The Gentle Wolf (Rhaegar Targaryen)

Chapter 2

2: Melantha

"Mel is going to be a princess!" Benjen sang as he and Lyanna ran around their elder sister, teasing her and giggling.

Their joyful mood, however, was not shared by the two eldest of the Stark children.

Brandon and Melantha exchanged an uneasy glance.

Melantha tried to approach her brother and sit by him atop of her bed, but Lyanna and Benjen kept running around her in circles, while Maekar only watched from his place by the fire, uncharacteristically uninterested.

"Oh, you are going to be the prettiest princess ever!" Lyanna exclaimed in an exaggerated manner playing around with a soft pink ribbon. "Maybe, since you're marrying off so well, I won't have to marry at all."

"Nice to know our sister's misfortune brings you joy, Ly." Brandon said dryly.

Upon hearing this, Lyanna stopped dead in her tracks and her smile fell. Her face scrunched up in worry and she clenched the ribbon in nervous hands as she looked up at her sister with regret.

"I'm sorry, Mel; I didn't think-"

"I know. Don't worry." Melantha smiled as reassuringly as she could at the moment.

While Melantha tended to think too much before speaking, Lyanna thought too little.

With delicacy, Melantha took the ribbon from her sister's hand and wrapped it around her wrist as she finally took a seat next to Brandon.

"What did father say?" he asked for the tenth time since he had heard the news.

"We will travel south in a fortnight; and once we arrive in Kings Landing, it will be one full moon before the wedding takes place."

"That's too short for a proper betrothal."

Melantha shrugged. Maybe it was. Usually, when two great houses united, they would plan out everything carefully, unless of course, they were in dire need of the alliance during wartime, or the groom had already dishonored the bride. But there was peace in Westeros, and she had never seen Rhaegar Targaryen in person, so there was no logical way in which he could've sullied her good name.

Brandon himself was soon to be betrothed to Lady Catelyn of House Tully. The negotiations were just starting, and even when they were done, it would be at least a year before he had to travel south to the Riverlands to collect his bride.

"Has House Targaryen ever married outside of their own house before?" Lyanna asked, sitting down on the floor next to Maekar and petting him.

"A few times;" Melantha nodded, wincing slightly. "but not to just any house."

Lyanna seemed offended by that.

"We are just just any house, we're-"

"What I mean to say is that they prefer to wed those who have traces of Valyrian blood in them." Melantha said, playing around with the ribbon on her wrist. "We only have ice in ours."

"At least our family tree is a real tree, not just a circle." Brandon said.

Melantha laughed out loud at that, covering her mouth with one hand, as if that would make the sound go unnoticed. Surely it was most improper to make fun of her future family, but her brother had a point.

"Will we all go with you?" Lyanna asked, looking hopeful.

"You will, I believe." The eldest answered, much to the youngest's satisfaction. She turned to her brothers then. "Father said Brandon must stay to guard the north and get some practice for the future, and Benjen is too young to travel so far."