BLACKBIRD (Game of Thrones)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

"I have a surprise for you," the rebel Princess beamed, approaching her friend once she had entered the tent.

Lilith turned on her heel, tying the last knot in her tunic. "I do love surprises," she smiled with teeth before throwing on a leather coat. "What have you gotten for me?"

Valencia bit her bottom lip excitedly and bounced on her heels, "come and see," she smiled tilting her head to the small table in the corner of Lilith's rather small tent. Valencia moved to the table and laid down the bundle of cloth, immediately peaking Lilith's interest.

Lilith straightened herself out, her long, slender fingers reaching for the cloths while Valencia bounced on her heels in excitement. "What is it?" She asked picking it up in her arms, the Princess shook her head.

"You'll just have to see," she smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. Lilith heavily sighed and slowly unravelled the cloth, a shine spiking from the inside. She gasped realising what it was.

A sword.

Valencia had tried to make it as unique as possible. It was as longer than Valencia's arm, and the width of a hand. The metal was a shining steel, strong and cold too the touch. She had designed the hilt carefully, the leather the colour of the night sky, the scabbard also the same colour with the locker and chape decorated with silver. The cross-guard was designed with the same silver lining as the scabbard, and the pommel the same silver in the shape as a crescent moon.

Lilith stripped it of it's cloths and grasped the hilt, hovering it in the light of the sun.

"I wasn't sure what you would've liked for the pommel, and I didn't think you'd like a stag or direwolf," she said, grinning at Lilith. The handmaiden smiled, placing the sword down and quickly wrapping her arms around Valencia.

"Thank you, thank you so much," she beamed, holding Valencia tightly. Valencia chuckled at the tight grip as she patted Lilith's back.

"I like my spine where it is, Lilith," the spoken woman quickly let go and straightened out her dress.

She took hold of the sword once more, examining it with squinted eyes. "What is the occasion?"

Valencia threw her hands on her waist, "well, with the war coming. And Robb is delusional if he think's I won't be fighting in it. But, when I go to battle. I want you to join me on the field, as my personal guard."

Lilith's eyes widened, her jaw dropping. "Really!?" Her grin turned wider than the moon.

Valencia laughed and nodded, "you're good, better than me. It's time you and I throw away the training swords and dresses, we are women, and we will fight this war."

"But, are you sure you want me to fight as your personal guard?" She questioned, clearly hesitant towards the idea of Valencia's life being in her hands.

Valencia smiled and took her friend by the shoulder, pressing her fingertips in to properly send the message. "I trust you with my life. There is no one else that I want beside me."

Lilith licked her lips, letting her sword met the chair once more before she latched onto Valencia. She buried her face into her friend's shoulder, feeling her heart build up from happiness and relief. She had never want to become a handmaiden, especially to Valencia. But over the years, she grew fond of her and viewed her as a sister. But even before she met Valencia, she nipped at every other Lady's heels for approval, they all turned her away. But when she met Valencia, she was kind, and gentle, then agains she was thirteen years of age, it was hard to be cruel at that age. But even as she grew, Valencia remained as kind and gentle as she once was. Though she had grown a taste for violence since then.