Oathkeeper

Chapter 45: I Will Go

Ilizabeth roamed the castle grounds aimlessly. She remained polite, just like her mothers' taught her to be, by greeting everyone she passed with a smile and a curtsey back. She'd done her second lap around the entire castle greeting everyone she possibly could out of pure boredom.

Being that Nera's father caught her sneaking back into their home after their night at the brothel, the girl wasn't allowed out alone, not for quite some time. Ilizabeth was so bored that she contemplated tossing herself into one of the swampy piles of slushy snow water that formed as mud holes all over the castle, just so she'd have an excuse to buy a new outfit.

She had plenty of friends, but there wasn't anyone in all of Westeros, apart from her family, that she valued as much as Nera. She comes from a decent family, and has always offered Ilizabeth honest advice in her greatest times of need. Of course, sometimes her honest advice could get them into precarious situations, as it did the other night.

The Princess held the skirt of gown up, keeping it away from all the dirt riddle slush on the ground caused by the melting snow. Sansa had sewn it for her last week. It was rather simplistic, the thick wool fur was dyed a dark eggplant shade, and a few flowers were sewn along the circular collar down to the sides of her rib cage. Her mother helped spruce it up by adding long wide sleeves with golden fabric on the interior. Ilizabeth always preferred what her mother made for her, she knew how to make sure she always remained a perfect combination of both women.

The North's favorite time of year was soon coming to a close, as it always did. Ilizabeth hated going out towards the end of Winter, the sopping wet gown would stick to her boots, locking her to the ground wherever she walked. Still, muddy boots couldn't compare to the boredom she felt in the castle alone. With Nera grounded, Rickon off at training, and her deeming everyone else uninteresting, she figured her best chance at fun would be outside, where half of the castle seemed to be.

She passed by her Uncle Jon who helped an elderly man load coal into the wheelbarrow he rolled into town. He remained at the castle despite everything that had happened. Everyday Brienne's eyes caught his she thought about tossing him outside the castle gate right then and there, but she knew her wife would never forgive her. His presence didn't anger her because of the two incidents they had, but because he remained here, waiting to take his niece with him when he went back home, and Brienne refused to change her mind on the situation.

The Princess finally fell upon the outskirts of the Courtyard where her brother and a group of other young boys were involved in a training session with the Master of Arms, Ser Eddam. She noticed Rickon first, he sparred with a boy unfamiliar to her, but seeing that her brother was beating him badly, she figured maybe that was for a reason.

Then she recognized the long slicked back luscious brown curls that she began to adore in just one simple conversation. He stood next to Ser Eddam, pointing to his brother as he asked some sort of question. She fawned over the way his eyelids rose and fell slightly as he changed expressions, the way his lips moved when he spoke. She'd never kissed a boy before, and she was sure it wasn't anything like when she practiced on her hand and pillow in private. But she wanted to.

The sparring came to a conclusion after Rickon knocked the boy flat on his back in the mud. He groaned loudly as both the pain and the muck all over him before accepting the hand Rickon offered to help him up. Ser Eddam called for the boys to line up before dismissing them for the day.

"You've done well today boys, as you have for the last several months" He commended them. "That being said, it's time to promote you boys to squires. Find a knight and ask for their guidance and remember if you ask a member of the Queensguard you'll have to work twice as hard to get lessons from them as you cannot always accompany them, so choose wisely!"