Cinnamon and Mint

Chapter Two

        Evelyn laced Haidees up in the dress that her father picked out. Putting the fur coat that was meant for royal engagements on over top. After Haidees made sure that everything looked right one of her fathers guards came and knocked at the door before letting himself in. After combing her fingers through her hair one last time she turned towards Evelyn and gave her a hug. The last person Haidees trusted and treated like a mother.

       "My, you look just like your mother." Evelyn wiped the tears out of her eyes. Before Evelyn was assigned to Haidees, she was a maid for her mother.

       "Of course you would know. Astrid still feels like she's the reason mother isn't alive anymore."

       "And it's up to you to tell her that she isn't."

       "I will try. But trying to get through her is like trying to walk through a wall. You simply cannot do it. Once her mind is made up, that seems to be the end of it."

       "Lady Haidees, sorry to interrupt, but Ser Targaryen will be here shortly and Lord Stark doesn't want you to be late." Haidees gave one last hug to Evelyn and turned towards the guard. Walking out of the room with him and down the halls.

       "Did you know my mother well, Edmun?" Haidees looked up at the guard. He looked forward with his face stoic as ever.

       "Know her? I was her personal guard while she was being betrothed to your father. I had to follow them everywhere and keep my eye on her. Your grandsire didn't want any children from them until they were officially betrothed to one another."

       "Was she as kind as people say she was? She was always busy so I rarely spent any time with her after she found out Astrid was in her stomach."

       "You and her have the same souls. You are just like her in everything you do." With the conversation coming to an end the pair walked down into the throne room. Cregan is sitting on the throne already and a mysterious figure with long silver hair is facing towards him. It wasn't until Haidees and Edmun stopped beside them that she was able to get a good look at him. He had violet eyes and an eyepatch covering one. A scar could be seen peeking out and intrigue struck Haidees.

       "Ah, my darling daughter!" Cregan spoke up after finishing what he was saying to the figure. Haidees assumed this must be the Targaryen that she would marry and live with. "Meet Prince Aemond Targaryen. Prince Aemond, this is my daughter Haidees."

       When Edmun finally moves out of the way, Aemond is already turned to look at her. He has sharp features and a stoic face just like Edmun.

       "It is wonderful to meet you, Lady Stark." Aemond bowed towards her, but never giving up eye contact.

       "Likewise Prince." Haidees curtsied, bowing her head to break the eye contact that ran shivers up her spine.

       "Prince Aemond will be spending some time here in Winterfell so you can get to know one another. Regardless if you like each other or not you will be married. Our alliance is much too important compared to a good relationship between you two. Ser Edmun, would you take the prince to his chambers." With a nod of his head Edmun left with the Prince following close behind him.

       "Father, I wore the dress you chose."

       "Which makes what I'm about to do so much harder."

       Haidees looked up, confusion furrowed on her brows, "What do you mean?"

       Without another word her father got up from his throne and drew his sword. Fear spiked all over her body seeing the blade out in the open.

       "For choosing to fight with me this morning on the matter of your marriage I am sorry to do this." Cregan grabbed your hair and yanked Haidees to her knees. With his sword he sliced through her hair and threw what was in his hands on the ground. Haidees fell forward, placing her hands on the ground. At this moment Ser Edmun came back into the throne room, seeing Haidees sob onto the floor.

       "Lord Stark, I gave the prince the freedom to walk around the castle to get familiar with his surroundings, like you said." Edmun dropped onto his knee and bowed his head.

       "Thank you Ser Edmun. Take Haidees back to the shared quarters with her sisters."

       "As you wish Lord."

       Edmun got up and offered his hand to Haidees, which she accepted gratefully. Not looking her father in the eyes as she left the throne room in a hurry. Not speaking to Edmun as they walked through the halls together. Without watching where she was going and following Edmuns feet through the halls, she didn't know that she was passing her future husband.

       Aemond was walking through the halls to try to find the library when he passed Haidees with Ser Edmun accompanying her. His eye widened when he saw her with a different length of hair, heat rising to his cheeks of how beautiful she was with the short hair framing her face better than any length could've. It was like time slowed down when he saw her and in that moment he knew that he had to know her better.

       Eventually Edmun and Haidees made it to where her and her sisters would congregate together and gossip about rumors they heard to one another. The common room was lit with candles and a fireplace burning. Even though the sun was shining through the windows to brighten the room up, Winterfell was still a cold place and any heat that could be used, was. When Edmun opened up the door for Haidees, she walked in with her head hung low. Whatever hair that was longer fell over her face. When Astrid and Zora saw what she looked like, they instantly got up and excused Edmun. They sat Haidees down on the stool to vanity asking a thousand questions while they did so. Astrid looked around the room for some scissors to clean up the mess that lay atop Haidess' head while Zora was running her fingers through the mess and trying to calm her down. Haidees sat there numb, her ears were ringing with anger and sadness. Tears kept coming out of her eyes regardless if she dried them.

       "Haidees, what happened? You had long hair this morning, you went to meet your future husband, and you come back crying with hair as long as our brothers." Astrid sat behind Haidees now, combing the hair so that way she could fix the mess that was made by whomever.

       "It was our father. He was upset about our fight and chopped my hair off with his sword. I've never felt so angry in my entire life." Haidees sat still while Astrid chopped away.

       "Now is a good time to try out a new hairstyle," putting some hair in front of her sister's face and showed her what she was envisioning, "We could do something like this? I think it'll look very cute. I think it'll suit you."

       With a nod of her head, Astrid started to cut her hair and eventually got it to a point where Haidees approved. When Astrid was finished her and Zora both sang praises about how good she looked and how beautiful the new hairstyle was on their older sister. 

       Despite what Haidees was feeling earlier all things turned around and she was feeling much better, but now wanting to be alone to sit with what just happened. She excused herself from her sisters telling them how she'll be in the library if they needed her and snuck off down the hall to get the room of books that she was often in. Not expecting to find the familiar man that she met earlier today. The man that she would be married to once the birds started to chirp.

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