Aemond Targaryen was made of fire, but his heart was stone cold and his icy stare could leave one shivering.
Alyarra Stark was made of ice, but her heart was a warm one and she radiated warmth to everyone and anyone she interacted with.
It was a...
"Oh come on, that stag didn't have a chance!" Alyarra complained as she watched her brother move to take the arrow from the dead deer's neck.
Her brother laughed as he grabbed the arrow from it's neck, causing blood to ooz from the wound. Alyarra Stark didn't flinch, as she had gone hunting with her brother a thousand times. And she had seen him do the exact same thing a thousand more.
"That doesn't matter, sweet sister, death doesn't care if you have a chance or not." Cregan told the girl as the pair walked away from the now deceased stag.
Alyarra Stark was Cregan Stark's younger sister, and the only family he had left apart from his pregnant wife the Lady Arra Norrey. Alyarra was a fine young lady, excelling in every scholar matter the Septa had taught her. She was able to read, write, and sew formidably. Any Lord would be happy to make a match with the Lady Alyarra Stark of Winterfell but alas her brother Cregan had never accepted a proposal.
Alyarra didn't mind that though. She lived a simple life, she spent most days with her lady-in-waiting Catherryn or watching her brother train or hunt. Alyarra was not ambitious, she was a kind humble lady through and through.
After her father, Lord Rickon Stark, passed away Alyarra has largely leaned on her big brother and he was basically the man that had raised her for the past years as her uncle barely paid her any mind before her brother had him imprisoned. The Starks led a simple life, mostly leaning on each other for any matter and that was the way they liked it. They understood each other as they were both made of ice.
"How about the lessons you took with the knights? Have they been fruitful?" Cregan asked his sister as she chuckled and shook her head no. He had insisted the lady take lessons with the knights on sword fighting, but she wasn't really gifted like her brother was.
"I might as well be a blind woman handling the sword. I don't know how you do it with such ease." Alyarra stated frankly as her brother shrugged and extended his arm in front of him.
"I believe my sword to be an extension of my limb. That is how I became one with the sword." Cregan confessed as Alyarra smiled. The pair walked through the snowy path back to the Great Keep as Cregan suddenly brought something up into the conversation.
"So I got a very interesting raven yesterday, straight from King's Landing." Cregan said as Alyarra nodded her head. "That does sound interesting, the people of the Red Keep barely write to us." Alyarra pointed out as the pair approached the castle gates.
"Yes. It was a scroll from the Hand of The King, Ser Otto Hightower. He answered to a letter I had sent almost an entire year ago." Cregan continued as Alyarra nodded. He was beating around what he wanted to tell her and she could tell.
"Cregan... don't stall. What did it say?" Alyarra asked her brother as he turned to her. He almost seemed like he had a look of regret on his face.
"The Targaryens are proposing for you to join the King's Court, they propose for you to be courted by Prince Aemond Targaryen." Cregan said as the smile on Alyarra's face faded.
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"Certainly not Aemond-One-Eye." Alyarra huffed in disbelief as Cregan chuckled at his sister's comment. The girl had never seen him in person as she had never left the North but she had heard stories about the Prince Aemond and his missing eye.
"Oh Cregan I have heard he is fat and quite ugly. Do you really wish me courted by an ugly man that is missing an eye?" Alyarra whispered as Cregan raised his eyebrows in shock at the comment.
"Where did you hear that, sister?" Cregan asked, a smile threating to scrawl unto his face. "Your knights are quite keen on gossip." Alyarra pointed out as Cregan rolled his eyes.
"Well little sister, about the fat part they are wrong. The year before this one I visited King's Landing in passing and he was not fat." Cregan told his sister as she hummed.
"Well if it is just a courtship I think I could do it. It would be nice to finally leave the North and experience a change of climate." Alyarra weighed in as Cregan nodded his head.
"Also I bet the Red Keep is as grand as the books say. It could be fun." Alyarra added as her brother smiled at her and grabbed her hands in his.
"If I do send you, do not feel haste to make an engagement with the Prince. It is just a courtship." Cregan stated as the girl smiled at her brother and nodded.
"All right. I thought you had no sides or favorites in the war that will happen over the throne, this seems like a compromise to the Greens." Alyarra taunted her brother as he smirked and shrugged.
"The Wolf has compromise to no one. Also, how do you even know about that conflict?" Cregan asked as Alyarra raised a brow and chuckled.
"Like I said, your knights are keen to gossip." She jested as Cregan laughed at his sister's joke.
The sibling's parted ways as Cregan went to meet with his council and Alyarra walked to her chambers where her Septa was waiting for her. She entered her chambers as her Septa gave her a nod, acknowledging the girl.
"Lady Alyarra, I have pulled an exquisite history book from the library. It tells the tale of Old Valyria." Septa Lorrayn told the girl as she smiled and took the book from the old lady's hands.
"Thank you Septa. I bet it is most interesting." Alyarra pointed out as she grabbed the book. "Also I was wondering if I could ask you a question?" Alyarra asked the lady as the lady hummed.
"I was wondering if you knew anything about the One-Eye Prince Aemond Targaryen?" Alyarra asked her Septa as the lady gave her a look of interest.
"The Prince Aemond... Well I've heard he lost his eye in a family squabble with his nephews, the Princess Rhaenyra's sons. I've also heard he is quite intelligent and a master at the sword." The Septa answered as Alyarra gave the Septa a nod.
The two sat in silence as the Septa watched over Alyarra who was reading her history book.
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The very next day as Alyarra ate her breakfast, her brother Cregan came into the Great Hall with his knights. The lady smiled at her brother as he came to her and gave her a sweet kiss on the head before sitting down next to her.
"Where is your lady wife, brother?" Alyarra asked her big brother as he gave her a faltering smile.
"The Lady Arra is not feeling well. This pregnancy had truly been an uphill battle for her." Cregan answered as she gave her brother a compassionate smile.
"I am sorry for the lady's condition brother. I really hope the labor goes easy on her." Alyarra stated as her brother gave her a courtly nod. The servants served Cregan as he began to eat next to her sister.
"So you never answered if you wish to leave for court at King's Landing." Cregan told his sister as she dropped her duck on her plate and wiped her fingers with a towelette.
"Well I told you it seemed alright, but I really do not think I will end up as Aemond Targaryen's wife." Alyarra stated as her brother nodded.
"You shall take it as an opportunity to get to know other parts of Westeros and other cultures. I bet life in King's Landing is very different than in Winterfell." Cregan told his sister as she nodded in agreement.
"I shall. Well you should write to the capital. Make them know I'll come and join court. Oh but ask them if I can bring Catherryn." She told her brother as he nodded his head.
Catherryn was Alyarra's lady-in-waiting and the girl's closest and only friend. The daughter of a respected knight of Cregan's watch, she was a well-rounded girl just like Alyarra. Catherryn was just a year younger than the Lady Stark but she was just as mature and intelligent. The two grew up together so even though she was under the Lady's station, they respected and loved each other just the same.
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Hey guys! Thank you for reading. This is my second Aemond story and I am so ready for this story you guys have no idea.
