Becoming Porcelain

Chapter 18- Queen of Love and Beauty

Everyone in the arena cheered as Rhaegar was passed the crown of blue winter roses. I clapped along with everyone but couldn't help the pang of jealousy that flowed through my body. Only Elia Martell could be given the crown, she was the beauty of the whole tournament.

Rhaegar held it in his hands and stared at it as time passed by. He was thinking about something, something that meant great importance to him. His eyes then looked up from the crown and analysed the whole crowd. He looked at each box that held a different family then his eyes stopped as they met with his Father.

I couldn't quite see his face correctly so I couldn't read what was going on his head. As Rhaegar was a very easy person to read, he showed every emotion in his lilac eyes.

Hastily Rhaegar suddenly kicked the side of his horse and it came trotting to the boxes. All smiles were bright as he headed towards Elia and people began to cheer even more. I could also see a smile appearing on her petite face and her brother Oberyn clapped along.

As he neared Elia he gave her a quick glance but then looked straight ahead. Then he rode straight past her. All the cheering seemed to die down suddenly as he got further and further away from her and closer to me. My heart began to pound crazily as if it wanted to jump out of my chest and then he was in front of me. His eyes met mine and a small smirk appeared on his lips. I didn't know what to do, this was not meant to happen.

"To the most beautiful woman here." He said in his soft voice. Then placed the roses in my lap. It was as if the world had stopped in that moment. I felt like it was just me and Rhaegar. I couldn't take my eyes off his. Everything had been building up to this moment. This was his way of announcing his love for me to the real world. But it could only be known to people if they put everything together, like Ned probably would.

At the thought of my brothers I quickly took a look at what Brandon and Ned were doing and they were just staring at Rhaegar like he had just committed the worst crime in the seven kingdoms.

Suddenly Rhaegar kicked the side of his horse and then galloped off. I was left sat there with the crown of love and beauty in my lap. Was I meant to place it upon my head? I looked around for any hint for what to do with it and I realised that every single person was staring at me. My eyes then met Elia Martell's who was looking at me in disgust and hatred, along with her handsome brother. I made sure not to stare at them too long, so I quickly looked away. Then, my eyes met the one person I didn't want to see. Robert Baratheon. His face was like thunder as he stared at me. I could see the rage he was holding back, it was like a volcano just begging to erupt.

"To the Queen of Love and Beauty." Jon Arryn shouted behind me and I spun round to look at him. He held his glass of wine high in the air and waited for someone to react. Then everyone finally began to clap. Jon Arryn came beside me and nodded at me then took the crown from my lap and slowly placed it upon my head. "Keep normal Lyanna." He whispered in my ear and I nodded. I placed a fake smile on my lips and looked around. Ned was looking at me and clapping, whereas Brandon was sat looking at the floor, trying to think what this means. I looked to the King, to find that he wasn't there. He had gone. I sighed in relief as the thought of that man watching me now in great distress swept through my mind.

+

Everyone was now sat in the great hall eating and drinking. The atmosphere was good today, not anything like the last feast. Everyone was in high spirits, including me and my brothers. Rhaegar sat with his group of friends and they all sat and laughed. Elia Martell wasn't here as she had said that she felt ill so she went to bed. But I had realised that before she went off to bed she was whispering things in Rhaegar's ear, to which he would reply with a nod. The King was suppose to be here, but he left half way through the day so he could return back to King's Landing, but no one knew why. But it was better without him anyway.