Among Lions and Wolves • |Book 1|

.chapter eighteen.

Rhaella returned to find Myrcella and Tommen sitting outside, four large mass of furs on their laps. Grabbing a fistful of skirts, Rhaella quickened her strides, almost running to them.

"Look Rhaella," Tommen's sweet childish voice called up to her, his bright round green orbs sparkling as he held up one of the fur balls. "Kitties!"

"Lions cubs, for each of us," Myrcella said. She rose to her feet, one cub nestled in her arms while another tried to wiggle free. "This one is yours."

Rhaella noticed the wiggler had a red velvet ribbon tied around its neck. Taking the cub into her hands, she examined it further, noting the cub had been of a different color than the rest, and smaller.

Fur so red, Rhaella had thought the coat might have been stained with blood at one point. It was soft, the little cub, and it purred, content, while she stroked its bloody fur.

"What shall you call her?" Sweet Myrcella asked, her emerald orbs sparkling as Tommen's had.

"I do not know," she replied quietly, "What of yours?"

Myrcella parted her lips to speak but the wailing that filled Rhaella's ears had not been caused by the little golden haired girl.

Turning, a blur of white flashing past, hooves sounding every bit like thunder. Her face redder than her dark auburn hair, now tangled and whipping her face. Tears soaked her red face, her sobs echoing loudly as she was pulled from her horse into her father's arm.

"The prince!" She sobbed hysterically. "He's been injured down by the river. Send help immediately!"

But Cersei Lannister didn't need to be told. The moment the words "He's been injured" left her lips, the queen was already ordering men to go and retrieve the crowned prince.

"Where's Arya?" Rhaella and Lord Stark said at the same time. Ned turned around to face her and then turned back to his hysterical daughter.

"She and Nymeria fled," she said. "Father, it's all her fault!"

What was her fault, Rhaella did not know. Cersei had forgotten her other two children, hell bent on having her eldest returned safely to her. So she took charge.

"Come," she said to the younger two. "Collect the cubs and let us return into the wheelhouse. We shall hear more when the time comes."

And so time went on. Joffrey returned, his arm mangled. He told a tale of how Arya had beaten him and her wolf had mauled him, unfortunately, the wolf did little damage except to his pride. The queen was enraged, her emerald eyes dark and dangerous.

All were on the hunt for the youngest Stark, her wolf and the son of a butcher. But none were going to remain in their location. They moved on to a castle, a castle that had been in the hands of Ser Raymun Darry, a man who was not at all happy to receive his guest. But there was one person he was happy to see.

"My lady," the lord smiled and bowed, "it is truly an honor to have you here."

"And it is a pleasure to be here," she smiled back and bowed her head. "I do apologize on behalf of the others. We had no intentions of stopping, but my friend has gone missing."

"Your friend?" His brows furrowed, no doubt out of confusion. "You've befriended a Stark? After what they have done?"

"The Starks have been most kind to me. And if I recall very well, it had been my uncle who killed both Lord Stark's brother and father and it had been my cousin who stole away his sister. At the very least, the Starks had every right."

His thin lips pursed, she could see that the old man did not agree with her but did not dare speak aside from a quick, "Your chambers, my lady, I hope they are to your liking."

Rhaella entered the chamber, she knew it had been far more luxurious than the queen or King's. She sucked in a deep, soothing breath, and turned to look at him.

"You are risking a great deal, my Lord," she said to him. "But I am grateful."

He nodded his head. "And if ever you decide to rise up and take back what is rightfully yours, just know you have an army waiting."

Without waiting for a response, mostly because he knew it wouldn't be one he wanted to hear, he left her standing in the doorway to her chambers, her breath caught in her throat.

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When you find out the three eyed raven is really a three eyed crow.

And that this was a very shitty chapter to which I owe you an apology.
I struggled for two days trying to write this dang chapter. Three different drafts later and constantly rewriting it, I finally settled on something like this. I wanted to just skip on, but that's a bit hard to do when things happen in between.