𝕌𝕟𝕓𝕣𝕠𝕜𝕖𝕟 ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕤 | 𝔹𝕣𝕒𝕟 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕜

☞︎𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙾𝚗𝚎

(𝙷𝚎𝚛 𝙳𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 ☝︎︎☝︎︎☝︎︎)

I trailed between my older brother Jaime and one of the guards assigned to my protection, his name was Ser Edmund Harlan. He had been my sworn sword since I was a baby when I couldn't even walk. He is like an older brother to me and I love him as such.

Although we do not share the same mother, I have always loved my siblings with all of my heart, and they have loved me as well. My older sister Cersei's husband also cares about me the same goes for their three children, to them I am Auntie Aeria. Even the crowned Prince Joffrey who is older than me by a few years. I can not deny that he is a cruel boy who did not deserve to sit on the iron throne in the future, but I kept those thoughts to myself.

At a very young age I learned the truth about the world, the truth about the dangerous Game Of Thrones. At the mere age of seven, I was brought into the treacherous world that we lived in. Where oaths are broken, men turn their backs on their liege lords and marriages were arranged for alliances between houses with women being sold off like common whores.

I myself had been betrothed since the day my father first set his cold eyes on me. It was common knowledge to the people of Westeros that Starks, the Wardens Of The North, and the Lannisters weren't on the best of terms.

Thus came my father's idea of the perfect betrothal. When I was to come of age, I would wed the second son of Lord Eddard Stark, Brandon Stark, a boy born a few moons before myself.

I was even gifted a direwolf Bracelet as a symbol of my betrothal to the boy from the house of wolves. To me it felt like I was being sold away like livestock but my father thought that it was a great honour for my intended to come from such an important house. All I could hope for was that my future husband would be kind to me.

Only a month ago, my brother-by-Law, King Robert, lost his Hand Of The King, to a dreadful fever. I myself was saddened by the news, as Lord Jon Arryn had been nice to me ever since I arrived in Kings Landing.

From the limited amount of conversations that I had with him, there was only one other person in all of Westeros that Robert trusted enough to be his Hand. That man? None other than Eddard Stark, my betrothed's father.

And now, here we rode, en route to the Starks residence in Winterfell, the Capital of the North.

I squinted as I tried avoiding the beams of sunlight bouncing off of my brother's pristine gold kingsguard armour. Even though my oldest brother was a very skilled swordsman, only a fool would say otherwise, I've always thought that he wasn't as much of a knight as the others I had encountered during my life. His sword wasn't used, his armour wasn't dented, his services only being to stand by the stag king as he slowly drank himself to death.

In my opinion, Knights of the Kingsguard weren't as valiant nor as loyal as other knights, with the exception of Ser Barristan Selmy, they were only more arrogant and quite foolish.

I leaned forward on my beautiful lioness, Laena's, head, gently grazing her fur between my fingers as I rested my chin between her ears. I let out an almost inaudible sigh and glanced ahead of me at the rather dull looking castle not far ahead of our party.

I turned my head and looked at the knight at my side, tilting it with a curious smile overtaking my face. "Ser Edmund? What are the Northerners like?"

He glanced down at me with a pensive expression, running a hand on the scruff of a beard that he possessed. From all the years that I had known him, Ser Edmund had never once worn armour, he always supported a leather tunic and breeches, with a light shirt of chain mail, easier to move around in, he had told me.

"Well my lady, for one thing they are quite loud, but most people are anyways, most are honourable above many other things and all are extremely loyal to their liege lord." He explained. "Why do you ask, Little Lady?"

I shrugged, gripping the sides of Laena's neck slightly harder. "No reason in particular, Ser Edmund. Mostly curiousity is all." Easily noticing my nervous behaviour behind my well rehearsed court mask, he reached over and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "There isn't a need to be nervous, Little Lady. I hear the whispers around the red keep that the Starks are a kind house, kinder than your own house if I dare say."

I let out a quiet laugh at the remark, earning a grin from the knight beside me, who had removed his hand with a soft pat. "Thank you Ser Edmund And have no such worries, I will not utter a single word of this conversation to my family."

He nodded his head. "Good, I'd like to keep my head for a while longer." At this we both erupted in sniggers, causing those around us to give us questioning looks. Jaime, who had ridden far enough to have not heard the words we had exchanged, motioned for me to join near the front.

"I'm afraid I must leave you for now, Ser." I informed my sworn sword, who in return nodded and bowed his head dutifully. "Of course, my little lady of Lannister, I have enjoyed conversing with you." I gave him as smile. "As have I, Ser Edmund."

With a few whispers in Laena's ear, she urged forward with heavy leaps and soon, I was riding beside my brother. "What have you to discuss with me, Brother?" I asked him. He sighed and gave me sad look. "It will be many years before we journey together once more, your place will be in Winterfell, with your husband, I simply wish to spend more time with you before you are stuck up here in this gloomy old place."

I gave him a reassuring smile. "You mustn't worry, Brother, it will be long before I marry. We still have many days to spend in each other's company. Even if we didn't, no man can refuse me from seeing my family."

He laughed at my final words. "No, I doubt that any man would want to face your wrath, little Lioness." I smirked and replied fiercely. "If they try, then they will Hear Me Roar and I will show them that I'm anything but just a pretty face."

He gave me a proud look and nodded his head in agreement. "You truly are a lion." I smiled at his words and yet, I couldn't help be feel as if I was lying, to myself and to him. I didn't have the courage nor the heart to say what I truly meant. I was the only one who knew that I wasn't really a lannister lioness, but a Targaryen Dragoness, alone in the world. What a dangerous thing that was.