Ours is the Fury | Game of Thrones OC

14

I was frantically writing a letter to Robb when Marin told me that Lord Stark had asked to see me again, my mind was so flustered that I folded up the letter and stowed it in my bodice until later.

The halls were quiet, the servants ate before we did and so practically no one saw me scurry up the stairs of the Tower of the Hand. When I arrived, Lord Stark seemed tired and frustrated, the position of Hand of the King already seemed to be getting the better of him and I'm sure the news about Bran wasn't helping.

"Lord Stark?" I asked and he looked up quickly.

"Oh good evening, your grace" He stood and gestured for me to take a seat which I did. "I have something I need you to do"

"As do I" I responded likewise, he frowned for a moment.

"What do you ask of me?" He questioned, settling his hands on the table.

"It is simple but urgent" I sighed, "I've begun my letter but I need you to do something before I can send it"

"Very well" He started, raising his brows in an invitation for me to continue.

"I require you to ask my father for permission, permission for Robb and I to be betrothed" I took a deep breath in anticipation as I watched the cogs turn slowly in his head.

"You are not yet of age, your grace" He reminded me, "I know underage betrothal is not uncommon but why so much urgency?"

I sighed half defeat, "My brother intends to betroth me to someone detestable and my desire to marry your son is true, you know of this, moving the timeline along is going to protect our future together. I admit I'm not quite ready to marry but betrothal? it can last months, I'll be of age when we marry"

"I see" Lord Stark rested his hand on his chin in thought, "My son had already written to me with the same demands, I can see what I can do with your father"

"Oh Lord Stark!" I grinned gleefully, "you will not regret this!"

"Before you go, your grace, if I am to do this for you then you are to do something for me" He stopped me and I sunk back into my seat.

"Anything" I assured him.

"There's a blacksmith in Flea Bottom, named" He paused and took a small sheet of parchment and wrote it down as he said it, "Tobho Mott"

"We're visiting him?" I took the name and folded it up, stowing it along with my letter that I was anticipating finishing.

"You are" He corrected, "I'm being watched closely, you are not"

"Why am I visiting this blacksmith?" I asked curiously.

"Jon Arryn visited him shortly before he died," Lord Stark began, "I wish to know what he was after"

"I shall find out" I told him, "Keep a low profile, if my mother suspects anything then she will make herself known. Be careful"

He told me the same thing before I left and returned to my rooms discretely, as soon as I got there I went to the crack in the tiles on my wall. Many years ago I hollowed out the area where the tile came off and I stored many things I valued there, even Marin didn't know about it. I slipped the piece of parchment depicting the name of the blacksmith inside and returned the tile.

Then I happily sat myself at my desk and took out my letter to Robb and began writing as if there was no tomorrow.

Dearest Robb,

I have some news that will excite you, I promise. I spoke to your father this afternoon and requested he ask my fathers permission for our betrothal and I believe he will say yes, my mother will convince him to accept.

I know I was unsure about our betrothal occurring so soon but the situation has changed, Joffrey has threatened me with a betrothal to someone loathsome. He intends to make my life hell, our betrothal is what we both would like and it takes me away from him, takes away the power he thinks he has over me.

Our wedding will come sooner then planned but we will be all the better for it, I hope everything is well and Bran recovers quickly.

Yours, Lya

I folded up the letter quickly and sealed it with wax but without my sigil, we'd taken to addressing our letters to our maids and squires instead of each other, that way it kept my family out of the picture for a little longer. I jotted down Daryn Hornwood on the envelope and when Marin came to dress me for dinner, I left it with her.

Dinner was as it usually was, a foul affair, Father and Joffrey spoke of ill matters and Mother scowled everytime they said something rude.

"Lya" Mother piped up, I looked up quickly, she rarely spoke at dinner except to scold my siblings and so neither did I.

"Yes?" I made sure I spoke gently, putting down my fork and giving her my full attention.

"I've heard you've been visiting Lord Stark?" She masked her accusation as a question, "Frequently at that"

"Oh" I fought for a lie, my mind span and I finally found myself a fairly decent lie, "I'm curious about the North, I enjoyed our time there and I wished to know more"

"Curiousity" She repeated with her signature smirk, "Why ever would you be curious about the North? There are books, darling"

"Well, he's lived there his entire life and I-"

"Why don't you ask Sansa?" Joffrey interjected, a sneer on his face, he was trying to catch me out and I knew it.

"She doesn't like the North all that much, prefers the South" I spoke honestly, she would tell me about it if I asked but she genuinely preferred the South.

"Right" He finished, continuing to eat.

"Let him work, darling, the Hand has a lot to do and doesn't need you asking him lots of questions" Mother scolded, I looked down in mock shame.

"I wish to know about the North" Joffrey interrupted again, "What's he told you, sister?"

"About the landscape," I popped a carrot in my mouth, "Winterfell, the Starks and the other houses there"

He thought for a moment, "No details?"

"Not now Joffrey" Father shot at him, he piped down almost immediately, focusing on the table.

"It's all very interesting" I finished the conversation there, biting into another carrot.

"I received a letter from Lord Mace Tyrell" Father began, tossing it unceremoniously across the table to my mother who pursed her lips and picked it up carefully and read it over.

"He wishes to bring Loras here as a suitor for Lya" She read it over then tore it in two, the entire table looked up at her and she looked at us, "She's not yet of age", she reminded us.

"What of the Stark boy?" Joffrey spat the name, "Thought that was almost complete?", the food in my throat suddenly felt very dry and I swallowed hard to get it down.

"That's different" Mother told him and both he and I looked up at her expectantly.

"How so?" He ground his teeth which made me nervous, I looked down at my plate again and wished I was anywhere but here.

"the North is far more useful than the Reach" Mother said plainly and I had to hide my silent sigh of relief.

"And wouldn't it be funny that my eldest child marries my best friends eldest child?" Father cackled, "Sounds like fate!"

"Of course" Mother faked a smile, "If Robb Stark proposes, it will be dealt with in a different way to any other and his fathers new status as Hand of the King comes into play"

"I see" Joffrey sat back with a grimace, I wish I could've sneered at him but I continued to hold myself like the lady I was. Everything was falling into place and I was going to keep it that way