Hayley Marshall scarified herself to save her daughter as she burst into flames she had hoped that peace would arrive. Instead she landed in Westeros. What a disappointment.
Can she figure out this new land or will she get caught up in a game of th...
"Looks like Im needed elsewhere." Hayley mused moving towards Ned. "Bye kids have fun with your needlework arya." Hayley heard her melodramatic groan as they headed out.
"I hate needlework!" Arya said with a fierce passion. "It's not fair!"
"Nothing is fair," Jon said. He messed up her hair again and walked away from her, Ghost moving silently beside him. Nymeria started to follow too, then stopped and came back when she saw that Arya was not coming. Reluctantly she turned in the other direction.
It was worse than Jon had thought. Worse then anyone could have imagined when she got back to her room. It wasn't Just Septa Mordane and her disapprovaling stare waiting in her room. It was Septa Mordane and her mother. Catelyn had a shout of annouyance on her lips.
"Seven hells-" arya grumbled wishing she ran off with Hayley and er father instead.
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"I heard you asking about... histories. Stark history. Baratheon history. I... well..." ned held out a book of old.
"Ooh witch craft grimwar?" Hayley mused taking it from him and clutching it to her chest.
"Where it all went wrong." Ned remarked. "So yeah. Wolves witches and vampires." Hayley failed at stopping her laugh.
"Fun. Are these the scary stories Bran wanted to tell me then?"
"A bit scarier." Ned corrected.
"Great so you can hold my hand tonight when Im scared." Hayley agreed and a smile curved his face.
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Brandon had been twenty when he died, strangled by order of the Mad King Aerys Targaryen only a few short days before he was to wed Catelyn. His father had been forced to watch him die. He was the true heir, the eldest, born to rule. Lyanna had only been sixteen, a child-woman of surpassing loveliness.
"Yikes. This shit compares to mikaelson drama." Hayley murmured.
Ned peered in as Hayley flipped through the book.
"This is awful. I can see why Robert and you havent quite moved on." Hayley remarked.
"Its hard to move on from history like that." Ned agreed.
"Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word." Hayley remarked softly.
"You sound like you have a word that makes you bleed too." Ned remarked gently.
"Hope... and Jackson." Hayley agreed her voice a whisper. "Thank you for showing me this." Ned nodded silently as she got up. "I got to go hug my boys." Ned nodded understanding. When hayley found Robert he smiled big and jolly and she hugged tight to him.
"Oh you missed me mother!" Robert declared. "Renly. Im the favorite!" Robert declared.
"Can we talk Robert?" Hayley questioned
"That sounds more like you are in trouble." Renly corrected.
"Hush," robert countered as he led hayley aside.
"Can you tell me about Lyanna?" Hayley questioned when they were alone and Hayley saw him break again. "Tell me about Rhaegar."
They had come together at the ford of the Trident while the battle crashed around them, Robert with his warhammer and his great antlered helm, the Targaryen prince armored all in black. On his breastplate was the three-headed dragon of his House, wrought all in rubies that flashed like fire in the sunlight.
The waters of the Trident ran red around the hooves of their destriers as they circled and clashed, again and again, until at last a crushing blow from Robert's hammer stove in the dragon and the chest beneath it.
"When Ned arrived, Rhaegar lay dead in the stream, both armies scrabbled in the swirling waters... I remember those damn rubies knocked free of his armor." Robert recalled. "Mixed with blood... He stole the love of my life. She was so beautiful mum. You would have loved her."
"If she was anything like Arya or Jon then I think so." Hayley agreed. Robert chuckled out.
"You like the bastard?"
"I like Jon. Hes a sweet boy. Cares about his family." Hayley agreed.
"Hes got neds moral compass thats for sure..." robert agreed. "Got lyannas good looks though." Robert remarked with a laugh.
"He is pretty." Hayley agreed when she saw Bran peering in. "Excuse me I have to go on a monster hunt with Bran." Hayley remarked and Bran beamed back at her.
"Go on go on. Have fun. I will find other ways to entertain myself." Robert assured. Bran grabbed hayleys hand and ran off.
Bran showed her around the crypts.
Shadows moved and lurched. Flickering light touched the stones underfoot and brushed against a long procession of granite pillars that marched ahead, into the dark. Between the pillars, the dead sat on their stone thrones against the walls, backs against the wall of that contained their mortal remains. Which Hayley assumed were nothing more then bones and ash by now.
Bran ran ahead summer chased after him. The shifting shadows made the stone figures seem to stir as they passed by.
"Who has the swords Bran?" Hayley questioned.
"Its an iron longsword it means that man had been Lord of Winterfell," Bran remarked. "It's to keep the vengeful spirits in their crypts." He added excitedly.
"Vengeful spirits..." Hayley waggled her eyes at him. They got to a sword that seemed one of the eldest, it had long ago rusted away to nothing, leaving only a few stains where the metal had rested on stone.
"What happens if the swords are removed? Or rusted away?" Hayley pondered running a finger over the crypt. Bran ran up to her and a shiver went through his spine. "Does that mean those ghosts are free to roam the castle now?" Hayley mused and bran's jaw dropped.
"I hope not!" Bran shouted. "Father says that the first Lords of Winterfell had been men hard as the land they ruled."
"Good strong men, like your father." Hayley agreed.
"In the centuries- thats like a lot!" Bran informed her.
"A lot, A lot!" Hayley agreed as she followed him.
"Yeah," Bran nodded. "So before the Dragonlords came over the sea, they had sworn allegiance to no man, declared themselves the Kings in the North. Cool right? We were like kings!"
"A handsome king you would make." Hayley remarked. "But oh no... do you feel that?" Hayley lifted the oil lantern.
"What?" Bran questioned looking around.
"Cool spots... thats a sign of the dead... of ghosts and spirits... Bran do you see them?" Hayley questioned and Bran spun around like a dog chasing his tail. Bran jumped when Hayley reached forward scaring him a laugh on his lips before he chased her out.
