his fault for giving her hope and that had he not done that, her feelings would have remained unspoken, dwelled deep within her. She would have married Cyran and she would have been a Lady of Highgarden by now. Perhaps she would already be with child. Maybe she wouldn't have to be kicked out of King's Landing like that. Maybe she would still be the innocent child she once was, but in reality, Lyarra knew, deep down, that this ending was never an option, for she never chose to love Aegon. She just did and no matter what happened from now, she also knew that at some point, he loved her too. Whatever Aegon claimed, whatever the people in this Keep whispered, Lyarra knew that her feelings were real... And so were his.