Carliene Stark

Chapter 1

Carliene

I had read about Casterly Rock in a few books back home, though the history books never quite gave a full description. Still I couldn't deny being curious to see the castle made into the great rock by the sea. As I climbed off the horse in the courtyard, I was too busy looking around to pay attention to where the guards were leading me. From where we stood it did not look al too grande. There was but one tower looming over us and the walls and houses surrounding the yard did not give way to much of a view. I was lead up a flight of broad smooth steps into a hall with great red tapestries hanging from the balconies above from either side. But before the colourful fabrics I noticed the silence, it was thick and cold in the grand building and one could feel almost ashamed to break it as we stepped inside our footsteps echoing off the walls. The only windows were high up and the sunlight which shone through it did not touch the ground. So great chandeliers hang from the ceiling, filling the bottom of the hall with an orange glow.

"M'Lord" one of the guards called out as we approached a tall man, talking to a shorter man garbed in a masters linen and of very round statue. I would have paid him more attention if it weren't for my gut turning sour as I recognised the tall, broad-shouldered Lord now turning around.

"Lady Carliene" his voice was deep and lacked any emotion. "Welcome to Casterly Rock"
I had only heard stories about this man, never met him in person... and now that I did I disliked him immediately. 
He was behind the red wedding and I immediately sat it as my goal to end him at the next best chance.

 "Lord Tywin" I chewed on the word, almost as if it were an insult. "What do you want with me? Why bring me here?" I questioned, trying t pull my arm from the guard who was still holding onto me. 
 

"Excuse the tough security, though I believe it is understandable why it is necessary" he said ignoring my questions. "Bring Lady Carliene to her chambers and have her made ready"
 

"Ready for what?" I tried to struggle as the guard pulled me towards the stairs, but that only resulted in the other one grabbing my other arm so that they could pull me along without me being able to do anything about it. "What do you want with me?!" I yelled at Tywin, but he just watched me leave with cold pale green eyes.

The guards lead me to a heavy looking oak door, decorated with carvings of a historical scene of the house Lannister, two lions fighting each other. That is all I could make out in the time that the guards pulled me through the door and closed it again behind us. 
I was now standing in a fairly big room, with high windows, that to my despair had iron grids on their outsides, so an escape through them would be impossible. Two chambermaids stood in the room, along with a steaming bath. I frowned, as much as I wanted and needed a bath, I could pass under these circumstances. One of the guards unlocked the shackles around my wrists, while the other still held onto my arm with an iron grip. I hissed and stretched my hands carefully as the shackles fell off, noticing a red ring on my flesh were the skin had been rubbed off, on either wrist. The guard who held me more or less shoved me towards the chambermaids, causing me to stumble further into the room. 
 

"Lady Carliene" the smaller of the maids said and they both curtsied. "We are instructed to get you cleaned and properly dressed, M'Lady" 
I turned around and frowned as I saw the guards had not left but rather stood before the closed door like two statues. 
 "I'm afraid they will have to stay, M'Lady" the taller and older one said without any sympathy in her voice. "Come now" she stepped to me and pulled the big shirt I was wearing over my head before I could complain.

~It had been a long time since I had acquired these clothes. I could still feel the fear an panic in the air on that day. Of course everyone who was anyone pretended not to be scared but I could see beneath their masks. The boy had no mask, he had nearly pissed himself as they had blown the horn announcing that the enemy was in sight. He wouldn't be afraid for long though, as the vase I hit over his head robbed him of all senses. I probably saved the poor buggers life in that moment. His clothes were a bit big on me, but they were better and more practical than my torn-up dress. The armour was worse, the helm slipped over my eyes constantly and the chest plate was heavy and rubbed into my shoulders. I was actually relieved when someone knocked my helmet off during the battle. Actually I had planned to slip out of the gate and be straight on my way. But of course that was never going to happen, I had never been in a battle before and there were quite a few moment were I was certain I would die. It also felt quite counterproductive, fighting against Stannis' men even though my father was the one who found out that he was King Robert's true heir. But of course I couldn't just change sides either, no one would have understood and they would have just cut me down then and there, instead I cut down a few of them, sustaining my own injury as well. 


The cut to my lower right arm still burned as it touched the warm water. It had been healing badly, enflaming again and again and having a tough time closing because of its difficult location. The chambermaids started scrubbing me down until my skin burned and turned pink like a pig, they brushed out my long hair and put scented oils in it. The strong smell almost made me gag as it did not agree with my empty stomach. They had not fed me very well on our journey here. A piece of stale bread and a thin watery soup, no wonder my stomach was growling. 

I was soon sitting in murky waters, I hadn't even realised how filthy I was. A proper bath did feel good, but I could not realise that pleasure as I was too occupied with trying to cover myself from all the unfamiliar eyes in the room. Even at Winterfell I only had a chambermaid help me at special occasions. And only because mother demanded it. Usually when some Lord came by with his sons. I will find a husband for you yet, she would mutter as she braided my hair. And now she was dining with the fishes if the rumours I heard were true. 

"I can dab off myself" I snapped at the young maid and watched the towel from her hands as I got out. I quickly wrapped the towel around myself. 

The second maid pulled a white undergown from the bed and held it out so I could slip inside. I did not refuse her help this time as covering up a bit seemed more important. It was a strange piece of clothing, thin and white with no sleeves. Only a corset to hold it up, which the maids bound far too tight for my taste. 

"Do you wish to suffocate me?" I demanded angrily as my chest was pressed up against the fabric and bending down seemed to be a thing of the past. 

"Its how its worn M'Lady" the older maid explained simply and unmoved. 

If this was only the undergone I could only imagine what atrocity they planned to put me in next. Before I had to trouble myself with that the maester appeared and I could once again wonder how a person could become so fat. Even Robert Baratheon was no match to him. 

"I've come to tend the Lady's arm" he announced in an almost sneaky voice as he presented a small wooden box of medical supplies. 

I sat down on the bed. wondering wether it was because of his short statue that he seemed so round. His head was as bold and shiny as an egg and his nose was skinny and crooked, like some strange beak. 

"What could have ruined a Lady's flesh like this" he pondered as he looked at the cut on my upper arm. 

"A longsword I think it was" I said recalling. From the corner of my eyes I could see the two guards exchange a confused look. "Its a bit inflamed as I was unable to clean it properly, but it does not seem to have festered"

"Yes" the maester agreed. "There seems to bee no pus" I hissed a bit as he squeezed at the wound. 

I gritted my teeth as he dapped a cloth soaked in wine on the cut before binding my arm. 

"I will have a look at M'Lady's arm again tomorrow and change the linen" he announced with a small bow before leaving. 

If I'm still here tomorrow, I though sourly as I watched him leave.