It was the morning after and Lilia was woken up by knocks on the door and bright rays of sun on her face. As she contemplated her reflection in the mirror, she found a reddish undertone in her brown hair that she had never figured was there. Was it a thing or did the South make people's hair brighter?
"Open the door, Lilia!" a woman's voice was heard from the other side. She recognized that voice from years and years of hearing it. It was Septa Mordaine's annoying voice. Lilia didn't like to be mean to people, kindness and patience were both things that she tried to act with. Nevertheless, when it came to Septa Mordaine, things would sometimes change a bit. After years and years of living with her on a daily basis, she was profoundly tired of all the stories, critics and, most importantly, the comparisons between her and Sansa. Still a bit hesitant, the girl went towards the door and took a deep breath before unlocking it with her most comprehensive facial expression on. "Why did you lock the door?"
"Because I wished to be alone and I forgot to unlock it as I went to sleep. I'm very sorry" it wasn't a complete lie, but she also knew that it wasn't fully the truth. Lilia used to say that she was a great liar when it came to it, but she would always get caught by her mother since Winterfell was a small place and the truth would always come. In King's Landing, as the biggest city in the Seven Kingdoms, she didn't have to worry. She knew that some things wouldn't get to the Septa's ears so, she would have to fake listening to her complaints less than usual.
"Liar" suddenly, all Lilia's strategy fell to the ground. She didn't know how, but the old woman knew that she hadn't been in her chambers from the moment she dismissed herself from supper, which in the woman's eyes, was very indelicate. "I've heard people talk about your whereabouts yesterday! Jaime Lannister? Really?!"
"I decided to go for a walk outside and I got lost. I found Ser Jaime Lannister and he brought me here again. I don't understand the gossip since he was assigned by King Robert himself as my bodyguard" she quickly explained, even though she knew it was of no use. In the elder's point of view, it wasn't appropriate.
"And what do you think people are saying now? They are commenting on your reputation! What about all your suitors, my dear? What will be of you?!" she pointed out. In fact, Lilia wasn't concerned about that on the slightest. The furthest they were, the happiest she would be. "We'll ignore this! Today is your father's joust, all the bachelors in the Seven Kingdoms are going to be there. You have to make a good impression, so you better get properly ready! I brought you this dress, it was made by Princess Myrcella's tailor. I think it will look amazing on you!"
"It's a pretty dress indeed. I shall wear it today, thank you!" the young Stark thanked the Septa, who left her to get ready on her own. She put on the pale, blue dress with little white details and let her hair lose, with just a small, tiny braid in the middle of it, decorating it with pearls. She then headed to have breakfast with her family. Things were much clearer to her that day. On the other hand, her sisters didn't seem like the night had been good to forget about their fight.
"Good morning," she said as she took her seat next to her father, who was already at the table. No one spoke up and silence filled the room, but not any kind of silence... it was an uncomfortable silence that made her nervous.
"Well, girls. Today we're going to sit in the front row and watch the brave men jousting" Ned tried to break the ice that made him want to say, 'Winter is here' instead of 'Winter is coming'.
"Is there going to be knights?!" Arya excitingly asked. I smiled at her as I ate my food. Sansa rolled her eyes at the little Stark. Like Catelyn, Sansa didn't quite understand or even accept Arya's interests in the slightest. To them, women must be ladies and act accordingly. They shouldn't dress up as men and be interested in savage sports like they are. Where did Lilia stand in the middle of it? Well, she knew that she had two sisters as different as the sun and the moon, and she loved them and accepted them both for who they were. Sansa was a lady the moment she was born, perfect and flawless. Arya, on the other hand, was a free spirit and was a tomboy. She envied them both in different ways.
Deep down, Lilia envied Sansa for being so perfect but she also envied Arya's free spirit. People said that Sansa was like their mother when she was younger, that Arya resembled a Stark, Lyanna Stark, more specifically. And then there was Lilia, who was the actual Lyanna Stark in skin and bone. Ned could see the similarities and so did everybody in the Kingdom who had lived to meet the Stark girl who died before her time. It was a tragic death, but those times were over and things had changed.
"Yes, Arya. There are going to be many knights in there!" he confirmed, getting an approving reaction from Arya. Lilia looked at her father with a smile on her face and nodded. She wanted him to know that she thought he had done a good effort.
"Well, may I please be dismissed? I have to be in my best since Prince Joffrey is going to be there and I want people to know that I'm worthy of becoming his Queen!" Sansa rushed to explain. Sansa's addiction to Joffrey was something that worried Lilia a lot. She knew her younger sister was living her first love and that was great! What the eldest girl didn't appreciate at all was the fact that Joffrey wasn't worthy of her sister. She deserved an honourable, sweet and caring man, not a coward, little cat!
"Hurry up, hurry up! We never know when our beloved Joffrey will appear!" Arya sarcastically mocked her sister. Lilia wanted to laugh but she contained herself and gave Arya a disapproving look, to which the girl just smiled and shrugged.
"Arya" Lord Stark reprehended his daughter as she rolled her eyes and laid on the chair she was sitting on. "You may go, Sansa"
"Thank you, father," she said happily, leaving the table all the way back to her chambers as she almost ran. Lilia giggled lightly and kept on eating. She knew she had to talk to her father, especially since he already had heard about her whereabouts the night before. However, she didn't want to have that conversation with Arya in there.
"ARYA!" they heard a female voice yell as the girl terrifyingly looks at them. She lifted her arms in the air as a sign of redemption. Poor Arya, always being yelled at. And Lilia thought she had managed to get the woman a Targaryen worthy hair...
"I'm going to go!" she said as she ran away from the table in order to escape, or at least try. Lilia looked at her father who had a smile on. He looked happy to see that things were falling back on track.
"I have to tell you something" Lilia finally spoke up, catching her father's attention. "I know you've heard the rumours and I just wanted you to know that nothing happened. I came across Ser Jaime as I was taking a walk and I got lost, so he escorted me back. Nothing happened between him and me, I swear in the name of the Gods, both old and new"
"I trust you, Lilia. I know you are capable of making the right decisions and I know you would never bring shame to yourself. I just beg of you not to trust an oathbreaker. This is not Winterfell, you can't trust a lot of people, and I'm sure that the Kingslayer is not in that small group of people" Lilia never knew why her father hated the Mighty Lion of Casterly Rock so much. He wasn't perfect... at all, but he saved Westeros from the Mad King. People should be on their knees thanking him for saving their lives. If it weren't for him, Ned Stark and all the other people outside would have been burnt to death.
"I also wanted to apologize to you for my behaviour last night, it wasn't fair" as he was about to say something like 'It is fine, I do not mind', Lilia cut him off straight away. "I was upset about all the suitor's matter. I don't want to be sold like a broodmare and I hate being the centre of attention..."
"I understand and I would never do that to you. Even if that sort of madness ever crossed my mind, your mother would kill for shipping you off elsewhere out of convenience" Lilia smiled at her father's words. She liked the reassurance and she trusted her father with her life, more than anyone in the whole world. She knew he would never hurt her and that he would not let her down when the time would come. "One day, I'll make you a match with an honourable, good man. The kind of man who would treat you right, the kind of man who is worthy of you"
"I want to choose my husband, I want it to be a husband that I love" she expressed her feelings as she put her hand on her father's. He looked at her with a nostalgic smile, almost like he was lost in time like he was time travelling.
"Your sister loves Joffrey and we both know he is not worthy of her" the man pointed out, trying to prove her wrong. It was a kind way of rejecting her wish. "When I married your mother we didn't know each other. She was first betrothed to my older brother, Brandon. But then, when he was killed by the Mad King along with our father and I became Lord of Winterfell, I married your mother. At first, it was out of need. We needed Tully's support... we didn't know each other. There were many obstacles between us when I brought Jon home, she did everything she could to make me send him away. I didn't and I know she didn't like it. I'm telling you this so that you remember that even though you may not know each other and even though things don't go easy on you... love is built over the years. I didn't love your mother when I married her but over the years, we built our love and we put aside the greatest difficulties, the resentment... we started fresh and now... now, I can't picture my life without her"
"I wish I can have that one day" she commented. Her parents love story was one of the sweetest ones and she loved it... They were her role models and she learnt a lot from their story. There is no happiness unless we make it. If her mother hadn't given her father a chance, their marriage might as well have been like the King's with the Queen. Bitter and simply out of duty. That is not the life she wanted to have, that was the life she feared she would have.
"You will, my winter rose. You will" Ned assured her and she hugged her father. She didn't like being upset with anyone because it made her feel conscious about it. Most of the time, she knew that the reason behind that fact was being aware that she wasn't right.