Sunchoke / Arya Stark (2)

1. Duty or Desire

This series does not have to be read as a series, you will get more out of it if you read Untouched Gold / Tywin (1) but otherwise they can be read as companion novels. So I'm going to give you highlights from untouched gold as a refresher either way before getting into Arya's storyline.

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Avalon Targaryen Lannister never thought she would be back in the castle after all these years. Never thought she would be the queen and her family would be royalty again. Never thought she would be traveled to the ends of the earth it seemed with her family all the way to winterfell. It seemed like forever ago that she ran off with Tywin Lannister and they started a life together....

It wasnt long after Viserys was born that Aenys started hearing and actually listening to the whispers around town. Everyone declared that the true king was Tywin lannister.

The king was not a king, it was the hand that ruled.

Aenys hated that with every fiber of his being. Tywin was not the king. Aenys swore that Tywin was trying to steal the crown, so he called him into the throne room.

"Father just told me, he is making a union between me and Elia Martell." Rhaegar remarked glumly. Avalon looked up from their game. she put her cards face down and smiled back at him. "says by moons end I will be wed." he grumbled.

"Elia is lovely." Avalon declared when Rhaegar told her of the union.

"She's okay." Rhaegar countered clearly bored. "I raise." Rhaegar offered turning back to their game, he put two candied sweets into the middle of the table. Avalon shuffled her cards around.

"You every wonder what would happen if we were bound by duty?" Rhaegar pondered.

"If you dont love her-"

"Love doesnt matter for people like me, like us." Rhaegar countered. "Be glad father hasnt forced you into a union yet." Avalon sighed he was right, she was well past the age and should be married, but she was taking care of Tywin and his children and Aenys must have saw that.

"If you find love, like I think you have in Tywin, dont let anyone stop you from having your happily ever after Auntie Avalon." Rhaegar instructed.

"Where is this all really coming from?" Avalon whispered.

"You cant eat your pieces." Rhaegar offered calmly, raising again.

"It's my pretend money, I can eat our candy betting chips if I so choose." Avalon corrected. "Now Rhaegar-"

"Have you heard anything from ancient uncle Aemon?" Rhaegar cut her off.

"Yes in fact I did. I got a book from great Uncle Aemon... he sent it and with a note for you too." Avalon remarked.

"Can you get it for me?" Rhaegar questioned putting down his cards. Avalon got up moving to her dresser.

"It just came yesterday," avalon informed him as she held out the note. "You are not thinking about taking the black are you?" Avalon realized as Rhaegar scanned over the note. Rhaegar shrugged.

"Freedom, thats what Aemon did. he ran, he got away from all this." Rhaegar reminded her.

"he is alone, a lone dragon, we need to stick together." Avalon corrected. "Not run away to the farthest corners of the earth. Besides, dont deprive some lucky woman of getting to have you to herself." Avalon added. "What did Aemon say?"

Aemon claimed that every man who has ever joined the Watch has had his vows tested at least once. Aemon stated that his vows as a maester and to the Night's Watch were tested twice so far when he was a boy when he first joined, as an adult, when he was offered the crown after his father's death and he knew that he would be tested once again. Dont make the same mistakes, head to your vows my boy.