Game of Thrones - The Rose of Winterfell

Lions Verse Wolves

Weeding through the crowds, I successfully avoided a few unwanted touches only to head toward the entrance to the Great Hall when I heard a familiar voice say, "I hear we might be neighbors soon. I hope it's true." Stopping where I was, I turned my head to find Father face to face with the Kingslayer. Curious, I began to weave through the crowd back toward them as I heard Papa say, "yes, the King has honored me with his offer." He once again attempted to step around the Golden Lion, only to have him block his path while saying, "I'm sure we'll have a tournament to celebrate the new title if you accept. It would be good to have you in the field. The competition has become a bit stale." Stepping out from behind an older guard, I watched Father stare at him momentarily before saying, "I don't fight in tournaments." To which the Lion snickered before saying, "no? Getting a little old for it." Only to hear Father boldly say, "I don't fight in tournaments because when I fight a man for real, I don't want him to know what I can do." Smirking to myself, I slipped around another individual while Lannister said, "well said."

I skipped to Father, took hold of his arm, and happily asked, "Father, please say that you will come and dance with me?" I felt their glances as I slowly turned my head to stare at Lannister before saying, "oh, I am sorry. I was not aware you were talking." Lannister offered me a smirk of a smile as I glared at him with a raised eyebrow before returning my attention to Father while he said, "I'm sorry, my darling girl, but unfortunately, I cannot dance with you at this moment for I should speak with Benjen." I began to nod that I understood, only to hear Lannister say, "I can dance with you, Lady Ilyanna." 

I turned my head to stare at Lannister only to notice his sister, the Queen, staring at us as I asked, "are you sure you can handle our Northern dances? They are far more exciting than the ones I am sure you are accustomed to, Ser." I watched him breathe as I glanced toward Dacey, dancing with a breathless Umber boy before looking up at him as I asked, "we wouldn't want you to show how old you have become, now would we?" He took a deep breath, bowed, and stomped past us. I heard Father chuckle before kissing the side of my head. "Thank you, Ilyanna." I nodded before saying, "Uncle Benjen is looking for you." With a nod, I moved to continue toward the entrance of the Hall only to hear, "and you will be where my daughter?" Turning my head, I offered him a smile before saying, "trying to win a bet against Dacey Mormont." With a shake of his head, I continued weaving through the crowd. 

Stepping out of the Great Hall, I moved to head out to the courtyard only to hear, "excuse me, but you could not be the Lady Ilyanna, could you?" I turned to find Tyrion Lannister, commonly known as the "Imp," staring up at me with a brown wineskin in his right hand. Arching an eyebrow, I placed my hands on my hips and asked, "my answer would depend on whether your answer confirms that you are Tyrion Lannister." He offered me a smirk of a smile as he raised his wineskin to his lips and said, "I was not aware that you were humorous as well as beautiful." I asked, "I was not aware I could be one or the other, my Lord. Tell me, have you met some beautiful girls with no sense of humor and some ugly girls with too much sense of humor?" Only to watch his smirk of a smile grow while he chuckled before saying, "I could say that I haven't, but I have a feeling that you would like me less if I lied."

I flexed my fingers against my hips before saying, "you would be right." Nodding goodbye, I turned to leave only to hear, "may I ask where you are going, my Lady." I glanced over my shoulder at him only to say, "I am going to speak with my brother Jon." I turned my head to continue, only to hear him say, "your friends with your father's bastard son?" I stopped where I was and slowly turned around to look at the short-statured man for a moment before saying, "he is my Father's son; thus, he is my brother. Please explain why I would not be friendly with one of my Father's children just because he does not share the same mother as I do." He blinked and stared at me momentarily as I quickly said, "or is that a difficult concept for you to understand? Or, if you would like, I can present you with the same reply I gave your elder brother when he attempted to imply an unsavory nature was occurring between my brothers and me." I watched him take a deep breath before saying, "I feel that I should request your forgiveness for not only my loose tongue but that of my elder brother for angering such a beautiful, honest lady."

Curious, I bridged the distance between us and asked, "and if I should grant forgiveness, what will you do then" only to watch a small smile appear on his face. At the same time, he said, "ask what else my tactless siblings did to anger one of the most beautiful ladies I have seen so I may not anger you again." I could not prevent a smile from crossing my face as I chuckled lightly before asking, "do many ladies swoon upon hearing that line, my Lord?" His smile increased as he happily said, "no, but I have faith that it may work one day." With a few lighter chuckles, I nodded my thanks. "You have my forgiveness, and I wish you a pleasant night, my Lord, but I should seek out my brother before I am missed." Moving to leave his company only to stop upon hearing, "if you had wished to go unnoticed, I am afraid that you have failed my Lady." I glanced at him before turning my head to see his sister, the Queen, watching me with critical eyes and his brother. "I wonder what you said caused them to focus on you?" Taking a deep breath, I glanced away from the older twins to look at him while saying, "well, I believe it was either threatening to stab your brother or implying that my sister would be a better queen than yours," as he outright laughed nearly spilling his wine in the process. Smirking a little, I watched him take a deep breath before saying, "perhaps it could have been that, or...," I asked, "or what?" He happily said, "or they find your beauty and your sharp mind off-putting, considering for the last two decades' true beauty has been found here." Rolling my eyes, I lowered myself so I was eye leveled with the short-stature Lord as I said, "while I see sincerity reflecting through your eyes, my Lord, I am afraid you are wrong. Unlike my aunt, no wars will be over my sisters or my beauty." He took a deep breath before saying, "perhaps, but neither of us will know the truth of that statement until we are faced with war." I arched an eyebrow, surprised, while he bowed his head to me before saying, "I hope you may find it in your heart to forgive my older siblings for what they said that angered you, Lady Stark," before walking into the Great Hall as I huffed. "What a curious man," only to stand and head out to the courtyard to find Jon.