Carliene Stark

Chapter 57

Carliene

It was a miserable day when the new castellan arrived. The rain was pooling in the muddy yard and beyond the large castle walls the thunder from the roaring sea bellowed loud even at this height.

My cloak was already soaked when the carriages and horses finally entered through the gate.

I was able to single out Lord Daven on the spot. He looks like a true lion, I realised. His hair fell to his shoulders, clinging to his cheeks like gold ribbons in the rain. He wore a red foxfur cloak and armour decorated with pouncing lions. I was already sick of him.

Pull yourself together you don't want to make a bad impression right away. Maybe this was someone I could use to my advantage.

The Lord stopped his horse in the middle of the yard, sliding down its back and plodging into the puddles below. Maester Creylen was at his side immediately with the usual formalities. I watched as servants and stable boys crowded around the company, unloading trunks and leading horses. I stood in my place watching the scene unfold, unsure how to approach the newcomers. I folded my hands over my belly, squeezing my fingers in order to calm myself. Only now did it occur to me that a proper Lady of the Rock - or of any castle for that matter - would have organised a feast of some sort to welcome the new Lord of the Castle. 

It is every Lady's duty to arrange feasts and lodgings to show the guests the hospitality that we have to offer. I suddenly had to think of my mothers words just before king's arrival at Winterfell. Those memories seemed to lie in a completely different world by now, but they made me realise that I was a lousy host and probably a lousy lady and suddenly I wished I had listened to mother more attentively.

Creylan and the new castellan had now been joined by Ser Broom and the three of them were leaving the yard. There goes my chance at a proper introduction, I gritted my teeth.

"We should get you out of this rain, M'lady" Brayla stated carefully as she placed a hand on my wet shoulder, gently trying to guide me towards the castle. 

I wove from her grip as my eyes fell on a carriage, surrounded by a hand full of men that did not bear the lion crest. Neither were they dressed in red and gold, but rather in a muddy green. As one of the men opened the carriage door did I see the sigil on the shield on his back.

The twin towers of Frey.

A boiling sensation crawled into my gut. If there was one house I hated more than the Lannister's, it had to be the Freys.
A woman stepped out of the carriage, her eyes grew big as they fell on the large castle grounds before her. Her hair was stringy, bound from her face by a dirt-coloured cloth. The only thing making her stick out from the two other, just as bleakly dressed, ladies behind her was the red coat around her shoulders and a bulged stomach, full with the promise of a child. She pulled at the cloak as she stepped from the carriage, pressing it up to her chest as if it meant life or death to keep it from touching the mud. A few Lannister chamber maids met the trio, quickly escorting them out of the harsh rain. 

"M'Lady, think of your health" Brayla said over the noise of the downpour. 

With a small sigh I turned to her and followed the Frey women at a safe distance into the castle. You should introduce yourself and welcome them, the voice of courtesy, which sounded a lot like my mother, spoke within me. Clearly the cloaked woman was important, no doubt the wife of our new castellan. No doubt this was a marriage, arranged under the circumstances of plotting my brother's wedding feast.

I was just about to decide to try and ignore them, when I noticed them turn to stare at me. My chances of slipping away quietly had diminished and it seemed that fate had once again made my decisions for me. So I put on my most believable smile and approached the small crowd. They curtsied before I could speak a word, red-faced and nervous. 

"M'Lady" one of the two women accompanying the cloaked girl spoke. She was as wide as she was high with hair that seemed to stand off into all directions in this weather.

I studied her, slightly irritated that she would speak for her Lady.

"This is the Lady Carliene Lannister, we welcome you all to Casterly Rock" Brayla spoke up from beside me which I was more than grateful for as I seemed to have forgotten all my curtsies in the heat of the moment.

All three of them eyed us silently, before the two handmaidens looked to their cloaked Lady with uncertainty. She gave them helpless glances, as if hoping that one of them would speak for her. 

"My name is Walda Frey" she spoke in a soft voice.

Of course her name had to be Walda.

"Lannister!" her round friend reminded harshly. 

"Walda Lannister" she corrected herself. "These are my handmaidens" she gestured to the two women. The younger one was rather tall and avoided eye contact, while the round one grinned almost mischievously.

"She's Lord Daven's wife" the fat woman announced. Her bluntness showed, that she clearly wasn't used to the higher society. Then again, were any of the Freys?

I gave a small curtsy to the girl. "I welcome you on the rock and hope you enjoy your stay" I had decided that befriending this girl was only on my best interest and while telling myself that I could not pretend that I wasn't glad to have someone in the same condition as me. Even if it was a Frey. 

I could only hope she meant enough to her husband to make befriending her really profitable.