The Wolf Queen - Part 1 (Aemond Targaryen)

Chapter 4

Lyanna pulls an arrow from the quiver on her hip. She nocks it into place and pulls the string back, her index and middle finger resting below her jaw. She closes her one eye and brings the blurry target into focus. She relaxes her fingers, feeling the fletches tickle her jaw as the arrow releases from its rest. She hears the arrow hit the mark, followed by laughter. She lowers the bow, looking for where the bolt came to rest. She is disappointed it didn't hit the target but the one next to it. She sighs; archery is not something she is very talented in. Turning around, she sees that both her brothers and the two princes are laughing at her. She saw that even Aemond was laughing. He is someone she never thought would laugh at her failures.

"Go ahead," she says, putting the bow down, "Laugh as much as you want. One day, I will be better than all of you."
It takes Brandon a moment to regain his breath, "I highly doubt that, Sister. Maybe you should focus on something you are good at, like horseriding."
"Then why did you invite me to join you if I should rather focus on something else?" she folded her arms in anger.
Rickard walks towards her, picking up the bow she used, "Here," he hands her the bow back, "Let me help you."

Lyanna takes the bow. Rickard stands behind her.
"Your stance is all wrong." he explains, allowing her to pull the string back, "Your arm is too high, lower it a bit. Make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart."
Rickard pulls and bends her until she is standing like she should.
"Now focus on the target." he says, and she does as he asks, "You are shaking a bit when focusing."
Lyanna relaxes the string and drops the bow, "How am I supposed not to shake? The bow is a bit heavy to hold with just one arm."
"Easy," he explains, "You control your breathing."
Lyanna sighs and pulls the string back, keeping the arrow in place as she does it.
"Inhale as you focus on your target. Make sure that your target is clear when you look at it."
She takes a deep breath and closes an eye, taking her time to get the target into focus.
"Now, release your breath slowly and let go of the string."

She blows her breath out slowly through her mouth and releases the arrow. It flies in a straight line, hitting the target before her.
She lowers her bow and sees that she did not miss this time.
"Well done, Lyanna. A little bit high, but with time and practice, you will get better." Rickard says, clapping his hands. With a smile, she gives the bow back to him. She has had enough of archery for today.

Lyanna walks straight towards the kennels, knowing that her dire wolf pup is currently there, recovering from his wounds. Maester Arwen could stitch him up, even though he had never worked on an animal.
Shadow was lucky, only barely escaping the claws of death.

Today is the last day of the Royal visit. Tomorrow, the Targaryen family will be leaving and heading back to Kings Landing. Lyanna can't help but feel nervous. She is afraid that she might go with them. The Queen expressed her desire for Lyanna to join them. Lyanna is unsure if her parents decided against it yet.
She doesn't want to go. She wants to stay here at Winterfell, where it is cold, and she can spend time with her dire wolf and be who she wants to be. In Kings Landing, they will force her to be someone she is not.

She looks into the kennel where Shadow is lying. Seeing that the pup is fast asleep, she gently runs her hand through his soft fur. How will she live with herself if she leaves him here to go and be a dumb lady at court?
Not wanting to wake the pup, she quietly leaves the kennels. Her heart is heavy, and her legs take her to the one place she knows she can find peace—the Godswood.

She finds a comfortable spot underneath the weirwood tree, sitting in the thin layer of snow. Looking up at the face staring at her from the tree, she quietly asks for help from the gods. If they have a plan with her, she won't be able to do it when she is so far away. If they can help her with this one thing, she will forever be grateful.

The rustle of leaves and a stick cracking under a foot makes her jump and quickly wipe away the tears from her face.
"Sorry," says Aemond, holding his hands up, "I didn't want to startle you."
She looks away quickly, "How long have you been standing there?"
She hoped he didn't see her crying.
He walks closer, "Long enough."
Lyanna nods, still not making eye contact, and sits on the ground again.

"Are you sad because of Shadow?" he asks, sitting beside her.
Lyanna stares at him through her lashes, not wanting to make complete eye contact.
Then she shakes her head, "No." She pulls her knees towards her chest, "I am sad because I might be going to Kings Landing."
"Really?" Aemond asks, sounding way more excited than he intended.
She nods, "I don't want to go. I want to stay here."
"At least I will be there," Aemond says, hopeful, "Then you will always have a friend. We can team up against Aegon and my nephews. No one would want to mess with us if you were there."
Lyanna laughs, "That sounds like fun. I can teach you a few tricks that I use on my brothers."
Aemond smiles, "I will try to make it easier for you when you are there."
She takes his hand, "Thank you, Aemond. If only I were allowed to choose. I won't even be able to choose who I want to marry one day."
Aemond gives her hand a gentle hug, "I know. Our parents only use us for their political gain. Maybe I can convince my mother that we should get married. At least it will be someone you know."
Lyanna smiles at him, but before she can answer him, he presses his lips against hers. Aemond kisses her swiftly, pulling away too soon.
Lyanna blinked her eyes rapidly, not sure what had just happened.

"I'm sorry, I should have asked you first." Aemond tries to apologise, feeling his face warm with shame. He starts getting up.
"I would have said yes," Lyanna says softly.
Aemond sits back down, "I will talk to my mother then."

°°~~°°~~°°

Lyanna was packing her dresses when her mother entered her room and told her to go to the courtyard.
"

I still need to pack," she told her mother, but Lady Gillian was adamant for Lyanna to follow her.
Standing in the courtyard and looking at how the servants are packing the Royal Family's belongings, she wonders if her mother already arranged with someone to pack her belongings.

She watches how Aemond is talking to her brothers, feeling a strange twist in her stomach when thinking about their kiss yesterday. Feeling a tinge of excitement building up inside her at spending more time with him in Kings Landing makes the prospect of leaving her home more bearable.

She won't mind being his wife one day. He is kind and gentle, and she knows he will treat her respectfully, just like her father treats her mother. She will be an excellent wife to him and give him as many children as he wants. Marriage was never something she wanted. She always wanted to be free from those bonds. But she would rather marry Aemond than some selfish lord.

The Queen calls her children over, and they follow her to where Lyanna and her parents stand.
The Queen claps, "Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Gillian."
Her mother curtsy, "It was a pleasure to have you here."
The King joins them, "Please come visit us in Kings Landing. We would love to show you the same hospitality you showed us."
"It is just too bad that Lyanna will not be joining us today." says the Queen and looks at her.
"What?" she asks her parents, feeling very confused.
"As soon as she is older, she can decide if she wants to exchange the North for the South." her father adds.
She looks at Aemond. They already made their plans, promising things that will never happen.

Immediately, she runs to Aemond and throws her arms around him. His arms envelop her in his embrace.
"I'm going to miss you," she whispers in his ear, swallowing the lump in her throat.
Aemond steps away, "Me too."
And with that, the Royals climb into their carriage, leaving behind the coldness of the North.
Lyanna stands at the gates, not taking her eyes off the carriage until she cannot see it anymore. Her heart aching at the thought that she might not see Aemond again.