The Dragons Heiress (Game of Thrones)

Chapter 9~ Just say the word

Helena walked along the royal garden with her brother and Claw. Claw enjoyed the royal garden. In fact, he enjoyed any walk he could get outside where he could see nature. Helena understood though. 

Claw missed Winterfell just as much as she did, but it didn't matter. Robb was here now, and so was Theon. 

"I heard everything," Robb explained, promising her to explain why he was coming. "I couldn't miss your wedding, now could I?" But Helena knew that these were lies. 

He had probably heard much more considering allot had changed over the past month. After all, Robb arrived two days ago.

Tomorrow, Helena would get married. Tomorrow, her life would change even more. That is why Helena had no further comment, because she knew her brother had heard everything else... And no one could do anything about it. 

"Does he hurt you, Helena?" But could she really answer that? Could she really answer if her betrothed hurt her? Of course, it was all because of the Queen. 

If the Queen hadn't manipulated Joffrey, he'd never lay a hand on her to begin with...

"He hit me, but only two times." Helena said carelessly, as if it didn't even occur to her that her husband-to-be had hit her. Of course, Helena had to act like it didn't bother her, no matter how much it actually did bother her. 

In her letters though, she wrote to Jon about it. She wrote everything on paper to Jon, that was the only way she could escape... At least that way, she could talk to someone, even if it was by sending and receiving letters. 

"If I could," Robb said, his teeth gritted. "I would've killed him a long time ago." Helena smiled and shook her head as she stopped, looking at her brother. 

Robb... He had always been protective of her. Always the big brother role! Helena loved him dearly, she never wanted anything bad to happen to him. Not ever. 

"He adores me," Helena said reassuringly. "He's madly in love with me, I just seem to be a bit rebellious like his father, that's all! Besides, Robb, I'll be happy and I will be ruling-"

"Stop, stop, stop..." Robb said and suddenly took a hold of Helena's hand, squeezing it. Luckily, no one was in the royal garden. People only came here during the day, and at night time, there was no such thing as visiting this garden. 

Robb got on his knees, confusing Helena to a point where she looked around in wonder. 

"You're my sister, Lena," he said. "You cannot lie to me! I can see the pain in your eyes and I know you! I know you don't want this doomed life, I know you want a life in Winterfell with all of us. You don't love him you just say you do, and there is nothing wrong with not loving the fucking Prince! I would kill him, only if you say the word."

"Robb..."

"I will." he said, looking up at his sister. "I will kill him, just say the word, Helena." 

"No." Helena said, crouching near her brother. Despite Robb being older with a couple of months than her, Helena could not let him take the role of the elder sibling. Helena looked Robb in the eyes as she took a hold of his hand. 

"I will never let you do something so suicidal as that," Helena said. "I will survive, Robb. I will fight and I will survive, I will make sure that no one gets harmed. Cause if anyone dares to hurt you or our family, I will fight the world with fire." 

Later that night

Lord Stark entered Helena's room right before bedtime. Helena had clearly seen that her father had wanted to talk to her, but she just didn't have the time. 

Everything had to be perfect for tomorrow as the Queen had ordered. Not that she cared about Helena, that was more than clear... She could kill Helena within a heartbeat. Cersei cared more about the people and having their wedding as royal as possible.

Tomorrow, Helena would not be a Snow nor a Stark, but a Baratheon. She'd be royal.

"Helena." Ned said, looking at his daughter with awe. Helena replied with a weak smile, showing no signs of many tears she'd shed this evening. She did not want to show her father that she was destroyed, that she was painfully unhappy. 

"Hello,father." 

Lord Stark sat by the chair seated next to Helena's bed. Clearly, whatever he was going to say wasn't going to make things better. Helena had already explained that Joffrey was the last person she wanted to marry.

She just wanted to go home...

But he already knew that. 

"Tomorrow's the big day..." Indeed. Tomorrow was the big day, the day where all of King's Landing would see Helena get married to Joffrey, the day everyone would most likely realize that Cersei hated Helena. 

The day she would become Helena Baratheon, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Once she was just a bastard and suddenly she was becoming a Queen. 

Helena nodded and looked in the mirror that was polished so clearly she could see her face better than ever. Only the best for the next Queen, right? 

However, no matter what mirrors she was given or what jewelry that was bought to her, she'd never be happy enough. 

"Don't make that face, my sweet Lena," her father said as Helena closed her eyes, forcing her tears back. She did not want to cry in front of her father, that was the last thing she wanted to do. She had been so brave... She was finally able to lift a sword and fight, yet she was crying because of a wedding! 

She refused.

But she couldn't stop herself.

Lord Stark seated himself closer to his daughter just as she turned around, her hands cupped in her fathers strong and big hands. 

"Don't cry, my sweet child." he said softly with his rusty voice." Helena shook her head as tears began to fall from her eyes. 

"I can't do this father," she sobbed quietly. "I don't want to be his wife, I don't want to bare his children... I don't want to be a Baratheon." 

Lord Stark squeezed her hands lightly, kissing her hands. To Helena, it felt like her father felt guilty of something. Maybe he did? Maybe he did feel guilty... But Helena couldn't possibly agree. She refused to agree. 

"If I hadn't taken you along with me," he suddenly said. "You never would've been put in this mess... I should've sent you off with Jon and Benjen." Helena agreed completely, but that was something she was not about to tell her father. 

Besides, knowing Joffrey's true face...

"By doing this, I am protecting Sansa." Her father looked up at her with curious, almost confused, eyes. But it was true. 

"I would rather have myself beaten by the Prince than Sansa being beaten by him." 

"Helena..." father said, clearly surprised by her words. But she shook her head, weakly smiling. 

"I am very much aware of the fact that Joffrey will keep beating me, torture me and command me. But tomorrow I will not be a Snow nor a Stark, I'll be his wife, a Baratheon."