Chapter 7

Riverrun

Edwyn

Tonight was the night. He had gathered all the things he and Lyanna would need on their journey east. He wanted to tell his father but knew he would try to stop him from leaving, so he and Lyanna would sneak out in the night and head east until they were near the river going down to the Blackwater.

After that, they will get passage to a Free City of their choosing. She said she wanted to go to Braavos, he wanted to see Pentos. So the decision was made that they would become sells swords.

He stopped and smiled before pulling out a small gilded ring, he will give this to her on the base of a Weirwood tree on the Isle of Faces.

He wished she would have wanted to have a septon perform the ceremony since that was his religion, but he loves her too much to tell her what to do now. He sighed before putting the ring back in his pocket and quickly gathered the two sacks of gold, his sword and dagger, clothes, and some food for the road, mainly salted meats and a sack of water.

The place was mostly empty. The feast before his cousin and Brandon's wedding in three days and everyone is either tired or past out from drink other than a few sentries that he had paid off and lied saying that he was going to Maidenpool to see the women in its brothel. Other than a few jokes they were convinced. He gathered his horse and went across the drawbridge and into the wood where Lyanna was waiting for him on her own horse, supplies and all.

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting." He stated and she chuckled at his words.

"After all these years? you've kept me waiting long enough. Let's leave." She ended and the two turned their steeds and bolted down the road.

They traveled the rest of the night and only stopped to water the horses and kept going until they came upon the God's Eye, memories from the tourney came back to him then and he noticed that they also came back to her as well. The two dismounted and walked towards a spot where some brush was hiding a small rowboat. She was the first to go aboard while he tied the horses up by a small tree until they return to them. He smiled at her as they slowly rowed towards the island.

Her friend Howland had told them that someone still lives on the island and is willing to wed them as they asked about it when he proposed to her. He told them that other than a short few in the south, he is a devout worshipper of the Old Gods, he is nervous because his gods are the Seven and even thinking of marrying in this way made him slightly uncomfortable, but he won't show it and nor will he be turned from this, it's happening and that's the end of it.

It was misty all around, could hardly see anything when they came off the boat. It was when they got inside of the forested part that everything became more clearer. What seemed like a hut became apparent and from the moss all over it, it seemed whoever lives here has been for a pretty long time. Lyanna squeezed his hand to bring him out of his nervousness, he also took notice that he was breathing a little quicker which was proof of his unwariness.

"It's okay, it's alright. I'm with you." She said soothingly and it worked a little bit and the two continued until they both were before the doorstep of the hut. "Hello? is anyone in there?" He heard her ask aloud and nothing replied back but silence. She then became only slightly impatient for someone to answer her and shouted "Hello?!"

"What do you want!" A grouchy voice spoke on their side and both eeked in surprise, Edwyn then went for his sword but the hooded and small figure raised his hand in a motion that said stop. "Put that away, boy! I haven't the time to fight a child." The hooded man stated. His words sending Edwyn to be more insulted than surprised to see someone appear before them without so much as a crack of a branch under their feet.

"We are sorry to bother you. My lover and I were sent here by Howland- " Lyanna began and the man's head popped up at the mention, it was hard to see the expression of him since his hood covered his face and the man's clothes covered the whole of his body too, even his hands were worn by gloves.

"Oh, the Reed boy. Yes, now I remember. He asked me to wed you both." The short one said to us or himself, it was a little hard to discern. Lyanna looked happy at the remembrance and pressed forward to the point.

"Yes. So? can you help us?" She asked and he hoped to the gods that the man would. He looked in thought for a moment which lasts for a few minutes, they were about to press again and more impatiently until the man spoke.

"I guess I can. Marriage usually needs more witnesses, but that isn't how most weddings happened long ago... " he said and the last part sounded as though he was longing for a past time. It didn't make sense, none of it as the marriage ceremony has been this way since the Andals came to Westeros, this man couldn't possibly be that old.

The next several hours would go by as the hooded man went through all the things that have to happen. Today is going to be a long one, especially since they are probably found missing back at Riverrun already hopefully everyone hasn't noticed.

Riverrun

Catelyn

A young Catelyn Tully. Or soon to be Catelyn Stark was going up the stairs in the right-wing of the castle to speak to her soon to be sister-in-law about the upcoming marriage to her brother, Brandon. She got to know him for the longest time, to the point that she would kiss him when no one is around. Of course her first would belong to Baelish who was exiled from the castle when he challenged Brandon for her hand. It was only a miracle that Edwyn saved her friend before her betrothed could harm him.

She loves her cousin and knows that he in turn loves the Lady Lyanna as he confessed to during the first few days back home after his fostering in the North. She feels pity for him, as she felt pity for her sister when her father forced her to abort her and Baelish's unadorned child. It was a sad day and she felt her sisters anger towards her father, there were better ways to rid themselves of the child, still, her Lysa hasn't spoken of what happened and only eats in her room, she had even invited her but was turned away.

'No. Can't think of worrisome things, at least not until I am wed and in the North.' She thought as she made the final steps and strolled down the hall until she was face to face with Lady Stark's door. She hesitated before giving a knock to the door and speaking.

"Lady Lyanna? it's me. Catelyn Tully? are you still asleep?" She questioned and went to open the door, "I'm coming in. I hope you are- " She said as she swung the door open and was greeted with a sight she was shocked and worried with. The room was clean and everything was as it was, with one exception... Lyanna wasn't there. She noticed that there was a letter on the bed and was too curious not to go and open it to see its contents and what was there made her have a look of horror as she dropped it and bolted out of the room.

"Guards! the Lady Lyanna! She is gone!"

King's Landing

Rhaegar

The Crown Prince and several men of his House and Ser Arthur rode down to the gate heading into the Riverlands.

He bided his time until his wife, Elia had given birth to their son. He named him Aegon after his many ancestors and then rallied to go and begin his plans to get his Visenya. It is time to collect his Lyanna. He waited too long to see her face once more and had overcome his humiliation at the hands of Edwyn Tully. His father had raged and cursed at him when in private when he was defeated and contemplated burning the fish for the slight, but he convinced his father that that justice is his.

His spy in the Riverlands spoke true and had received word today that the two lovers left the safety of Riverrun and are somewhere on the Kingsroad. He must find them before the Starks and Tully's do and whisk his love to safety, his wife and children are in the confines of Dragonstone, his mother and brother are in King's Landing. He will take Lyanna to a place where they could finally be alone together.

"They are somewhere in the Riverlands, find them at all cost!" He ordered.

"Yes, My Prince!"

Isle of Faces

"Who comes before the Old Gods this night?" The Islander asked and Edwyn abs Lyanna spoke in unison.

"Lyanna/Edwyn of the House Stark/Tully." Words sung from their mouths and the sage nodded and chuckled lightly in a good manner.

"Witnesses are needed, so I had a couple of the others come to participate." The nodded one nodded and said and Lyanna turned to see two more hooded men approaching, one almost as short as the one wedding her and Edwyn and the other being the same height as he. "Clears throatNow. Words can be said to one another and then I had a couple of deers hunted for a small feast." The man stated and stepped back to give the two some room.

Edwyn smiled as he stared into Lyanna's grey pools. "Lyanna? When we first met, I thought you were the most stubborn of women that I had ever met. You still are in a way, but it is also a trait that made me fall madly in love with you." Lyanna's heart swelled slightly at Edwyn's words, she smiled with a slight blush crossing her pale cheeks as he continued, "I swear. I won't ever leave you, won't ever harm or hurt you in any way. I love you, my Winter Rose, our families will curse us, Robert will hunt us. But I will always love you." He confessed and took her hand into his hands. Her heart fluttered at the confession.

"Ed. I knew from the moment I laughed when you fell from that horse that I would fall for you. You comforted me when I could find none, you loved me and defended me. Even if our families are angry, I will take it in stride because I love you... " she confessed and gripped his hand a little more. Only one thing was missing to Edwyn, he smiled and remembered.

"You are the iron to my heart, Lyanna Stark."

"And you are the steel that defends our solace... Edwyn Tully."

The kiss shared under the Weirwood Tree was blessed with a calm breeze of wind as the two individuals embraced each other lovingly... For once they are content.