Chapter 24

Harry Potter + A song of Ice and Fire Crossover

Chapter 24

Harrenhal certainly was a sigh to behold.

Much to Lily's regret, she had never visited the ancient ruined stronghold of Harren the Black in all the time she had lived at Riverrun. She had wanted to, having been fascinated by the stories of dragon fire and stories upon stores of ruined black stone. There was even a legend that said the smoke still lingered in the air and if one listened carefully enough, they would be able to hear the screams of all those damned to death in Harren's halls.

Given such a gruesome history, it was morbidly ironic that the mad king had chosen this venue to hold his tourney in honor of his second granddaughter's birth.

The very mention of the tourney had surprised Lily just because of the deference that the Targaryen offspring were being shown. If there was one thing Lily had come to expect from Aerys it was that he never did anything unless it was a show of some kind. She was certain he wasn't doing this in honor of Visenya's birth at all but rather out of a desire to show off his legacy.

A legacy that still had no male heir.

Lily certainly hoped that her time away from Elia hadn't caused rumors to spread about her ability to carry the Targaryen line.

She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that her friend planned to try again.

But that was for a later time. For now she would concentrate on taking in the massive blackened structure with its towering spires and midnight statues that loomed up above the landscape like some ancient god in permanent stasis.

Harrenhal was situated beside the God's Eye lake and was the largest castle in Westeros, remaining the ancestral seat of House Whent who had graciously agreed to host this tourney.

Lily felt she had tip her head back in order to see all of the thing. Its massive curtain walls were sheer and high as mountain cliffs. She could just make out the tops of the battlements where disused wood and iron scorpions sat, as if just waiting to be used for a battle.

The keep itself had five main towers that she could see though despite their massive size, she noted that none of them were properly formed, having been bent, lumped and cracked almost comically during the dragon fire of the Targaryen invasion.

Staring at them now, it was easy to let one's imagination run wild and think that this had been a home for giants rather than for men.

Lily knew that the Whents only used the lower thirds of two of the five towers while the rest had been allowed to decay.

The keep itself stood in stark contrast to the landscape which was lush and full to bursting with greenery. Lily remembered from her studies that this very landscape was some of the most prized in Westeros both for its fertility and its size.

This land was what she was now focused on for there were a myriad of tents being set up as well as trenches being dug and ground being cleared for the tourney which Lily knew would take place just outside of Harrenhal's main gate.

Their lodgings would of course be inside, but she couldn't help but look up at the massive towers and eerie mists circling the very top and not have to swallow to moisten her suddenly dry throat.

Though the day was sunny, for some reason, vapors still congregated around the uppermost arches and peaks making her wonder if some of the stories she had heard were true.

"Lily!"

The youngest Tully daughter snapped her head up at the call of her name in the very familiar voice and her face lit up, forgetting for a moment the strange castle and eerie surroundings.

She caught a glimpse of a familiar figure with dark hair hurrying through the gates of the main keep. She was wearing a deep red dress and black cloak, having forsaken most of the Martell colors on this day. Behind her, Lily could see the familiar banners of House Targaryen

"Elia!"

She at once slid down from her horse and tossed her reins to her uncle who had just finished seeing to his own and Axel's before lifting her skirts and racing across the green pell mell for her dear friend.

They collided in a crash of silk and ruffles and at once both were laughing and crying, so relieved to be together again.

"Gods, it feels as if its been a year," Elia said when they had finally broken apart. "Have you grown even taller?"

Lily laughed with her. "It's only been a few weeks. I don't think that's possible? Where are the children?"

"With my goodmother," Elia supplied. "She wanted to spend as much time with the girls as possible."

Lily glanced behind her at the Targaryen party just visible through the gates and noted two small forms held in the arms of a woman with platinum hair.

"And the king?" she asked as delicately as possible.

To her surprise, Elia's answering smile was a genuine one. "He has actually been somewhat….civil….lately. I think the birth of two children has put him in a good mood. Although, he has instituted several promises about the next child being a male. He has a Rhaenys and now a Visenya, he wants an Aegon too."

"Shall we give him one then?" Lily asked with fire in her eyes and the uncertainty on Elia's face disappeared immediately. "We shall, if he wants an heir, then I am more than happy to give him one."

She hooked her arm through Lily's and would have led the red head away to the royal party when all of a sudden, Lily remembered her uncle and brother. "Wait. Come and meet my little brother first. I know he's been dying to go to this tourney and I've told him all about you."

Elia's eyes lit up when she saw the little red head standing several paces away, holding the hand of the Blackfish and waving at his sister. "He's absolutely darling. And he looks just like you."

"Except for the eyes," Lily murmured as she led her friend over. "Everyone always says I am the only Tully to inherit mother's green eyes."

"Uncle, Axel," she said when they finally neared the pair across the green. "Allow me to introduce Princess Elia Martell. Elia this is my Uncle Ser Brynden Tully and my youngest brother."

Both of them bowed, the former a bit stiffly while the latter was adorably uncoordinated.

Lily could see it in Elia's eyes right away that she was going to like her brother because instead of curtsying, she kneeled down in front of him so that they were eye level. "It's so nice to meet you Lord Axel. Your sister's told me all about you."

Axel nodded solemnly although it was difficult to keep some of the wonder from entering his voice when he replied. "You're very pretty your grace."

Elia laughed, a genuine musical sound that had both Lily and her uncle smiling as well. "Why thank you my lord. I just might decide to keep you around if you keep talking like that."

She straightened up and locked eyes with the Blackfish who nodded again. "Ser Brynden, it's lovely to have you here. Will you be with us long?"

"As long my niece is here your, so will I," Brynden Tully rumbled with a small smile.

"Very good," Elia said. She leaned close to Lily then. "Do you think your brother would like to meet Prince Viserys. They aren't that far apart in age and I think that Vis could use a friend."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Lily replied reaching for her brother's hand. "Uncle I'll return Axel to you in a few hours. I just want to show him around, is that alright?"

Her uncle gave her a severe look that for an instant made Lily feel as if she were a child again and about to be allowed a bit of freedom for the first time. "Keep an eye on him Lilian if you please. I'll see you for the feast tonight."

Lily nodded and the Blackfish turned to lead the horses away.

"Very severe isn't he?" Elia observed as they turned to walk back across the green, an excited Axel between them.

"He can be," Lily replied. "I think it's a side effect from his dealings with my father. The two of them are polar opposites. Father has always been the very severe one while my uncle is the one who has encouraged us to go after our passions. He can be very protective though. Even more so after Mother died.

"Look at all the colors!" Axel called absently and Lily squeezed her little brother's hand.

"And he has no memory?" Elia asked quietly over the top of the Axel's head as they moved farther into the green.

"None," Lily replied. "Sometimes I wish he did, but perhaps its better like this. My last memories of her were when she was sick and beginning to fade. But I have more. I'll tell him all the good memories that I have and hopefully, he'll come to cherish those as his memories too."

"And speaking of building memories," Elia said, a small smile coming to her face. "I don't suppose that you noticed who else was here did you?"

Lily frowned at her friend. They were now very near the gates of Harrenhal and she happened to look up in time to see the white and blue banners of a house she was now very familiar with snapping in the breeze.

A white eagle soaring towards a white moon against a field of blue.

House Arryn was here.

Lily swung towards Elia who was trying to hide her smile. "When did Lord Arryn arrive?"

"Yesterday," Elia said. "I spoke to Lord Arryn and he seemed very eager to see you."

Lily craned her neck, looking about for a familiar head of blonde hair and it didn't take her very long to catch sight of him.

He was standing next to one of the larger tents that had been set up and talking to Ned Stark, laughing about something between the two of them.

Without even realizing it, Lily felt something in her chest ease at the sight of him. It wasn't just because she had missed him but her feeling of reassurance increased the moment she caught a glimpse of him standing there.

It was a feeling of safety and surety that she hadn't felt for quite a while.

"Well come on," she said turning to her friend and grinning. "I have several more greetings to make."

Ω

Much to Lily's relief, Axel took to Elbert right away and vice versa. Elbert's eyes had fairly lit up when he had seen him and for a moment Lily remembered that he had no siblings and had been raised as an only child by his uncle until Ned and Robert had come along to foster in the Eyrie.

She didn't want to imagine how lonely that must have been for him. The Arryns, like the Targaryens it seemed lacked only but the bare essentials when it came to their family lines.

So she went out of her way to engage both her betrothed and her little brother in conversation, making sure that they were as close as possible and had as much of an opportunity to connect and become familiar.

Axel was important to her, so she very much wanted him to be important to Elbert.

Thankfully it didn't seem as if that was going to take very long to happen.

Even now as she followed behind the pair of them to the feasting hall of the riverlands largest keep, Axel was sitting on Elbert's shoulders, the younger boy babbling about anything and everything that had happened throughout the day.

"And do you know how to ride yet?" the heir to the Vale asked and Axel shook his head so hard Lily thought he might fall from the blonde's shoulders.

"I want to," he said with some sullenness, "but everyone's been too busy to teach me."

Lily cringed but thankfully hid it when Elbert turned around and fixed her with a knowing grin. "Is that so?"

Lily ignored him and focused on her brother who was beginning to smile. He was still a child and somehow he knew how to back people into a corner. "I'm sorry Axel, I promise that I will teach you how to ride."

"No need," Elbert said, turning back around with a flourish so that they faced the corridor again. "I will have all the time in the world to instruct Axel in the ways of caring for and riding a horse."

Lily frowned at his back. "I thought that you were participating in the tourney."

Elbert laughed as they continued their walk. "I am but I will not doubt be out in the first few rounds. I find tourneys terribly boring, didn't I tell you that?"

"I seem to recall you mentioning something about preferring to watch the fishing boats come in," Lily mused. "Surely tourneys can't be all bad."

"When they are fought amongst friends and comrades, they are not," Elbert supplied. "Then its actually fun. But when there are stakes involved and the men you face are far better than you are and there are hundreds of people watching? Well then it begins to lose its appeal for me."

He turned and cast her a secretive smile. "It'll be more fun with you here though. This time I would actually have something to ride for."

Lily frowned, not understanding. "What do you mean?"

"I would actually have a reason to win the purse of gold and the flower crown," Elbert said stopping in the middle of the corridor. He seemed to have forgotten that Axel was still sitting on his shoulders. "I think you would make the loveliest queen of love and beauty here."

Lily blinked at the off hand comment and felt her cheeks flame in response.

She looked up at Elbert who was still watching her carefully and fought to maintain her composure. "Did you miss me that much my lord?"

"I did," he said quietly. "I thought about you nearly everyday."

Whatever Lily had been about to say next evaporated and for a moment she was lost in those blue eyes of his. The torches lining the hallways flickered and wavered in the light, casting shadows on the stone walls and making Elbert's face all but glow. His fair hair looked like golden straw and his eyes were alight and not just from the wavering yellow flame.

Just seeing the softness in his eyes made Lily want to melt and not just from feeling her own heart do the same thing.

It was a relief to be in his presence again, to know that what she was beginning to feel for him was real and honest and true and that there was nothing wrong with this feeling. She felt so relieved to know that it was in fact there.

There had been a part of her, after Brandon Stark had left that worried that she wouldn't feel the same way about Elbert when she saw him again.

Thank Merlin that that was not the case. Another part of her didn't even want to go back to court with Elia at all but rather ride to the Vale with Elbert and stay there with him, getting to know him and his lands better so that when they eventually did marry, she would be completely comfortable.

It would be a welcome relief from dealing with politics and she could bring Axel with her. She knew he would love the mountains and the birds and the fresh air and all the attention he was sure to get.

For a moment, she was sorely tempted to propose such a notion, knowing that Elbert would accept immediately.

But then she thought of Elia and the responsibilities that she already had to her friend and she wanted to sigh. She knew she couldn't do that….not yet.

So instead she looked back up at Elbert, putting her heart into her eyes when she smiled at him. "I missed you too."

His grin would have lit up the hallway more than the candles and he reached down and took her hand. "Did you? How much?"

Lily laughed, the sound bouncing off the stone walls and held his hand tighter. "Far more than I would care to admit."

Elbert chuckled deep in his throat, a sound that thrilled Lily. "I suppose I'll have to become used to you being coy. It just means that I need to work harder to make an impression on you."

Though he was teasing, Lily sobered and before she could stop herself, she raised a hand and placed it against the side of his face.

He blinked, eyes zeroing in on her as if her brother were not still sitting on his shoulders, as if they were the only two people in the entire keep.

"You already have," she said softly. "Far more than you know."

Elbert blinked several times as if surprised by her answer and then his face softened, eyes settling into wide pools of something almost akin to joy.

Whatever he might have been about to say was lost when a shadow fell across the two of them.

Immediately Lily lowered her hand and turned to look at her uncle who was standing only several feet away from them with one eyebrow raised.

"I had wondered where you were," he said dryly. "Come on, the feast is about to begin."

Lily cleared her throat shortly and hoped the dim lighting hid her burning cheeks. "Yes Uncle Brynden."

The Blackfish had the good grace to only impart one more grim look, an expression which must have made an impression Elbert for his spine straightened exponentially and the two followed behind after her uncle.

The lights grew brighter as the followed along and the voices in the distance swelled to a crescendo until they found themselves outside of a large set of doors that had been propped open to bring some relief from the heat.

Within was the great feasting hall of Harrenhal, already packed to the nines with people. The ceilings were nearly as high as the throne room in King's Landing and there were tall windows punctuated by stone pillars in perfect symmetry around the room. The hall itself was perfectly circular and covered in white tiles shot through with black.

Hanging from the ceiling were exquisite crystal chandeliers with droplets and attachments that shimmered like diamonds and were the size of Lily's fist. Though they held no light of their own, they were stunning to look at in the light of the burning torches and she found herself entranced.

Servants were moving in and among the guests with trays carrying goblets of wine and other strong drink, some of which some patrons had already indulged too much in.

Somewhere in the room she could hear music but the dancing hadn't begun yet.

Lily stood on her toes looking for some sign of Elia and Ashara but of the two dark heads, she could see none.

"Your family is arriving in the next few days aren't they?" Elbert asked quietly as they stood there. He reached up above his head and gently lowered Axel to the ground who looked a bit put out at losing his perch.

"Yes," Lily replied. "Father has no interest in the tourney itself and would prefer not to come but it would be seen as an insult so he is choosing to exercise some choice and show up as late as possible. Besides, no one in my family will be participating so its not as if there is going to be much to do."

"But there will be much to see," Elbert supplied. "When I no doubt go out in the first round, we will be able to wander off and explore Harrenhal, I think that I would much rather do that anyway."

"I had a desire to see more of this place," Lily said looking about the halls. "Its almost as if one can see the ghosts of the past here."

"If you two are quite through, shall we make an entrance?" the Blackfish asked. "We've been standing here for far too long."

"Yes Uncle," Lily replied and took Elbert's offered arm. "Let's go."

Ω

As much as she might have despised dancing and preening, Lily did find that she was enjoying herself at this particular tourney. Perhaps it was because she was around Elbert and her friends again, perhaps it was because Axel was with her, or maybe it was simply due to the fact that she had managed to escape the drama that had surrounded her these last few weeks.

She chose to only mingle with the people that she knew quite well, namely Elbert and Elia but she did happen to catch glimpses of people that she was familiar with.

Of course Lord Arryn was there and Lily made a mental note to go and speak with him when she had time. And then there was Ned who spent most of his evening staring at Ashara and blushing, to which both Elia and Lily needled their friend mercilessly.

Seeing him there however caused Lily to wonder if he had been in contact with his brother since she had last seen Brandon and all of a sudden her mouth dried out.

"Elia, I do believe that this feast is even more lavish than the one at your wedding," Ashara commented as they stood to the side watching the guests. "You would think that the king has something to prove with all this opulence."

The brunette snorted into her goblet of wine. "When you have lived in the keep as long as I have Ashara, every act performed is something that has to be proven."

"At least the king seems to be in a good mood," Lily observed from their spot across the room. It was true, a smile had graced King Aerys face far too often to be normal this night and it was beginning to make Lily uneasy.

"Make no mistake Lily," Elia said barely moving her lips, "my good father is in a good mood because he has been provided with something that he views as a sign of history and as a sign of the future. He has the descendents of Rhaenys and Visenya….and now he will expect an Aegon."

"Which you will provide," Ashara said dismissively and Elia and Lily exchanged glances. The secret of the fertility potion was one that only they knew about.

While Lily had no doubts about its infallibility, she was more so worried about the act that would need to take place before the potion could work. In one of Elia's recent letters, she remembered reading that Rhaegar had become more distant than ever.

That would be a problem and it was one that Lily could not help her friend with.

For a moment, she wondered how much of a problem this would have been if she had learned how to make love potions for her senior project instead of the fertility potion. She had always scoffed at the notion of a concoction that made someone fall in love with someone else.

Love needed to develop naturally and organically rather than chemically or else it wasn't real. It was one of the reasons she had laughed at some of the girls who were interested in making it in their seventh year.

There was no use to such a mixture in Lily's opinion.

She also had a feeling that her friend wouldn't approve of such an option if she knew. The red head knew that the princess wanted Rhaegar to fall in love with her of his own volition, because he chose to.

A love potion would ruin that.

"I hope so," Elia replied after a long silence. "Then all of these whispers about my ability to give the prince an heir can be put to rest."

"Don't pay attention to the sheep," Ashara said fiercely. "They're all jealous because you are married to Rhaegar and they are not. Everyone wants what they can't have. And you my friend have more than any other girl in this keep combined."

Her words produced excellent results for they succeeded in bringing a smile to Elia's face and loosening her shoulders. "I suppose you're right."

Ashara snorted. "I know I am."

"Speaking of having things," Lily interrupted changing the subject. "Where are the princesses Elia?"

"My goodmother is with them," the brunette explained. "I was going to stay with them until they fell asleep but Rhaella insisted that I come and she would remain with Rhaenys and Visenya. She said that she's too old for parties like this."

Lily exchanged a look with Ashara but the two said nothing about this.

"Speaking of celebrations," Ashara said with a knowing smile on her face. "When are we going to be hearing wedding bells Lily? You're sixteen now aren't you?"

The red head smirked at her friend. "I will be marrying Elbert the day that you marry Ned. I could ask you the same question."

To her surprise, a slight blush colored the brunette's face. "We haven't exactly….had that conversation yet."

Elia's eyes narrowed. "But surely you know that he wishes to marry you?"

Ashara sighed. "It's not that simple your grace. Ned's elder brother Brandon is already set to marry a girl of the south, a thing that is not lightly done in the north. I can't imagine his father willing to wed another son to a daughter of the south. The lords were already a bit put out by Brandon's marriage." She looked at Lily with some apology in her eyes. "I mean no offense Lily."

"None taken," the red head said, "although this is the first time I've heard of hurt feelings in the north about Cat's marriage. I suppose Ned told you of this?"

"He did. Which is why he was certain some northern girl would be chosen for him," the brunette continued looking a bit put out. "His father hasn't written him with the news of his marriage but he is certain it could be any day now."

A sly gleam entered Elia's eye and she turned to her friend. "I might have an idea then."

Ashara frowned. "What sort of idea your grace?"

"Suppose I were to write to Lord Stark about the possible happiness of a friend? Suppose I were to mention in this missive that I would be deeply grateful to him for considering such a union? As a….personal favor to me."

Lily blinked. "You wouldn't."

"I most certainly would," Elia replied airily. "Eddard is the second son so he does not stand to inherit much, but I don't think that would bother you Ashara."

"Not at all. I am part of a lesser house myself."

"No doubt he will be given something from his father as the north is the largest territory in Westeros. He will be a bannerman to his brother most likely and such a notion would be a wonderful thing for a second son."

She paused here and stroked her chin for a moment musingly. "I don't see what it could hurt."

Lily shook her head at her two friends. They were both such Slytherins, how was it possible that the people she found herself closest to in both lives were so cunning and ambitious?

"You too really know how to scheme don't you?" she asked with some amusement.

Elia raised an eyebrow at her. "You live in the capital for long enough with me Lily and you will learn to as well."

The red head pretended to shudder and then smiled.

"I don't know Elia," Ashara said slyly. "Given the way that Lord Elbert has been staring at her all evening, I don't think she'll be with us for much longer."

Elia chuckled and this time Lily blushed as red as her hair. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Certainly not," the princess said amiably. "He is only standing over by the pillar in concert with his uncle and yet every five seconds or so his gaze will flicker to you. One would think that he's afraid to let you out of his sight."

Her mouth suddenly very dry, Lily looked towards where Elia was gesturing and caught sight of the two Arryns doing exactly as her friend had stated.

He was indeed looking at her, even as his uncle was standing in front of him, no doubt imparting important information.

Once he noticed that his gaze was returned, her sent her a small smile and the promise in it caused a sudden lump to form in her throat.

"Oh that all girls would be looked at by their betrothed's like that," Ashara said sighing in a very romantic way. "I certainly wouldn't want to be like Lyanna Stark and Robert Baratheon."

Lily blinked, suddenly thrown by the strange comparison. "What do you mean?"

"Well just look at them."

Lily looked to where the brunette was pointing and saw low and behold that Ashara was right.

Standing only a few feet from the two Arryns and well beyond the dancing that was taking place in the center of the room were a pair that couldn't look more disagreeable if they tried.

Lily frowned and looked closer. Check that, only one of them looked disagreeable and it was an expression that belonged clearly to Lyanna Stark.

She hadn't known the girl would be making an appearance here but wasn't altogether surprised. She did resemble Ned quite closely with her dark hair and grey eyes and was altogether rather pretty but the expression on her face threw into sharp relief just how unfavorable she found the situation.

Her dress was grey with white accents, the Stark family colors of course but she appeared as if she had been forcibly sewn into it and then had her feet glued to the floor. Her expression was thunderous and her lower lip was curled as if a horrid smell had wafted by her nose. She was leaning as far away from the person next to her as courtesy would allow and Lily realized with several blinks that it was Robert Baratheon.

He had a glass of wine in his hand and an almost frustrated expression on his face. He reached out and tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder but she jerked away from him as if she had been shocked.

Shooting one last loathing glare in his direction, she turned on her heel and strode off through the crowd, leaving a somewhat confused and irritated Robert Baratheon behind.

"Well," Ashara said as the exchange drew to a close. "She certainly seems like a delicate flower doesn't she?"

Elia chuckled. "I heard someone say that Stark's sister was a wildcat. Poor Baratheon to be shackled with the likes of her."

Lily stiffened a bit. She didn't know Lyanna Stark but that didn't seem to be very fair. As much as Robert knew his way around a sword, she remembered the rumors she had heard about his reputation and the child he had fathered in the Vale. She couldn't imagine any woman being overly thrilled with marriage to a man like that.

But then she remembered his assistance during the royal assassination attempt and grimaced a bit. You sound exactly like those girls you used to hate at school Lily. Shame on you. When are you going to remember that you can't judge anyone without getting to know them first? And that goes for a man or a woman.

"Excuse me," she murmured, "I need some air."

And before Elia or Ashara could respond, she turned to follow the path that the Stark girl had taken.

Ω

She found Lyanna Stark standing on one of the balconies that looked out over the empty stone interior of Harrenhal

The keep itself was a maze of passages, rooms and towers and when Lily had emerged from the ballroom, she caught a fleeting glimpse of the hem of Lyanna's grey dress as it turned a corner, disappearing into the outside landing and then heading up a flight of stairs.

Cautiously Lily followed her, taking care that her pursuit was not noticed. As she walked, the sounds of the party faded until the only noises left were the hoots of a distant night owl and the crickets in the rushed down by the river.

Lily noticed that the stairs liking the outside of the tower were somewhat blocked off with wood and she frowned, hoping that the Stark girl had enough good sense to realize what she was doing was particularly dangerous.

After testing the stone steps and realizing they were firm, she set off after the other girl.

The tower they were climbing was one of the largest ones in Harrenhal and it was also the most eerie looking. The very top of it was slanted, as if its stone turrets had been broken off by the hand of a giant.

Lily almost wished she could have seen it before the dragons had destroyed the place, she could only imagine how magnificent it would have been.

She was certain that there were uncounted rooms in this tower that hadn't been explored since the time of Harren the Black and she made a mental note to do some exploring before the tourney was over.

About two thirds of the way up the tower, it connected to one of the smaller ones by way of a stone bridge that was arched slightly in the middle. It had no railings or barriers to prevent someone from falling off it and Lily swallowed hard.

Still however, she continued climbing the stairs on the outside of the tower, a part of her liking the challenge of seeing how high it went.

A gust of wind rustled the night and instinctively Lily placed both hands against the side of the tower for support. I certainly hope this girl knows what she's doing climbing up here without any ropes. She's a muggle, I'm not.

The arduous climb continued until Lily wondered whether or not the massive tower reached through the clouds for how high it seemed to go.

Finally however, she took one last step and turned one last corner in the narrow stairway and found herself on a short landing which led to the stone bridge she had seen from a distance earlier.

It was wider than it looked but still narrow enough for her to realize that this was no defensible position. Perhaps it had been wider before the dragons came.

Lyanna Stark was only several paces ahead now, but her head was forward as if she had no idea that she was being followed.

She stopped on the middle of the narrow bridge, almost halfway between both towers and then surprised Lily by hiking up her dress and plopping herself down in a mass of silk and textile. Sitting there with the fabric pooling all around her, she resembled something of a ruffled flower that had been buffeted by the wind too many times.

But then she spoke and Lily remembered that for all the garden analogies that might have been made about Ned's sister, this flower had thorns.

"I suppose my brother sent you then?" the dark haired girl gritted out.

Lily raised an eyebrow, not altogether surprised that the girl had noticed her presence and took in the situation for a second before she answered. "No, I came on my own."

"Really?" Lyanna drawled acerbically. "I can't imagine that Catelyn Stark would be eager to leave the center of a party."

For a moment Lily was confused and then she realized that Lyanna thought her someone else and she began to chuckle.

The other girl's head whipped in her direction and her eyes narrowed. "Are you mocking me?"

"Hardly," Lily said wryly. "I'm just not sure whether I should be pleased or insulted that you just compared me to my older sister. I suppose I do look like her, but people could always tell us apart by our eyes."

Lyanna squinted at her from her sitting position and the slight widening of her eyes was sign enough that she had misspoke. "Which Tully are you then?"

Lily walked onto the bridge and paused only a step or two away from the younger girl. "Look closer."

A breath of silence followed as Lyanna fixed her with a very intense look which Lily met calmly. Then understanding cleared her face and she snorted and turned back towards the horizon. "Lilian Tully, Lord Hoster's youngest daughter."

"And thank goodness for that," Lily said dryly. "I can't imagine I'd be very happy being the eldest."

"Try being the only girl," the Stark girl spat. "That's a million times worse."

Deciding that they were on familiar enough ground, Lily decided to take a chance. She didn't know what had prompted her desire to talk to the girl but the ballroom itself had grown hot and she had had the sudden urge to breathe in the cool air.

Seeing Lyanna had sparked her own curiosity and then seeing her react to Robert in the way she had was enough to make Lily insanely inquisitive about the girl. She had met both Ned and Brandon so perhaps she wondered who Lyanna was more like.

From the outset, there were many things that were reminding her of Brandon.

Lily wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

As she contemplated what she would say, Lily grasped the skirt of her dress and raised it about her so that she could sit down next to Lyanna, mirroring the rumpled flower theme.

"It can't be that bad," she attempted. "You have two doting older brothers. My brothers are both younger than I am and one of them is still a child."

Lyanna snorted again and Lily got the distinct feeling that she had been doing a lot of that lately. "It doesn't matter. My brothers can't do anything to help me now."

Lily frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that my family can't change what I am. I'm still a woman and I'll have to marry that horrid oaf downstairs."

Lily frowned. She had no loyalty to Robert but that did sound a bit presumptuous. "Have you met him before today?"

Lyanna shook her head. "I didn't have to. Father wants connections in the south and so he's already arranged Brandon's marriage and mine to southerners."

She spat the word out as if it were a curse and Lily bristled slightly. Surely all northerners don't hold the same opinions as this girl?

Lyanna paused and then looked at her sideways. "Sorry, you don't seem that bad at least."

"Thank you," Lily said dryly. "I think the more time you spend around southerners, we might just surprise you."

Lyanna's mouth twisted as if she were considering that notion but then her grey eyes hardened again. "Not in the ways that matter."

"And what ways are those?" Lily asked curiously.

"Loyalty," Lyanna said softly. "Resiliency, duty."

Lily felt her irritation spike and she was about to open her mouth and snap that Lyanna certainly didn't know much if she thought that only northerners were capable of such qualities when the girl spoke again. "He will never be capable of such things."

Lily blinked, realizing that Lyanna was talking about one individual in particular. "Perhaps you should give him a chance."

Lyanna spun towards her, grey eyes flashing. "I did! I was willing to give this marriage a chance at first even though I didn't like it. I didn't want to leave the north and my home. I didn't want to marry at all! But because Father asked I said I would try. And then….then he shows himself off for a baseborn bastard! Fornicating with some wretched peasant and getting a child on her! How many other bastards will there be running about after we marry? How many other children am I going to be blindsided with? How many other beds will my husband hop into other than mine?"

Lily swallowed hard. She had to admit that Lyanna asked good questions but as far as she was aware, Robert had only fathered one child. Now that could of course be untrue, but until she heard otherwise, this was the facts that they knew. She couldn't blame Lyanna for feeling the way that she did, but she also felt as if the girl might be assuming too much. There was no guarantee that Robert would continue "frolicking" as it were once he was married.

People did change once put into different situations. James had been quite the Casanova before they had begun dating. He and Sirius had been the best looking boys in Gryffindor, and had used such a reputation to great effect in the latter part of their school years.

It was one of the reasons that Lily had been reluctant to date him in the first place, well that and his treatment of Severus.

But then she had seen him in certain lights, the way he was with the first year Gryffindors after he had been made a prefect. She was certain it was a combination of his good looks and his grades that had gotten him the role, but once he was placed in the thick of it, he had risen to the occasion.

It took a certain amount of responsibility to be a prefect and then a Head Boy after, something James had achieved. And once such responsibility had been given to him, he had changed and molded himself as a result into something to be proud of.

Only then had Lily looked at him differently.

She firmly believed that it took certain situations to see the truth of a person, whether they were good or bad. She also didn't believe that people entirely changed people, circumstances did. Sometimes it took a position of responsibility or pressure, to truly see what a person was made of. How they responded to that situation would show exactly who they were.

And Lily hadn't seen enough of Robert to determine exactly who he was.

So she decided to be diplomatic and answer Lyanna's question with a question of her own. "What guarantee do you have that he will?"

Lyanna blinked at her. "What do you mean?"

Lily shrugged and looked out over the ruins of Harrnehal laid out below them. It was deeply quiet up here on the stone bridge and any noises of the party below had all but faded away. In the distance beyond the castle grounds she could see the twinkling of the river and the bright silver moon in the sky.

It was calm, peaceful.

"You seem convinced that a philanderer is who Robert Baratheon is," she went on. "But what if you're wrong? Suppose after you married he became a different person? People do change over time."

Lyanna laughed harshly and Lily got the feeling that she had already made her mind up about this subject. "Not this man. He might claim to love me but love can't change a man's nature."

I beg to differ, Lily thought to herself. It absolutely can.

"But enough about him," Lyanna said brushing anything Lily might have said aside. "I don't want to talk about him anymore. Tell me about you, if your sister is to marry my brother, we'll be family at some point. Might as well get to know each other."

Lily blinked at the abrupt about face but decided to accommodate the other girl. "Well, I am my father's youngest daughter but in some ways I think that's a good thing because he's spent most of his time focusing on my two older sisters and not paying as much attention to what I do. So that's allowed for a lot more freedom."

"Like what?" Lyanna asked with some interest.

"Well to spend more time reading," Lily said musingly. "I got to learn how to ride a horse and use a bow and fight with a sword. But that was mostly because of my uncle. He decided that if the rest of us we're going to be overlooked, he would take us in hand."

"That's right," Lyanna said, her tone almost dreamy. "Your uncle's the Blackfish. Gods it would be something to learn from him. What is he like?"

Lily smiled as she thought of the man in question. "He's very different from my father. He loved to laugh and tell jokes. I kind of compare them to night and day, my father being the night of course. He was always very serious and calm and cold since my mother died and my uncle was a good counterbalance to that, like the day, he is full of sunshine. I think he expects a lot of my character because he knows that I have a lot of potential, but he is also the sort of man that wants to ensure that I could still be a child while I was one."

"He sounds wonderful," Lyanna said and Lily smiled. "He certainly is. He will likely be at the wedding when it takes place."

"I heard stories of what he did in the war of the Nine Penny kings," the other girl went on excitedly. "How he fought against the Band of Nine on the Stepstones."

Lily nodded, she had heard all the stories too and had never tired of listening to them. Most of the time however, those stories were told to her by someone else or a history book. Her uncle had rarely shared tales of his time in the battles. She had never asked why, somehow it just seemed to be the wrong thing to do.

"Yes," she replied. "It is a familiar story but after that he has returned home and resumed a somewhat normal life."

"And he's taught you then?" Lyanna demanded, something almost manic in her eyes. "He's taught you all those things?"

Lily wondered how much she should tell the girl but then decided that it didn't really matter. "As much as he was able to in the time that we had. My skill with a bow is still somewhat weak but I've always enjoyed fighting and riding more. I'd like to get better at it but there's still time for that."

"You must be very good then," Lyanna said and Lily wasn't sure if the girl was flattering her or saying something without the use of words.

Her questions were confirmed not long after when the other girl continued. "Do you think you could teach me?"

Lily blinked. "Surely they would teach you such things in the north? It doesn't strike me as a place that would leave their women defenseless."

A certain measure of brittle bitterness curved Lyanna's naturally pretty face into a sneer. "They won't leave her defenseless but she can only be that way for so long. She's still a woman after all."

Lily had no idea what to say to that.

She opened her mouth to attempt to change the subject when Lyanna broke in again. "Do you think you could teach me? Even just a little. It will make this whole thing just a bit more bearable."

Lily didn't know how one possible stolen sword lesson amongst a host of nobles could possibly be rewarding for the girl but then decided that it didn't matter.

"I don't know when we could do it," she said slowly. "Where would we even go?"

The gleam in Lyanna's eyes was unmistakable and hungry. "Leave that to me. I'll find a place where we can go."

What else could she do or say then? And it might be nice to have someone close to her age who had the same interests as her. As much as she liked Elia and Ashara, neither of them were interested in the language of metal. To have someone near her who was, might be a treat.

"Alright," she said unsure of what she was doing. "I don't know when we're going to be able to though."

"Leave that to me too," Lyanna said smiling, although in the moonlight on the bridge it looked as if she were baring her teeth. "I'll make time."

And somehow, Lily believed her.

Ω

Don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube Channel if you haven't already. It is a booktube channel for those of you that don't know. I am a books nerd and when I am not writing fanfiction or working on my own drafts, I spend a lot of time reading and I love talking about those books. So if thats of interest to you, feel free to check me out and hit subscribe! The channel name is Kaetie Mac. So, next chapter will be the tourney and all the drama that comes with it. I wanted Lily and Lyanna to meet because I wanted there to be a slight connection between them for a specific reason prior to what is about to come next. I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy out there. We are going to get through all of this, don't worry. Don't forget to review!