Only A Northern Song ~ Game of Thrones / Willas Tyrell ~

Chapter Twenty Seven: Love Songs

"You got fat,"

Of all the ways Eddmina expected the King to greet her father, the two friends reuniting for the first time since the Greyjoy rebellion, she didn't expect that. Though, of course, there were many things she didn't expect about the King from first impressions. She knew that body image did not dictate a person's strengths or worthiness, but from the stories, she'd imagined a King who weilded a war hammer and was still in his prime. The stories her father had told her had been set well before her time, so she knew that the young men who were the heroes of the tales were not that young anymore, but her father always seemed as though he'd aged gracefully from his younger years. The King, clearly, had not.

She wasn't the only one to think that either, she could tell by the way Arya shot a look over to her as if pointing out something amusing, or the way that Robb seemed to narrow his eyebrows slightly, barely noticeable to anyone that wasn't his twin. Eddmina tried not to focus on the comparisons of the King in their childhood stories and the reality they faced, instead dwelling on the insult. She struggled to keep a baffled scowl off her face as she instead stared at the ground clenching her jaw. She imagined not seeing Robb for twelve years only for the first thing she said to him be an insult. Clearly Robb thought the same, her brother exchanging a subtle glance as if he was trying to wrap his own mind around it. She heard chuckling behind her and fought the urge to look round and meet Willas' eye.

If anything, her mother arranging the welcome party so that the Tyrells were stood behind the Starks had annoyed her more than the King's comment. She was more than happy stood next to Robb and their mother, that was her usual place after all since they were often organised in age order, but as well as her usual annoyance that Jon was pushed behind the rest of them, so was her marital family. It was only for a few moments but she couldn't help but think it was a slight against them, remembering her mother's initial distaste of the Tyrells on their first visit to Winterfell. It was only for a few moments, but it sad still hard knowing Willas was behind her, not to mention the second they all had to kneel upon the King's arrival and Eddmina heard a barely audible hiss of pain from behind her, she had to fight every instinct inside of her to not spin around immediately and make sure he was alright.

She'd barely had chance to speak to Willas before they had to assemble as well, so she was full of worry for his wellbeing. She couldn't wait for the welcoming to end so she could speak to him, and as if he sensed her desperation to turn around, Robb elbowed her subtly. With a small sigh she remembered her place and instead turned her outrage away from her mother for separating her and Willas and onto the king for insulting her father.

Clearly her father was much more thick-skinned than her, as he returned the favour by a noticeable glance down to the King's gut with a raise of his eyebrows. It was times like that when Eddmina really loved her father and the dry, silent humour of the north. There weren't many occasions when her father was funny, but she found herself stiffing a laugh. The two embraced like brothers, and as they all rose Eddmina took the opportunity to glance behind her to look at Willas for the briefest of moments. Garlan had helped him rise, and though he looked a little uncomfortable, he made sure to offer her a small smile of reassurance. She looked forward again, only to see how the courtyard had been practically transformed by the amount of guards and attendants that had ridden through, not to mention the grand wheelhouses, and Eddmina was sure there had never been so much colour in the courtyard before. Even when the Tyrells visited there hadn't been so much decadence, which was saying something considering how much her marital family loved their wealth.

Eddmina's eyes were instantly drawn to the line of horses just behind the king, seeing a man so large he reminded her of Old Nan's stories of giants, with a helmet shaped like a dog. The Hound, she'd heard stories of him. Next to him, she saw a golden haired teen, and though she logically knew it was the prince, she couldn't help but note how he looked nothing like his father, looking purely Lannister. That was the boy her sister was pining for? Eddmina decided to reserve judgement, but she wasn't impressed. Her attention went to the guards surrounding the wheelhouse, and watched as one of them whipped their helmet off, flicking their mane of blonde hair about. Ser Jaime Lannister, she assumed, and as the door to the carriage opened and the Queen emerged with her two younger children and her ladies, Eddmina decided she'd never been surrounded by quite so many blondes. The younger children were very much Lannister children too, looking the image of their mother, who seemed far too concerned with looking around Winterfell in mild disgust. Eddmina barely had chance to decide she didn't like her before the King was stood before her.