Chapter 25

Harry Potter + A song of Ice and Fire Crossover

Chapter 25

Despite her promise, Lily did not see Lyanna at all the following day. But perhaps that had something to do with the fact that she spent much of her time chasing after Elbert and Axel who seemed entranced with the tall blonde young man.

They spent their time by the lake in the shadow of the ruins and Lily was particularly amused by Elbert's attempts to teach Axel how to fish. Somehow the knowledge that he knew how to do something so common surprised and delighted Lily. She wouldn't truly have expected a mountain lord to know something so integral to her homeland but with that surprise came the knowledge that he may have done so in order to learn more about her upbringing.

It was endearing and overwhelming at the same time.

I hope I'll be able to feel as deeply as he feels in time, she thought to herself as she watched the two of them.

If the red head were asked to define her feelings for Elbert, the first thing that she would say was that they were complicated. She would fully admit that she was attracted to him, it would be hard not to be. His kindness touched her in ways she was still beginning to define and whenever she was with him, a feeling of safety would pervade her consciousness.

She, who for all her magic, was likely the most powerful individual around, felt a sense of steadiness when he was near that was different from anything she had felt before.

Suffice it to say, her marriage no longer consumed her with feelings of doubt and nerves. She might even have been looking forward to it.

And speaking of something she was excited for, the following day was the start of the tourney, something that Lily had been fascinated with for as long as she could remember.

The act of jousting was never something she had been particularly interested in simply because of its repetitive nature but feeding off the excitement of the crowd was something that was difficult to repel.

Plus it was always nice seeing a winner crowned.

At the moment, the tourney was just about to begin and Lily found herself seated between Elia and Ashara as they waited for the king and the rest of the royal family to take their seats next to them.

Rhaenys and Visenya were not present but Lily wondered if her friend should have been with them for how she seemed a bit lost.

Ashara seemed to notice this too.

"Rhaegar is competing in the tournament yes?" she asked in an attempt to distract her friend.

"He is," Elia said absently. "It's expected of him after all."

"Well then they may as well hand him the crown of flowers already," the dark haired girl said cheerfully. "No sense in dragging this out. We all know he's going to win."

"Quite astute of you Lady Dayne," said the umistakable creaky voice of the king behind them. "My son is a true dragon."

Lily barely contained a bristle and the other two flinched, having almost forgotten that he was there.

They weren't the only ones who had been pretending the king wasn't present. Most of the nobles hurriedly paid their respects at the opening feast and then spent the rest of the time looking about and through him as if to pretend he didn't exist.

Lily couldn't blame them.

The man looked even more wild than the last time she had seen him and that was saying a lot. His white hair had always been unruly but now it looked positively feral as if it had endured a period of bad nights and no brushing. His eyes were bloodshot in collaboration with a lack of sleep and his hands reminded her more of talons. His nails were long, crooked and badly in need of a trim. Blackened at the edges, Lily wondered with alarm if he had spent much time around an unattended flame because they almost appeared seared.

She cast a sidelong glance at her friend, wondering with some trepidation what had happened in the capital while she was away.

The tone of Elia's letters had always been cheerful but now Lily was beginning to wonder how much of that had been forced.

Judging from Elia's rigid posture at the mere voice of the king, the red head was willing to wager a lot of it had been.

Not that she could blame her friend from physically retreating whenever the man spoke. He had a voice that grated on her ears and caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end. It was high pitched but a the same time creaky, almost like a wizened old tree that made noises every time the wind blew.

The metaphor ceased to pleasant when one placed it alongside a mad king.

Lily risked a glance backward and withheld a sigh of relief when she saw that Aerys attention had turned away from them.

Sooner or later, something might have to be done about him.

"Who is riding first?" she asked, hoping to distract both herself and her friends.

"I believe its Ser Oswell and one of the lords from the Iron Islands," Ashara supplied helpfully.

All of a sudden the blast of trumpets to signal the beginning of the tourney was sounded and all gathered in the stands fell silent.

The tourney was being held just before the gates of the ancient fortress. A large swatch of earth had been dug and leveled overnight so that there would be a smooth riding surface. Tents had been set up at the very end of the grounds so that horses and riders could saddle or unsaddle as needed.

"I don't suppose Lord Elbert will be competing in the tourney?" Ashara asked with a sly look on her face.

Lily rolled her eyes, not taking her friend's none too subtle bait. "He is but he does not wish to. He has told me that tourneys aren't really his style."

"Oh?" Elia asked raising an eyebrow playfully, "and what pray tell is his style then? Serenading fair maidens beneath their windows at night? He certainly seems like one of those knights from the old stories."

Lily chuckled and tried to picture her betrothed in a tree with a harp or lyre singing at the top of his lungs. "He's the heir to a great house your grace, not a bird."

Both women chuckled and Elia looked as if she were going to say more when the two horses at riders appeared at either ends of the stretch.

Lily recognized the golden kraken on the helm of the Greyjoy lord right away and cringed, wondering which squidling this was.

She had seen many of the leering looks and swaggering strides that had taken place the night before and suddenly hoped that Ser Oswell, who was taking the spot at the further end of the stretch would knock some sense into him.

"This will be interesting," she murmured as the man of the Kings guard donned his helm and swung himself into the saddle.

A squire hurried over, nearly buckling under the weight of the heavy lance and somehow managed to heave it into Ser Oswell's waiting grasp.

Ashara leaned forward in her seat.

"He needs to stick it to that sqidling," she muttered from between clenched teeth. "He very nearly got close to putting his hand someplace he shouldn't have last night."

Lily's eyes narrowed as she looked at Ser Oswell's opponent who had just taken up his own lance from his own squire. "Did he indeed?"

Elia glanced at her and must have seen a vengeful look on her face for she clamped a hand down on her friend's arm. "Don't Lily."

The red head gave her an innocent expression. "Don't what?"

Elia shook her head, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Don't do whatever you were planning on doing."

"I wasn't planning on doing anything."

"I'm sure."

Just then there was the blast of the trumpet again, signaling the start of the joust and both horses began to gallop towards each other.

They started slow, a walk morphing into a trot and then a gallop. The length of the pitch was certainly long enough for them to build towards a speed and by the time the two riders neared each other, the only sounds that could be heard were the thunder of the horses hooves.

Lily dug her fingers into the underside of the bench, gripping it as tightly as possible. She didn't know why she was nervous but a flash of memory overtook her of when James was playing a Quidditch patch a bludger got too close to him for her liking.

She was certain she had reacted in the same way.

In the next instant, there was a crash as the jousting poles came together and Lily blinked when the lord from the Iron Islands was unseated from his horse.

He just managed to hold on, grasping tight to the side of the saddle and the horses mane, hanging almost alarmingly sideways from the beast.

"Gods above, I hate when that happens," Ashara muttered next to her. Her face was tense. "I'd rather they either miss entirely or the rider becomes fully unseated. A clean bout is better than a prolonged one."

"That doesn't do much for the excitement factor I gather," Lily mused and Ashara cast her a frown. "Damn the excitement, I would rather everyone make it through in one piece."

Elia smiled at Lily but made no comment.

The joust carried on for three more rounds in a nail biting manner that made Ashara curse several times in a way that a lady of her position shouldn't and Lily wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or tense up.

Finally however, Ser Oswell prevailed and managed to unseat the Greyjoy lord from his horse, causing the crowd to send up a raucous cheer.

Ashara released a breath as both horses and riders trotted back to the tents at the end of the stretch.

With the first joust over, Lily settled into a pattern as she watched the remaining riders. Most were those she did not know but their jousts passed her by in a blur.

She did sit up and pay attention when it came time for Robert Baratheon to ride however, his opponent being some knight from the westerlands.

"He rides well doesn't he?" Elia noted as she took in the massive charger pawing the earth beneath an equally larger than life young man.

Lily's eyes narrowed as she took in Lyanna's betrothed. Behind the helm, she could see the sparkly in his eyes and was no doubt willing them to get on with it.

His was one of the only jousts that was ended in one round with Robert crashing his lance against the shield of the opposing knight, shattering it completely and sending him flying from his horse.

There was a collective gasp when the Westerlands knight landed in a metallic heap. But after a moment when he staggered to his feet, a sigh was released.

"Her certainly doesn't mince matters," Ashara muttered as the storm lord passed them on his way back to the tents. "If he's not careful, he just might win the whole thing."

All three women risked a glance behind them after Ashara's utterance, at the king whose eyes were fixed on the departing riders, gleaming.

He didn't appear bored or angry or the far worse option, manic but who knew what went on in that head of his.

Lily barely suppressed a shudder and turned back around.

Thankfully the rest of the first day of the tourney progressed nicely and without too much fanfare. Despite his claims that his jousting was weak, Elbert won his first round and flashed Lily a smile on his way back to the tents.

She locked her jaw against grinning too much and looked down at her feet, hoping she wasn't as red as her hair.

Fortunately her friends didn't seem to notice.

After that the tourney wound down and Lily left the others with the promise that she would see them that night at yet another feast.

Her family was set to arrive that day, Hoster having declared a delay due to some business to be taken care of in the riverlands. All of her siblings, save

Catelyn would be present and that was only due to the fact that a Tully needed to remain in Riverrun.

Lily was a little glad of this and then felt guilty that she was relieved.

Petyr also would not be coming. He had elected to stay behind at the last minute like her sister had and it was yet one more thing that allowed Lily's shoulders to loosen.

She had a feeling a longer conversation should be had between the two of them, but it was one that needed to happen after the necessary distance of time.

She saw the banners first before she saw them.

Caught in the breeze was the blue and red trout of House Tully, riding out of the forest towards the massive fortress of Harrenhal.

At the fore, she could just about make out her father whose slowly greying head shone in the afternoon sunlight and Ed riding tall just behind him. It had only been a few weeks since she had seen them but he seemed to have grown another inch and was no doubt as tall as her father now. He grinned when he saw her, a smattering of freckles dancing across his pale cheeks and raised his gloved hand in greeting.

Lily grinned back and then noted the smaller wheel house trailing just behind them that no doubt carried Lysa.

She lifted her skirts and hurried towards them as they drew to a halt just outside of the grounds.

Her father nodded when he saw her and dismounted to give her the obligatory hug.

"Daughter," he said smoothing down her hair with a fond smile. "Where is your uncle? I have much to discuss with him."

Lily managed to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. "Still on the grounds Father. He is speaking with Lord Arryn."

Hoster's eyes gleamed. "He is there as well? Excellent, I shall snag two fish with one hook then."

Without so much as a goodbye, he strode off in the direction of the tourney grounds. As soon as his back was turned, Lily did roll her eyes and turned back to her brother who had come up to her side.

"Sometimes I wonder if he always puts on that manner," he said absently. "Or if he just isn't thinking."

Lily chuckled slightly and turned to embrace him. "I think it's the latter. He's become so used to doing it over the years its like a second skin."

Edmure's only response was to chuckle back and Lily turned to look her brother over again. It hadn't been long since she had seen him but standing in front of her, he was no longer a scruffy younger brother, but a young man who was entering his grooming stages of lordship.

"You look different," she said.

He blinked at her and then smiled. "Do I? I feel different. Many things have changed and then very little has changed."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh just that I feel life has tugged in very different directions these last few years," Ed said. "After all this is said and done, Cat will go north, Lysa will go west, you will return to the capital and I will remain in Riverrun with Father and Axel. Petyr is already gone. Things are happening so fast."

Lily swallowed hard at the mention of her childhood friend and her sister's but fortunately Ed didn't notice her slow response, or else he chose not to address it. "Where is Lysa?"

Ed frowned. "In the wheelhouse, though I do wonder why it is taking her so long to come out."

Just then the door to the vehicle behind them flew opened and Lysa Tully stepped out.

Her hair was slightly frazzled with strands coming loose from its elegant wrap and her gaze appeared somewhat unfocused as she looked around.

But then she caught sight of Lily standing with Ed and her face transformed into a bright smile. She hopped down from the steps of the wheelhouse and hurried toward them. "Lily!"

The younger redhead smiled and opened her arms as her sister walked into them and the two shared a silent moment.

Over the top of Lysa's head Lily noticed that Ed's expression had suddenly turned grim as he looked towards Harrenhal and she frowned, wondering what he was thinking.

But then Lysa pulled back and distracted her with a question. "How has the tourney been? Is it exciting?"

Lily blinked. "I suppose as exciting as watching two men ride towards each other with long poles of wood and trying to knock each other off can be."

"I wonder how father would react if I signed up," Ed said with a mischievous look on his face. Lily rolled her eyes. "Too late for that Ed, the tourney's already begun and the first round completed. It'll be done by the end of the week, thank goodness."

"And the princess?" Lysa asked as the three siblings strolled towards the walls of the ragged looking fortress.

"She is well," Lily said. "As are the princesses."

Ed paused then and craned his head back so he might take in the full height and breadth of the massive structure. "Gods it must have been magnificent before the dragons."

Lysa shuddered as she looked it over. "It looks haunted to me. I don't know why the Whent's still inhabit the place, it doesn't even look liveable."

"Well, I wouldn't advise climbing higher than a few levels," Lily told them as they stood there on the grounds. "Then it really begins to get eerie."

Edmure grinned at her. "You've already done that haven't you?"

Lily's only answer was to scoff and Lysa shuddered.

"Come on the both of you," Lily said beginning the walk again. "Let's see what Uncle Brynden and Axel are up to."

Ω

The next few days passed in a blur of feasts, jousts and general small talk with the other nobles and ladies around her.

Even though they had met briefly before in the capital, Edmure took a shine to Elbert even more so here in their natural home of the riverlands and perfected the Vale heir's fishing technique.

Axel, not to be left out, insisted on sitting on Elbert's shoulders the entire time.

Both Lily and Lysa rolled their eyes and left them to it.

Her sister was ecstatic when Lily brought her to spend time with Ashara, the princess, the queen and the children one day after the tourney's events had concluded and the afternoon had been one of relaxation and laughter.

But now, the night before the last day of the tourney with only four competitors left, Lily had begged off from her family to meet with Lyanna for the promised sparring session.

The brunette had been sending her intently grim looks whenever they passed each other on the grounds and all Lily could do was nod.

So on the very eve before the tournament was over, she had donned her own trousers and tunic and tall boots and found Lyanna's room on her own.

"Are you ready then?" she asked when the girl had answered.

Lyanna's only response was to flash a lightning grin and fly out the door.

Lily had chuckled and followed, wondering if this was what having a sister who was interested in the same things as her was like.

But then she had grimaced and quashed the thought immediately.

Her intentions were good but the truth of the matter was, she wasn't sure what she thought of Lyanna. She wasn't planning on getting close to the girl because there was something of an impulsiveness to her that Lily didn't like.

Perhaps it was because it was that sort of impulsiveness that reminded her of herself when she had been Lily Evans. It was the sort of impulsiveness and stubbornness that had nearly landed her in trouble.

She just hoped that she was wrong that Lyanna wasn't exactly like her former self.

But the more she observed the girl's form and the way she didn't think before she moved, the more concerned Lily became.

When Lyanna landed on her back for what must have been the fifth time since they had begun their impromptu lesson and rolled over muttering curses to get to her feet, Lily held up her hand for a pause.

They had decided to meet in a grove of trees out of sight of the fortress that were dense enough for them to not be seen from any of the windows.

Granted if anyone peered hard enough, they were likely to see two youths going at it hammer and tongs and might think it odd but not reserve too much thought for it.

Thankfully the sun was beginning to set and the torches were being lit, so they would need to cut their practice time short.

That was both a good thing and a bad thing because despite how much passion Lyanna had for the craft, she was very green when it came to using her sword with precision. She would make large sweeping movements with her blade that left her vulnerable to a potential attack and she didn't seem to see the danger in rushing headlong into a fight.

The first time they had paired off to face each other, Lyanna had rushed at Lily, surprising the red head at first but she had sidestepped the rush brought her sword up in one fluid motion and hooked the hem of Lyanna's trousers, sending the other girl sprawling.

"I think I know what the problem is," she said finally.

"That you don't fight fair?" Lyanna grumbled as she straightened up and retrieved her practice sword from where it had landed in the dirt.

Lily raised an eyebrow at her. "No. It's that you're too eager. You rush headlong into your strikes and don't consider your opponent before the fight begins. Waving your sword around does not make you a good fighter and carrying a blade does not make you worthy of respect."

Lyanna glared at her but had no response.

"Think before you move," Lily said shifting into the first stance again. "Sometimes I think its better to be on the defensive when a fight begins because then you'll see the limits of who you're fighting. Plus its just better practice."

Lyanna's eyes narrowed, "I'm not used to being on the defensive."

Lily smiled. "Even better then. When you're on the defensive, you're forced to get creative."

"Being on the defensive can also make you desperate," Lyanna pointed out.

Lily waved her hand, dismissing the point. "Only if you let your emotions control you. The minute your let your opponent think you're afraid or cornered is when you've lost."

Lyanna fixed her with a long grey look. "Did you're uncle teach you all of this?"

Lily nodded. "He's been teaching me for the better part of a decade and since I am my father's youngest daughter, he doesn't notice me all that much."

"Lucky," Lyanna muttered before she crouched low. "Are you ready to have another go at it?"

Lily nodded and both girls sank low.

This time, Lyanna eyed her carefully before the attack, mirroring some of Lily' movement. They circled each other for about a moment before Lyanna attacked again, seeing something she might have perceived as weakness.

Lily had to admit that she was a bit impressed as time went on. Though she had seemed green in the beginning, Lyanna was proving to be a quick learner and after Lily's words of advice, she didn't make the same mistake again.

The fight went on for a while, tiring both girls and Lily realized if she didn't do something soon, she might lose.

Lyanna's strides grew a bit laboured a little before hers and she lashed out with a move that said as much.

Seeing an opportunity, Lily darted in and caught the girl's blade on her crossguard bringing their hands dangerously close together.

Before Lyanna could withdraw, Lily flashed her own sword around in a peculiar twist, wrenching the blade from the other girl's hand and sending it flying across the clearing.

Lyanna's mouth dropped open as she looked from her discarded sword back to Lily. "Where did you learn that?"

Lily grinned. "My uncle thought it best that I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Lyanna huffed as she went over to retrieve the blade. "Well it was certainly impressive. I need to learn that one too."

"Some other time perhaps," Lily said noting the darkening sky. "I think we should be heading back. It's getting dark."

Lyanna groaned. "Do we have to?"

Lily raised an eyebrow and chuckled slightly. "Well I certainly don't think it would be a good idea for us to sleep out here. Someone might come looking for us and then there would be all sorts of gossip swirling about."

Lyanna rolled her eyes. "As if I care about court gossip. None of these people I'm ever going to see again after this so why should I care what they think?"

Lily grimaced, remembering some of the gossip that had circulated about when she was in school. "You'd be surprised how far talk can reach."

Lyanna's disdainful expression turned murderous. "Sometimes I wish I could just run away from all of this. Leave this entire country behind and set sail for a new life somewhere else."

"And what would you do?" Lily asked with some amusement.

Lyanna shrugged and rested the flat of the blade against her shoulder. "Maybe I'd disguise myself as a man and join the Second Sons or the Golden Company. Maybe I'd learn how to sail and buy my own boat. I don't know, but whatever happens, I know I would be able to do whatever I want. No more dresses, no more parties and most importantly, no weddings."

Lily bit her lip, not sure what to say to that. She would be lying if she said that she too hadn't contemplated running away. With her magic it would be beyond easy. Her life away from obligations and restrictions would be comfortable and safe.

It would also be entirely selfish.

She thought of all of her siblings and her beloved uncle and cringed. There was no way she would be able to leave them behind just so that she wouldn't have any responsibility.

For one wild minute, she considered the possibility of asking Elbert to run off with her into some crazy sun drenched sunset where they never came back to Westeros and simply rode the crest of one high into the next.

And then she wanted to laugh at her own stupidity. Elbert was basically a younger Jon Arryn, meaning he was loyal and duty bound to a fault. She would never talk him out of leaving the Vale.

And the more time she spent with him, she didn't want to leave him either.

Marriage, especially to a man as golden hearted as Elbert couldn't be that bad.

"Haven't you ever thought of it?" Lyanna asked as she looked at Lily with grey eyes that were almost desperate."

"I have," Lily thought carefully. "But the more I do, the more I think that life out of Westeros wouldn't be some great swashbuckling adventure. It would be a lot more dangerous."

"I'd brave any danger if it meant I didn't have to be anything more than a glorified baby breeder," Lyanna snapped viciously and Lily cringed, thinking of her own sister.

"I'm certain it wouldn't be as bad as all that," she tried but Lyanna was already off on her own tangent.

"What would you know about it?" she asked turning to Lily, her eyes glistening, though whether that was from tears or from the moon that was rising, Lily didn't know. "You're going to marry the golden boy of the realm! I'd trade places with you if I could."

Lily blinked, trying to picture Elbert and Lyanna together and finding her imagination was not up to the challenge. And then her eyes narrowed. "So this really isn't about marriage at all, its more so about the person you're marrying."

Lyanna threw up her hands. "Yes! Very well, I am saying it aloud. I don't want to marry Robert Baratheon!"

Lily wanted to scream, both because this wasn't her problem and also because they had had this conversation before.

"Look," she said. "All I can say is that this is your life much as you think it isn't. Robert Baratheon is going to be a part of that life somehow. And I suggest you get to know him more than cursory. You might just find out that he's not as bad as you think."

Lyanna looked down at her feet and Lily could see that she wasn't buying it, but at the moment she didn't really care. "Or I could arrange to marry someone else."

Lily blinked. "You could but would that really work? Hasn't the marriage already been finalized?"

Lyanna was quiet for a long moment just scuffing the toe of her boot against the ground. "It has but there's still time. Maybe I could write to my father and see if there are any other options."

Lily shook her head, unwilling to believe she was having this conversation. "I would suggest trying to get to know Robert first. At the very least give him a chance, it would be unfair to assume anything about him without trying to understand him."

Both girls were quiet for a moment, just digesting those words until Lyanna sighed and sheathed her practice blade. "I guess we should be heading back then. Thank you for the lesson."

Lily eyed her warily, wondering if anything she had said had sunk in. "You're welcome."

They both started back for the keep in silence, unsure of where the metaphorical ground was beneath them now.

But the moment they reached the small side gate both had taken to slip away unnoticed, Lily turned to Lyanna, hoping to offer some measure of comfort before they parted ways again.

"Look," she said softly, causing the other girl to stop. "I know you're not thrilled. But you still have a choice in this. Choose to make something of this marriage with Robert. Choose to be happy. Otherwise the next few years are going to be miserable ones."

Lyanna regarded her for only a moment before offering a curt nod and disappearing through the gates in the keep.

Lily sighed and leaned her back against the stone wall. Looking up at the starry heavens and the bright full moon, she closed her eyes and only hoped that Lyanna had heard her.

Ω

It was with major anticipation that the crowd waited for the final joust that day. The sky was grey and overcast and the wind was beginning to pick up.

Every so often Lily would glance at the sky and note the subtle darkening of the clouds.

A storm was coming.

She hoped that the tourney would conclude soon before the heavens opened and they were all soaked through to the skin.

Fortunately however, they had reached the final two competitors and to the surprise of no one present it was Ser Arthur Dayne and Prince Rhaegar facing off on opposite ends of the stretch.

There was a moment of tension as both faced each other and Lily felt her shoulders tighten though she did not know why.

Elia appeared more grim faced than usual but when Lily asked her if she was alright, her only response was to nod tightly.

Doubtless everything was not alright, but the red head decided not to push.

While they were waiting for the joust to begin, she looked around the stands and caught sight of her family sitting next to Jon and Elbert Arryn with her Uncle

Brynden sitting nearby. The Vale Lord and the River Lord were conversing softly and judging by the small smirk on her uncle's face, he could hear exactly what they were saying.

In front of them, Edmure and Lysa had positioned themselves and Axel was bouncing about on Lysa's lap, a veritable ball of excitement.

His large smile came in stark contrast to the grim look on Lysa's own face however, causing Lily to frown. Her sister had been somewhat aloof since they had arrived and her manner was skittish causing red flags to go up in Lily's mind.

Something was going on with her sister and before they all left Harrenhal on the following day, she resolved to learn what it was.

Maybe she was upset because Petyr had left Riverrun and returned to the Vale.

Maybe it wasn't anything serious at all.

Sitting a few seats down from them were Robert Baratheon and Lyanna Stark which caused a smile to rise to Lily's face.

Perhaps her new friend had taken her advice and decided to give Robert a chance. The scowl on her face certainly didn't suggest so, but perhaps that was due to something else entirely.

Robert on the other hand appeared to be in entirely good spirits, at least from this distance. Ned was sitting next to him and the two were chuckling quietly amongst themselves.

The king as well sitting behind them seemed to be in a good mood but that was never a good thing and Lily could feel herself edging forward in her seat subtly so that she would be as far away from him as possible.

It's the last one, she thought to herself. After this you'll be away from him.

Thankfully at just that moment the joust began and all eyes were directed in front of them.

Prince Rhaegar who was opposite the stretch, facing the royal box, seemed oddly calm as he pulled his helm down over his head and took of the lance that the squire offered him.

All went eerily silent and then horses gave a whinny and both men were off, thundering down the stretch.

Lily dug her fingers into the edge of the wooden bench feeling the exact same way about jousting that she did about Quidditch.

Namely that the entire thing from beginning to end made her unbelievably nervous.

The first few rounds were passed with neither Arthur or Rhaegar landing a hit and each time Lily felt herself tense and then relax.

Elia in the meantime kept herself rigid, eyes fixed on her husband as if willing him to a win.

And then suddenly and without warning, it happened.

On their sixth pass, Rhaegar feinted, lowering his arm as if he weren't going to attempt to land a hit and Arthur leaned forward, sensing victory.

In the last second of the pass however, Rhaegar jutted his lance upward with a sharp thrust and caught the shaft of Arthur's pole snapping it in two knocking the knight off balance so that he was nearly launched from his horse.

As it was, the impact of the blow knocked him sideways so he fell halfway down the side of the horse.

He didn't fall off, but everyone knew then the tourney was at an end and a winner had been crowned.

The king's voice cut through the dull murmur of the crowd who no doubt had been expecting such a conclusion. "Well done my son, well done! Come and be awarded your victory!"

Without even glancing at his friend who was righting himself in the saddle, Rhaegar removed his helm and guided his horse up to the royal box where the king was waiting to hand him the victor's purse and the crown of flowers.

Lily smiled behind her hand, at least being made Rhaegar's queen of love and beauty would put a smile on Elia's face. Her friend had been far too grim lately.

And then Rhaegar did something entirely unexpected.

He smiled slightly at his father and inclined his head….and then turned and rode away from the royal box completely.

A collective gasp went up as Elia was bypassed. Ashara's mouth had fallen open and Lily was certain her face was as red as her hair.

What was going on?

Rhaegar slowly guided his horse down the box where the rest of the lords and ladies were sitting, looking back and forth among the crowd of faces as if he were searching for someone.

By now the crowd had gone completely silent and even the wind had died down as if it too were holding its breath in anticipation.

And then Rhaegar seemed to find who he was looking for. A beautific smile that Lily had rarely seen on his face in the last few years came over him and then he reached out with the crown of flowers and placed the ornament upon the head of Lyanna Stark.

The gasp that followed this gesture was even louder than before and all eyes swung to the royal box where Princess Elia was sitting.

Lily didn't dare look at her friend for fear of what she might see and her blood was already boiling too much for her to be completely rational.

She glared at Lyanna as if she were trying to bore a hole in the other girls face with her eyes willing her to act as horrified by the gesture as she should have been.

But to Lily's absolute astonishment, a blush began to cover the other girl's face like she was some maiden out of the stories being approached by a handsome knight.

Beside her, Robert Baratheon was red faced looking back and forth between the prince and his betrothed in disbelief.

There was little he could do however with the king watching.

And then, as if to rub salt in Elia's wound, the prince bent down, took up Lyanna's hand and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles.

The silence that followed this was so complete that Lily imagined absently that this was what the inside of a tomb must have been like.

No sooner had Rhaegar lowered Lyanna's hand and the blushing and smiling girl looked down at her lap did an enormous clap of thunder sound over head shocking all of the spectators, causing many to jump.

And then the heavens opened and rain began to pour down in sheets causing many to get up and hurry for shelter.

Lyanna, Rhaegar and those around them were lost in the scramble and suddenly the spell that had held everyone still was broken.

Beside her however, Elia didn't move and Lily waited three heartbeats before she could bring herself to look at her friend.

Elia was sitting straight backed, stalk still and her eyes were not on the place where Lyanna and Rhaegar had been but rather she was staring at a fixed point beyond the tourney grounds to the woods beyond.

"Your grace?" Ashara asked hesitantly, shooting Lily a helpless look. "Come, perhaps we should get you out of the rain."

Elia said nothing for another minute except to shake her head and then she finally got to her feet.

As she turned away however, Lily was uncertain if the water on her face was from the rain or from her own tears.

Ω

And there we have it. I didn't want to waste too much time on the tourney and so have decided to remove the Knight of the Laughing Tree aspect because it wouldn't really add much to this story as a whole and I wanted to get to the juicy part.

Also, some exciting news. I have decided to post the book that I am currently writing on Wattpad, hoping it will gain some traction and some more eyes. This is the book that I want to have published someday and while this copy is a bit rough there is a lot about it that I really like. It would mean the absolute world to me if you guys could head over to Wattpad and check it out. Its called Memoria. I will post the link to it here:

story/224704026-memoria

Also, if you guys have not subscribed to my Youtube Channel yet, the channel name is Kaetie Mac. This a books and writing channel because those are where my interests lie and I'm really hoping to get my author platform off the ground in the next little while so I can start making a name for myself in the writing community. I would love it if you guys would check it out and show me some love by hitting the subscribe button.

That's all for today, see you soon, don't forget to review!