𝒂 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒚

“A luxury that I do hope to give her. Not one that I’ve ever had the luxury of but I would like to give that to her.” Not one she had either, she was standing in front of the man who would be her husband and the gods knew she hadn’t picked him. If she’d had a choice it probably would have been someone closer to her age and someone who didn’t already have a child. But should she give him a son their child would rule the Riverlands. Not that now was the time to think about that. Rickon’s eyebrows raised when she spoke, some automatically put her raising to her nannies as if Rickon had done nothing. “No. Not at all my lady. It’s… better than some thinking I had nothing to do with her because she’s a girl.” His curiosity was peaked though, “I am sorry about your mother. If you don’t mind me asking how… did it happen?” He looked at Mya who had turned to face the roses, she wasn’t paying attention to his words and the last thing he wanted to speak of was death in front of her. 

𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒍𝒖𝒙𝒖𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕, when she was a child. she had a faith in her father, thought she’d never discussed it with him, that if she were to fall in love, he would allow her the liberty to marry on her own terms. years passed, and no one was able to win over the heart of the lady of starfall. she eventually ended up agreeing to a match set by her father without any qualms. “i didn’t occur to me to think along those line, my lord.” he didn’t seem like a prejudicial man to her. a prejudicial man wouldn’t have cared enough to chase down his daughter himself. “no need to express your regrets my lord, it was so long ago i hardly remember it. i was but a child of 4 i believe, when a fever took her. it was quick, one day she was playing with us, the second she was bedridden and the third, we buried her.” she didn’t remember much, only the funeral. talking about her mother always felt odd to dyanna, talking about a woman she never really knew. she was looking at the little child playing with the roses, when slowly her gaze shifted back to him and she curiously asked “may i ask how mya’s mother passed away? if it’s not too painful to reiterate.” 

“It would be because people tend to base their opinions off rumor and idle gossip.” Her velvety voice couldn’t help but chime in. She gave the unfamiliar face a smile. “Half the people here have never stepped foot in the capital. And with a new queen they’re keen to find and point out flaws.”

ellyn was about to protest that she had not been complaining unnecessarily, when she realised that perhaps she had. it had been too long since she had been in the south, it no longer felt like home. “perhaps riverrun will be better suited to you then. you should get more of a chance to host and entertain there, than starfall.” she commented, a smirk spreading across her features. she had heard about the impending marriage, and while she had once trusted dyanna greatly, she didn’t know if her old friend still deserved that trust, especially at a time so politically volatile. where did her loyalties lie?

          𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍  𝐖𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐒  𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐃  𝐇𝐄𝐑  𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄,  as  shaera  listened  carefully  to  the  words  of  her  close  friend  (  someone  she’s  known  since  girlhood  ).    ‘  not  everyone  loves  to  be  surrounded  by  noise  and  other  people,  a  true  shame  though,  they  have  no  clue  on  what  they’re  missing.  ’  casterly  rock  was  always  a  place  filled  to  the  brim  with  people:  her  kin,  minor  lords  with  their  ladies  and  servants  were  walking  around  everyone.  the  lady  was  accustomed  to  something  similar  to  the  red  keep.  ‘  complaints  are  often  from  non-southerners,  not  used  to  our  fabulous  way  of  living,  ’  she  teased,  soft  small  lingering  on  her  features.

“𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔? why?” dyanna loved strangers, she loved sitting next to someone as they told her tales from a life dissimilar to her’s. she had always been attracted to stories ;  travellers telling tales of foreign lands, knights giving accounts of huge battles, poets immortalising lost loves. “the northerners do seem to feel the most uncomfortable in the city. perhaps it’s because of how different their customs are to ours. from the weather to our gods.” she suggested as she started pouring herself more wine from the jug. 

“One day she’ll be grown and have suitors. And I’ll eventually have to say yes to one.” There were already a few offers for an early betrothal from a few lords. He didn’t bother to actually read most of them. Waving his hand he tried to stop her, “No, no. I’m sure there are plenty of copper haired charming lords about. It’s no fault of yours.” He didn’t recognize her either to be fair, he’d been facing more pressing matters at that moment. “And as you know I am Rickon of House Tully. Lord Paramount of the Trident.” Wife. His future wife. His second wife. His eyes landed on Mya for a moment, the gods liked setting him up with dark haired women. “She’s had many more caregivers than just me.” No matter who she was, what alliances she had, she seemed to genuinely like Mya. “She’s well loved in the Riverlands.” 

“𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒚, 𝒔𝒉𝒆’𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒉𝒖𝒔𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒅. whom you can resent forever for taking away your little girl but like him in secret because he makes your daughter happy.” she quipped, maintaining her warm smile. the lord seemed cordial enough, which was a relief to dyanna. she knew of women who had married men chosen by their fathers and lived a life devoid of any happiness, and she now no longer feared the same fate for herself. “forgive me if i overstep my lord, but as someone who grew up motherless, its really the father who has to fill both roles. theres a world of a difference between a caregiver and a parent. if she’s a delightful child, its because you raised her to be.” she had been surrounded my women who’s sole job it was to take care of her, they tried to fulfil any duty that might have fallen on her mother had she lived, but at the end of the day, it was her father who was behind the person she was now. 

“No one is grateful in the world of nobility it’s a charming part of reality.” Even the most humble lords wouldn’t give up their comfort for the lives of the people on the streets. They’d not even consider it. The woman’s interest brought her a genuine smile. “It’s exhilarating.” Rhaenys wouldn’t trade it for anything. “The only downside is the lack of travel. It’s been so long since I’ve seen the free cities.”

“She’s the most charming thing in the world.” He grinned at her, “And that’s what makes her so dangerous isn’t it!” Mya already gave him a heart attack, what she would do as she grew already gave him all kinds of nightmares. “Lord Tully?” Rickon looked over the woman again, this time actually looking at her and not just noticing that she was a ‘woman’. The gown, the sigils, they all pointed to one thing. House Dayne. Dyanna Dayne. His future wife. Without falter Rickon smiled, “I would say that that I am very much related to him.” Gesturing to himself he bowed to her. “I am Rickon Tully. The Lord Paramount.” 

“𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔. ” 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌. her eyes widened at his response, “i’m so sorry i couldn’t recognise you!” she stood up from the ground, chuckling at her mistake. she bowed with an sheepish smile as she introduced herself “dyanna of starfall, it’s a pleasure to meet you my lord.”  she looked down at the little girl, only now realising it was her future step-daughter. she hadn’t thought too much of it when she had been told that the lord already had a daughter from his previous marriage, though she had felt sorry for the little girl, knowing first hand what growing up without a mother could feel like. “i must say, you’ve raised your daughter well. she’s a very sweet child. very quick to make friends.”

Dyanna Dayne. Close friend of the queen and soon to be married to lord Tully. An interesting mix that would be interesting to see play out. “So much complaining lately. People forget it is a privilege to live within walls at all. No matter how different the air smells.” That was the common sentiment. Though she was half convinced that was just because they were unhappy about being south at all. “Lady Rhaenys Velaryon.” she nodded her head, “I sit on Visenya’s counsel just as I did her grandfathers.”

“the problem with the city is that it has too many people, too much noise, too much…shit.it’s not for everyone.” ellyn narrowed her eyes at the other woman. “there are things to do in the country, same as anywhere.” ellyn wasn’t one to hold back any harsh comment and the city didn’t suit her. she had everything she could want for at home, what more could the city possibly offer? “dyanna, not everyone is dying to dance at the next ball.”

Almost as soon as they’d arrived Mya was enthralled by the city. She’d never seen anything like it and where he knew the dangers and monsters that waited inside, to her it was a grandeur like nothing she’d ever seen. Of course that meant the little girl, who was far too like him, wondered off the second she was able. Now he understood what his parents went through with him. “Mya!” he called out into the gardens, following the paths that were still very new to him. Finally he spotted her mess of dark hair, “Mya Tully you little devil!” At her screech of laughter he finally noticed the woman with her. “Forgive me my lady!” He bowed his head, “My search for my daughter has made me forget my manners.” Not that he usually had many to begin with.