Since that incident, the twins and their mother's relationship had grown even closer. More so, Alarra and Lyarra than Lyanna, as Lyanna was a little bit more tomboyish than her sister. Both twins enjoyed playing with their brothers and wanted to do the same things they did still, but Lyanna wanted to learn to use a sword to become a knight and would pester her brothers to teach her.
Alarra wanted to learn to wield a weapon for an entirely different reason. Alarra needed someone to teach her so that no one would be suspicious about why she was good with a bow. Other than that, she spent most of her time with Lyarra learning how to be a proper lady of the North, helping with Benjen, or studying with Maester Walys.
When Lyanna and Alarra turned five, tragedy struck House Stark again; at least, that's how it felt to them. Brandon was going to be fostered in Barrowton with Lord Dustin. It was not something that Brandon was looking forward to, he didn't want to leave his family, but Brandon knew there was nothing he could do to change his father's mind. It was the way things were. Now, Brandon would be gone for nine long years, only coming home on special occasions.
Their father also announced that Ned would be leaving too because Lord Arryn required that he leave now at the age of eight instead of nine as he would be fostering in the Vale in the South. Hearing that Ned would be leaving as well was more upsetting to Alarra than Brandon leaving. Not because she didn't love Brandon but because Ned would be leaving the North and going farther away. That meant he would rarely be able to come home, if at all. And because Ned would be all alone in the South.
Alarra was so upset that Ned was leaving so far away that she went to her mother to ask her for help, “Mother, help me!” Alarra cried as she ran into the nursery where Lyarra was with Benjen.
“Alarra, my love, what is the matter?”
“Mother, it's Ned!” Alarra cried with tears streaming down her face.
“What about Ned,” Lyarra asked, alarmed.
“He's going away, Mother. You cannot let Father send Ned away.”
Lyarra's face softened, “Oh, Sweetling, that is how it is. It is time for the boys to be fostered with other Lords.”
“But Father waited until Bran was nine before he decided to send him to Barrowton. Why does Ned have to leave now?”
Lyarra put her needlepoint away and picked up Alarra. She placed the little girl in her lap and kissed her temple, “Things are done differently in the South, Sweetling. Lord Arryn needs Ned there now.”
“But why does Ned have to go so far away if Brandon's only going to Barrowton?” Alarra asked.
“Your father has his reasons for wanting to send Ned South, but you need to know that it is something that has to be done,” Lyarra explained.
أنت تقرأ
Soul of a Wolf (Kagome x Robert Baratheon)
قصص الهواةKagome's body was fading, Kikyo finally got her wish. She was able to kill Kagome and retrieve her soul, much to the delight of Inuyasha, who didn't care that without a soul, Kagome would fade into nothing. But her friends did care, and they did the...
