✹thirty eight✹

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╣like father like daughter╠


Ned sat before her, wine glass in his hand. He did not drink but simply swirled the crimson liquid around in its container. The night was dark around them and candles lit their meeting, flickering like blades of grass in the breeze from the open window.

Men on ships below them drank and sang their way to merriment as the dark set in. Rhena wished that she could join them. She wished to hang her feet off of the boat and let them skim the sea, let her hair out of its braids and be soothed by the wind.

But she at least had Ned. And he had her, after losing almost everyone else.They had been silent since Rhena had offered him a seat. Both were staring at something that the other couldn't see, lost in thought. Most of their conversations began like that. Sitting and staring and waiting for the other to say something worthy of note.

Ned spoke first and Rhena almost resented him for breaking the quiet calm. "What is the nature of your relationship with Ser Callan?"

Rhena nearly dropped her own cup from surprise. She laughed, clearly uncomfortable. "Pardon me?" She asked with a confused smile.

"I only mean to think ahead to when we are back in Westeros." He said, face reddening in embarrassment. Talk of marriage had always made him uneasy. "Marriage is, as you remember, a key foundation to the nobility there. If, to you, Ser Jaime is not an answer, and Ser Callan is not serious, you could be matched with a lord-"

Rhena cut him off, not ready to think about such matters of the heart and state so soon. "We will cross that bridge when we get there. We don't even know what lords will still hold land once this conquest is over." She lifted her cup to hide the smile which passed her face, attempting to change the subject. "Who is this bastard that you spoke of?" She asked. "What lady turned Ned Stark from his honor?"

Ned did not laugh with her. His face stayed stone-like as he stared out of the dark window. A man from below started a slow ballad which would have otherwise lulled Rhena to sleep. "Rhena, what I'm about to tell you, only one other soul knows. I've not even told Catelyn."

Rhena tilted her head, humor gone from her eyes. "What is it?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Jon is not really my bastard." He said. His shoulders lifted and his face softened as if saying those few words had relieved the world from his back. "At the end of the rebellion, I was charged with finding my sister." Ned finally took a sip from his glass with a grimace. "After your brother was slain, and Robert took the throne." Rhena flinched at the mention of Rhaegar and his past sins. "He had taken Lyanna to Dorn. It was a stupid decision since the Dornish hated Lyanna for pulling Rhaegar from Elia the way that he did."

"I am sorry that he shamed them both." Rhena said. "Rhaegar was even more rash than my father in some regards."

Ned waved her off with his hand. "It matters not. Rhaegar didn't abduct her. Lyanna went with him willingly."

•𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖉𝖚𝖘𝖙 • Jaime Lannister OCWhere stories live. Discover now