Carliene Stark

II Chapter 33

My gaze flew across the yard again. "I see Ser Baelor is not with you"

"No" he confirmed my observation. "He remains at the Hightower to lead the defence of Oldtown as we are expecting an attack from the ironborn" 

I nodded in disappointment. I had looked forward to seeing Ser Baelor again. He had reminded me of my father I noticed. If my father had smiled more. 

"How fares our wife?" I asked in hopes of hiding my emotion. 

He laughed. "Oh she misses me terribly I am sure" he heaved his saddle bag from the back of his horse and onto his shoulders. "She threatened to kill me should I dare die on the field of battle" 

I laughed with him, though grew slightly nervous at the thought that it as very possible that he might. 

Although we clearly had the numbers and the resources and three dragons, I had the feeling in the pit of my stomach that it would not be that easy.

"Do excuse me my Lady, my men need me" he said apologetically before he walked over to his brother and some of their captains. 

My eyes shortly locked with those of a broad-shouldered man and the red scar he had across his face. Brandon, I remembered and thanks to the maester's lessons I also remembered what house his sigil belonged to. Yellow flowers on blue: House Cuy. Pleased at myself for remembering I turned to return to the rose keep. The sun was already hiding behind the walls of the godswood and it would soon be time for my first lesson. retuning to my room, I found Desmera sitting on a cushioned bench, gussying herself with some needlework. I was about to tell her that I had not judged her to enjoy embroidering as a past-time, when I noticed that her eyes were red and sightly swollen. Hastily I closed the door behind me and rushed over to her.

"What is wrong? what happened? Did somebody hurt you?" I demanded of her, taking a seat next to her. 

She sniffled. "Oh it's nothing really" she quickly turned away and rubbed her eyes again. "I am just being so silly" her voice cracked. 

I placed a reassuring hadn't on her shoulder. "Tell me"

She took a moment to compose herself before she turned to me with a sigh, her nose red and runny. "I just thought that maybe, because the Hightowers were coming with their army, my father might also have" she sobbed unhappily. "How stupid right, of course he wouldn't my family's strength alway lay in our naval fleet not our army. I just would have liked to see him again"

"Oh Desmera" I sighed and pulled her against my chest, wrapping my arms around her as she sobbed silently. "It's never stupid to hope" I told her and held her until she calmed a little. "Listen" when she sat back up I took hold of her hands and looked into her puffy eyes. "Once I am Lady of Highgarden, the first thing I will do is order my loyal handmaiden to take a vacation to the Arbor" 

A shy smile formed on her lips. 

You shouldn't lie, the guilt in me urged. Was I? No one could know what the future would hold, how could it be my fault if things came to pass differently? 

Have you forgotten Bran's words?

"And you should come too" she agreed rubbing the tears from her cheeks. "You would love it. we could walk the vineyards and look at the sunset" 

And drink the sweetest wine. 

"I am sure Willas would let you and if he doesn't I'll make him" she assured. 

I chuckled from the thought of the two of them quarrelling. This girl was so headstrong I did not doubt that she would talk Lord Tyrell into an early grave.