The Children of Spring

Lyanna I - Clues From the Past

When they arrived at KingsLanding, Lyanna Targaryen had the feeling that everything was about to change. She was supposed to rule the Kingdoms while her mother and father were away fighting the war. However, she prefered to be fighting in the war, than sitting on the Iron Throne.
Lyanna did not like to be a lady, she did not like to dress up like her sister, she did not bother to know about the rumours, ghossips or anything like that. She liked to ride and fight, as simple as that. One day, she wanted to travel across Westeros with Sky, her dragon. At that time, he was still a baby and she was 13 years-old. It almost sounds like history is repeating itself... well, almost. My mother was 13 when she started to rule, but at least she liked it and knew how to do it, Lyanna thought, when she entered the Red Keep. She knew that Jeyne was there to help her, still it would be much easier if she was a little bit more like Rhaella or Jorah. They were good at rulling and they knew everything about it. She knew it too or, at least, she thought she did, however she never felt as comfortable as they did while rulling.
They entered the Keep and Varys and Bronn were there to meet them.
"Welcome back, my ladies and lords." Varys said with an enigmatic smile she could not be sure if it was mocking or relief.
"It's good to be back, my lord." Lyanna said politely, eventhough she was lying for she'd rather not be there.
After a little talk, everyone settled themselves in. Marianne, Joan and Eddard were only going to part the day after.
Lyanna went to her room and, after removing her armour, she laid on the bed just looking at the celling and Sky laid beside her. How am I going to do this?, Lyanna thought. She wondered where her father was or where her sister and brother were. She wished her mother was there, that way she could help her. That way I was sure that I would not screw things up, Lyanna thought sarcasticaly. She ended up falling asleep.
After sometime, she woke up with someone knocking on her door. Lyanna got up and went to open the door. It was Lord Varys.
"Princess, may I have a word?" Varys asked.
"Of course, Lord Varys." Lyanna answered while letting him in.
"I wanted to make sure that you are alright. You all left us very worried when you left without saying anything to anyone." Varys said, tutoring.
"We did not mean to do that, but it was important." Lyanna replied assertively.
"Still you should have told us, my princess. We could have sent an escolt." Varys said. You wanted to send a raven... of course we should have told you, because you would manage not to let us go!, Lyanna thought.
"I'm sorry if we got you worried. It was never our intention. Please, do forgive us." Lyanna said.
"Of course, my princess. But I'd advice you to not take those kind of risks lightly, as it is prooven, a rushed action may bring great missfortune." Varys said.
"I appreciate your concern, my lord." Lyanna said coldly, acusing the sting and acting acordingly. She knew that Varys cared about the people and she admired that, still sometimes...
"There is going to be a meeting in few minutes, my princess." Varys said.
"I'll be there, thank you." Lyanna said. Well, let's go then..., Lyanna thought. Then Varys excused himself and left.
Suddenly, Lyanna had an idea. She could keep the small council ocupied, while Marianne, Joan, Jeyne and Eddard found the book. A Song of Ice and Fire... well, if the last war was Ice against Fire and we won, let's bring fire then, Lyanna thought smiling. If she had to be Queen for a time, at least, she would use it to her advantage.
Lyanna got out of the room quickly and went to find her friends. She searched the whole Keep and, at last, she found them in the yard.
"Hey. I had an idea and a plan." Lyanna said.
"What is it?" Eddard asked.
"Well, I'm going to have a council meeting in a few minutes, so I can keep them ocupied, while you go find the book." Lyanna explained.
"That's a very good plan. But I thought you hated meetings." Jeyne said.
"I do. So, if I have to go, I may as well take it as an advantage for me." Lyanna said.
"Well, White Tower, it is." Joan said.
"Let's go." Marianne said.
After that while Jeyne, Marianne, Joan and Eddard went to find the so wanting book, Lyanna went to the meeting.
The meeting was no more insteresting than any other she had attended before and the only merit it had was to keep her from falling asleep, because the news were that there had been risen some whispers against the Throne, in the Twins, Eryie and Riverrun. Let them talk, they will understand that this Throne is not empty. They don't know with whom they are messing with. Let's bring fire upon them, Lyanna had thought when they had told her. It was settled that there would be a declaration in the next days and that it would reforce the image that the Throne was not up for the taken while an army would be gathered should something more than words be required to quiet the cheapmouths. The rest of the meeting was about how things had been going on the kingdooms and how an army had already been risen so that they could protect the city. By that time, Lyanna asked question, after question for a huge amount of time, so that the others could have time to find the book. At last, it reached the point at which she could not stall anymore. I hope they had enough time, Lyanna thought.
She left the council room calmly, like a queen should and, as soon as she was left alone , she ran to meet them in the yard, as they had agreed before.
"So..." Lyanna said, still catching her breath.
"We found it, but it's in a volt and it's sealed. We need to find a key." Marianne said.
"Alright. Me and Jeyne will have to find it." Lyanna said, a bit anoyed by that setback.
"However, we found the Book of Brothers." Marianne said with controled exitment.
"What about it?" Lyanna asked confused.
"You don't want to know." Joan and Jeyne said.
"They're just in shock." Eddard said.
"We're not in shock! Just... we don't really know what to think." Joan said right away.
"Now I definetively want to know." Lyanna said smiling.
"Alright, but not here." Marianne said.
"Where else then?" Jeyne asked.
"I know a place." Marianne said and then led them to the place that Jenny and Galladon had found when they were children.
However, Marianne told them to be quiet, until they reached the exact spot, she would not risk it, after what happened to Jenny and Galladon. Turned out, it was for the best, because when they reached the spot, Bronn was there.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Bronn asked suspiciously.
"We're just taking a walk around." Marianne said.
"How do you know about this place?" Bronn asked.
"Jen and Gal found it, when they were children." Joan said.
"Well, he does take after his father, then." Bronn said with a chuckle.
"Why do you say that?" Lyanna asked confused.
"Well, this was where I practiced with Jaime when he lost the hand. I thaught him how to fight with the left hand. This was the best place, because it was secluded enough. No one knew about or cared to know about it and no one could hear us. I'm sure your cousins must have figured that out eventually." Bronn explained and then left.
After Bronn left, Eddard said with a chuckle,
"This seems to be your lucky day, Jo."
"Shut up, Ned." Joan said and they all laughed.
"What did you find out?" Lyanna asked curiously.
"Do you two want to tell her? Or do I?" Marianne asked Joan and Jeyne.
"I'll tell her. In the book, there's my father's entry." Joan said.
"Alright..." Lyanna said.
"It said that he was knighted at 15, by Ser Arthur Dayne and raised to the Kingsguard at 16, by King Aerys II Targaryen, also known as the Mad King." Joan said.
"You mean my grandfather?" Lyanna asked.
"Yes. Then, at 17, he killed the Mad King, on the foot of the Iron Throne and was later pardoned by King Robert Baratheon, the first of his name. And thereafter he was known as 'The Kingslayer'." Joan said.
"Why did he killed my granfather?" Lyanna asked confused.
"It did not say. But if your mother forgave him, then he must have had a very good reason." Marianne said.
"Yes. So that's why some people still call him Kingslayer?" Lyanna asked.
"Apparently. I've never thought that it was in the literal sense of the word. I thought it was a joke or something." Joan said confused.
"Well, it isn't. What else did it say?" Lyanna asked more coldly than she wished. She was surprised to hear that and a bit upset as well. Is their past all as bad as this? Is that why they never talk about it?, Lyanna thought to herself.
"Then he served under King Joffrey I Baratheon, mine and Marianne's and Jeyne's cousin." Joan said.
"And then... after King Joffrey's murder by... my father... he served under King Tommen I Baratheon, our other cousin, Joffrey's brother." Jeyne said.
"Your father killed King Joffrey?!" Lyanna asked suprised and shocked.
"Yes. It does not make sense." Jeyne said, trying to witheld the tears.
"My mother always said that he was a monster. But I don't see uncle Tyrion killing anyone that was his family. There must be something we don't know, there must be..." Marianne said.
"There's a lot we don't know, Mary. And, honestly, it is starting to get really anoying." Eddard said a bit angry.
"There's more..." Joan said.
"There's more?!" Lyanna asked, not beliving her ears.
"You have no idea." Eddard said with a chuckle.
"The next part that was written was about events that happened before Joffrey's death. It said that my father was defeated and captured at the Whispering Woods batle, by the Young Wolf, Robb Stark. Then he was held captive at Riverrun." Joan said.
"My uncle? So let me get this straight, the Lannisters, Starks, Baratheons and Targaryens were all at war against each other? Meaning, our parents were fighting against each other?" Lyanna asked.
"It seems so. The North was at open rebelion at that time." Marianne said.
"Wonder often why." Jeyne asked.
"I don't know. You read the book, not me." Lyanna said.
"It did not say. Anyway... Jo, do you want to continue or do I?" Eddard asked, he wanted to get it over with.
"Then he was set free by Catelyn Stark, in exchange for an oath to return her two daugthers to her, Sansa and Arya Stark. And protect them." Joan said.
"That is weird, but given what I listen until this point, it's alright. Wait, he was set free, just like that? He can't have gone alone to KingsLanding." Lyanna stated. It did not make sense, him being a prisioner at the time and one with a terrible reputation from what they had realised that far.
"He was not. It said that, he was returned safely to KingsLanding by Brienne, the Maid of Tarth." Joan said.
"Please, tell me that you are all joking and this all is not written in that cursed book..." Lyanna said.
"This is not a joke." Eddard said simply.
"She brought him back to Kingslanding in irons! At least, until he tried to escape. The they fought... they fought for real." Joan said, trying not to freak out.
"Calm down, Jo. They are alive and well." Marianne said, trying to calm her.
"They wanted to kill each other!" Joan snapped.
"They're happily married!" Marianne rebbuted.
"Now!" Joan said, holding on to her grundge a bit more.
"What changed them?" Lyanna asked confused.
"They were captured, by the Bloody Mummers. They cut his hand. It did not say why." Joan said.
"How do you think your mother reacted?" Lyanna asked.
"I'd like to say that she didn't like it at all, but I don't know." Joan said sad and hopefully.
Then Eddard told the rest, because they would not get anywhere if he did not,
"Then, after Joffrey's death, it only said that he took Riverrun from the Tully rebels without bloodshed, I still don't know why the Tullys were rebels. It said that he lured the Unsulied into attacking Casterly Rock, sacrificing his childhood home in service to a greater strategy. It did not say which one or whose. Then it said that, he outwitted the Targaryen forces to seize Highgarden and fought at the Battle of Goldroad bravely, narrowly escaping death by dragonfire. I don't know which battle it was and guess what? It did not say, but he was clearly fighting against aunt Daenerys and uncle Jon. The last thing is that he pledged himself to the forces of men and rode North to join them at Winterfell, alone, the army not being allowed to follow. He faced the army of the dead and defended the castle against impossible odds until the defeat of the Night King, whoever that might be. After the battle, asked for helped by we don't know who, he left Winterfell and rode South in an attempt to prevent a greatest war and help to defeat a great evil. He was pardoned for all his crimes by your parents and released oficially from the Kingsguard to spent the rest of his life with the woman he loves."
"What?!" Lyanna asked surprised again.
"Thank you, Ned." Joan said nodding, once again strugly to be composed. She desperatly did not want to cry.
"Anytime." Eddard said, concealing a private smile .
"This is... wow." Lyanna said, she did not know what to say or what to think. It was so much information and, most of it, things that they never thought that could even be true.
"Didn't you ever wonder how was our parents lives before us?" Marianne asked.
"Do we even know our parents?" Jeyne asked.
"They were at war. Those were their lives." Joan said, trying to cope.
"No! That's not true! There's more to it than just war. There must have been more, otherwise, how came we are here today?" Eddard said.
"I don't know. Four houses. Five kings. It does not make sense." Lyanna said. She had been told by her teachers there had been a war called the War of the Five Kings, but they had avoided any kind of details. She had not really been interested at the time, it had just felt as a piece of information that just wasted her time and atention of her fighting practicing time. However, by then, as she thought of it, it did not make sense, how could it have been five kings?
"Let's see, Joffrey Baratheon, Robb Stark, Renly and Stannis Baratheon... and..." Marianne said, aparently she had also had a lecture on the subject.
"Guess what? We don't know." Joan said.
"Why were they at war, in the first place?" Eddard asked confused.
"Because of that damn iron chair." Lyanna said.
"That damn iron chair holds the power of all the Kingdoms." Jeyne said.
"And what holds the power of our family?" Lyanna asked.
"Our parents past." Joan said, that time without hesitations. She felt sudenly sure that her parents had strugled but had, somehow, been victorious of their inner battles, had emerged stronger and had managed to bring honor and strenght to their houses.
"Was it worthy?" Marianne asked.
"We'll have to ask them." Lyanna said. And they'll tell us, this time. I hope, Lyanna thought.
After some more time, talking they went to have dinner and then went to sleep.
The next day, Joan, Marianne and Eddard parted. Bran went with Eddard to Storm's End to help him with the green dreams.
Lyanna did not know what to think about all of the situation and to make things worse, Varys's little birds came reporting that the whispers were rising fast and that it was whispered from ear to ear that King Aegon and Queen Daenerys had abandoned the throne to fight in the North, which was independent. They said it was not their place to do so, if the North wanted independence than it should fight their own battles, not ask for the help of the other Six Kingdoms. It was no business of the King and Queen to leave the Six Kingdoms on the hands of children and take the armies to a foreign war. They should not hold the throne. You'll see what the words 'Fire and Blood' mean. And you'll see we're not alone, because we're not selfish like you!, Lyanna thought angry. At the end, ravens were sent and an army was starting to be trained. The name Lyanna Targaryen started to become a real set back to the betrayers of the Iron Throne.
She too was the Dragon's Daughter, just like her mother, and she would give them a taste of her family's fire if they tested her any further, for a Targaryen was loyal to fire and blood.