LION'S LEGACY
35. Favoritism
That same day, as snow unexpectedly fell from the sky, Annalys and Joanna returned from riding Rhaegal through the Crownlands. They landed in the dragonpits and Annalys slid off the green dragon, holding Joanna in her arms.
Once landing on the ground, the mother-daughter duo moved toward Rhaegal's face, petting him. Joanna giggled as Rhaegal's large snout nudged her shoulder.
"Mother, what will become of me when I am older?" Joanna found herself asking her mother, looking up at the Lannister woman.
"What do you mean, my love?" Annalys questioned, turning to look at her daughter with a deeply puzzled look.
"Well, Torrhen claims he wants to become a knight of the Queensguard and Olyvar says he wants to join the Night's Watch," Joanna began to explain, causing Annalys to frown in concern since she hadn't known that before, "Eddard will be Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. Lyanna will be Queen and Lady of Casterly Rock. Edric is just a baby and Rickard will most likely have Storm's End or Dragonstone. But what will I be?"
"Well, firstly, you'll be a princess, just as you've always been," Annalys informed Joanna, kneeling in front of her youngest daughter as she smiled at her, "You are the daughter of the two most powerful people in Westeros. You were born looking just like me with your golden locks and green eyes. You will grow up to be one of the most beautiful women in Westeros. Many lords will want your hand in marriage. They'll come to the Red Keep to propose marriage and I will allow you to meet each and every one of them yourself. When you find one that you like, you may marry him if you'd like. You'll help your husband rule his castle. You will be the mother to lords, knights, and princes."
"What if I want my own castle, what if I don't want to be just the wife of some highborn lord?" Joanna found herself asking out of curiosity, "What if I want to rule a castle or a holdfast in my own right?"
"Then, that is what you'll do, my love. You were born in a time where your father and I were at our strongest. We've faced our threats. Now, all we must worry about in the coming years is making sure our children grow up to be happy. And if ruling a castle on your own is what you want, then that is what you'll have." Annalys explained, a large smile on her face.
Joanna smiled, happy with her mother's response.
"Now, we must go. Your father, your sister, and your brothers will be returning soon. We shall be there to greet them when they arrive." Annalys continued on and Joanna nodded, holding her mother's hand as they walked out of the dragonpits.
____
Later on that day, Annalys was sitting in her chambers at her desk. Joanna was sitting on a chair next to her. Robb was standing off to the side while Lyanna, Torrhen, Rickard, Eddard, and Olyvar sat in front of their mother, who looked anything but happy about how each of them looked.
All but Rickard were severely beaten up. Lyanna had a cut across the bridge of her nose and a split lip. Torrhen had a few bruises scattered across his face, as did Olyvar. However, Eddard was the one most beaten up. He had two black eyes, a cut across his nose, a bloody nose, a split lip, and numerous bruises scattered across his face and neck.
She had just been told the story and couldn't believe what had happened. She sighed in frustration, placing her face in the palm of her hands.
Joanna smiled in amusement, finding it funny that she was the only child sitting there that wasn't in trouble.
"What shall be their punishment, Mother?" Joanna questioned as she turned to look at her mother with an innocent smile on her face.
"Shut up, Jo!" Lyanna growled at Joanna angrily, glaring at her youngest sister, "We all know you're not as innocent as you claim yourself to be. Stop trying to kiss up to Mother just to get us into more trouble."
"Don't talk to her like that," Torrhen and Eddard snapped at Lyanna in unison, refusing to allow her to speak to their younger sister like that.
"Here we go," Olyvar muttered under his breath, facepalming himself as he prepared himself for the fight that was on the verge of occurring.
"And are you going to stop me?" Lyanna questioned Eddard, tilting her head as she gave him a daring look, "I've already beaten you once, I can easily do it again, brother."
Hearing Lyanna's words, Eddard growled, lifting his hand to punch Lyanna.
Robb was on the verge of speaking up and stopping his son, only to have Annalys beat him to it. "Eddard, you hit your sister and I'll be more than willing to let her hit you back," Annalys suddenly spoke up in a stern tone.
Eddard turned to his mother, staring at her in disbelief. Lyanna began to smirk in satisfaction, clearly thinking she had won.
"I wouldn't be looking so happy, Lyanna. You'll be having more punishment than all of them," Annalys snapped at her eldest daughter as she rose from her seat, looking angered, "I expect this behavior out of Joanna and Torrhen, not you both! You are to be turning thirteen soon, yet the two of you still act as though you are five. Look at you all!" She shouted loudly, gesturing toward their bruises, "You've all fought each other as if you were enemies. You are siblings, family. You are each other's blood. You only have one true family, no matter how times you try to replace it with another. Remember that."
Robb sighed in defeat, knowing he meant what she herself had tried to do during the war of the queen and five kings.
"Your father has no trueborn brothers left that have the ability to produce heirs for House Stark. I have no trueborn brothers either to leave heirs for House Lannister. That leaves each of you with a burden as the last of both Houses Stark and Lannister after your father and I die." She continued, much to Lyanna and Eddard's dismay.
Robb noticed how uneasy Lyanna looked at the mention of heirs and decided to speak up. "Enough with this talk of heirs, get on with their punishment so that they may retire to their rooms."
Annalys found herself giving her husband an annoyed look before turning to the children. "Your father decided to have your punishment be being confined to your rooms. However, I have a better idea," She informed the group, causing each of them to begin to feel concerned, "The servants who do most of the cleaning for our family will be given a break for a fortnight. Each of you will do the job for them. You will scrub the floors, clean your own room, clean your own clothes, make your own beds, empty your own chambers pots, and one of you will unlucky enough to be the one to feed Rhaegal his meals every day, which is the most difficult job of them all."
"What!"
"Come on!"
"Mother!"
"Mother, please don't this!"
"I wasn't even apart of this!"
"Enough!" Annalys shouted out sternly, causing each of the children to immediately shut up and cower in their seats at her tone, "You will remain in your rooms for the rest of the night. Dinner will be brought up to you. Your punishment will start tomorrow."
"What of my lessons with Ambrose?" Rickard questioned, a concerned look on his face.
"They will continue," Annalys answered in a calm tone, "After they are done, you will return to doing your given tasks."
Hearing his mother's words, Rickard looked disappointed, which confused Annalys, knowing how much he supposedly loved his lessons.
"Shouldn't you be happy?" Annalys questioned, raising a questioning brow at her son, "I know how much you love those lessons. After all, you do speak about him all the time."
Rickard forced a smile on his face, looking up at his mother. "Of course I'm happy, Mother," He responded in a calm tone, "Why wouldn't I be?"
Annalys frowned, feeling as though he was lying for some reason. She sighed in defeat, turning to the rest of the children. "Go. All of you," She ordered, gesturing toward the door, "Tomorrow, before your punishment starts, you will be giving each other an apology."
Instead of complaining, each child nodded before leaving. Joanna left as well, happy that she was the only one who wasn't in trouble.
Robb found himself turning to Annalys, an angry look on his face when he watched her sit back down and begin to go through paperwork as if nothing had just happened. He walked over to her, snatching the quill from her hand. She looked up him in confusion, only to gasp when he snapped the quill in half.
"What in the seven hells was that for!" She shouted at Robb, giving him a look of disbelief.
"Our children physically fought each other because of you," Robb snapped at Annalys, giving her an angry look.
"I don't understand how what happened was my fault. I wasn't even there," Annalys complained, confused about why she was getting blamed for something she had no part in.
Robb remained silent for a long moment. He took a deep breath, just before speaking up. "Have you been secretly giving sparring lessons to Lyanna?"
Annalys' eyes widened. She remained silent, however, avoiding eye contact with her husband.
"Well, your other children found out. You know, the children you didn't involve in those sparring lessons?" Robb questioned, just before beginning to shout, "They're not stupid, Annalys! They know Lyanna was always good with a sword, but the fact that she was able to fight off three of them at once without a sword made it obvious Torra wasn't the only one teaching her how to fight. They found out and flipped."
"Lyanna is heir to the Iron Throne. Of course, I'd be giving her individual lessons," Annalys responded, trying her best to ease the situation, but failed miserably.
Robb scoffed, shaking his head in disagreement. "You and I both know Lyanna being heir has nothing to do with it."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Annalys responded, but both of them knew that it was a lie.
"As a parent, you are not supposed to have favorites. And if you do, the last thing you're supposed to do is make it obvious to your other children," Robb explained, clearly frustrated.
"I don't have favorites," Annalys argued, shaking her head in disagreement.
"You do. You and I both know you do. Lyanna is. You give Lyanna more attention than you give the rest of the children put together. How do you think your other children react to that?" Robb explained, earning a saddened look from Annalys, despite her trying to hide it, "Not well, you should know. They picked a fight with Lyanna today in the Kingswood, threatened her with a sword. Lyanna nearly broke Eddard's nose as she fought him. Each of our children are reacting violently to this revelation, Eddard more than all of them. He's been dealing with this for twelve years. He's spent these years watching as you favored his twin sister over him. That isn't fair to him. That isn't fair to any of them. I understand you're able to bond with Lyanna easier than the other due to her being the first child you birthed and the child most like you, but that doesn't mean you don't spend time with the others."
Annalys stared up at Robb, tears in her eyes. "I've bonded with all my children, why can't you?" He found himself asking Annalys, who remained silent, "You were so upset about what happened with Myrcella and now, you've done the same."
"What are you talking about?" She asked him, not understanding what he meant.
"You told me Myrcella was so cruel and angry with you in Dorne because she was jealous of how you got more attention and love for your mother than she did. Now, the same thing is happening with Lyanna. You've been giving her all your love and attention and now, the rest of our children are being cold to her." Robb informed his wife in a soft tone.
Annalys sighed in defeat, realizing Robb what was right. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have--" She began to say, only to get cut off.
"You shouldn't be apologizing to me, you should be apologizing to Eddard and Olyvar and Torrhen and Rickard," Robb reminded Annalys in a calm tone, "Everyone but Lyanna. I will be speaking to her myself."
Annalys nodded. She stood up, on the verge of leaving when Robb grabbed her by the arm, causing her to turn to him. "You should spend the next few days with our sons and Joanna while I spend time with Lyanna, since she's the only one who seems to dislike me. It's the right thing to do after what's happened. To prove to them that what they believe is wrong." He explained and Annalys nodded in agreement before leaving.
___
Several moments later, Robb knocked on the door to Lyanna's room and soon enough, it was opened by the young girl.
"Come to yell at me more?" Lyanna questioned, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
"Enough with the attitude. I am not your mother," Robb scolded Lyanna in a stern tone, knowing for a fact Annalys let her children speak to her anyway they pleased and unlike her brothers and sisters, Lyanna tried to do the same with her father, which was her mistake, "I came to speak with you about what happened."
Lyanna began to tense up, having the feeling it would be about what Eddard said. "What if I don't want to speak about it?" She questioned in concern.
"Then, too bad. I am your father and I say we will speak about it," Robb argued, letting out a small sigh in defeat since he despised how stern he had to be with her to actually get her to listen to him, "Eddard may have been wrong about many things during your fight with him, but one thing he did get right is that it is unfair that you have more privileges than they do. Your mother had scolded them for what happened. Now, it is your time to be scolded."
Lyanna sighed, taking a seat on her bed. Robb walked over to the bed, sitting down next to his daughter. "I don't understand why they've suddenly started to hate me." She found herself confessing, a saddened look on her face.
"They don't hate you," Robb argued, shaking his head in disagreement.
"They do!" Lyanna exclaimed loudly, "They've hated me for months, ever since I had the fever they've hated me."
"What do you mean?" Robb asked, a deeply concerned look on his face.
"Mother stayed at my side for days after I caught the disease. I think they believe Mother wouldn't have done that if they were the ones who had been sick. They also think it's unfair that I'm the only one that gets to ride Rhaegal with her." Lyanna explained, causing Robb to immediately feel deeply confused about the whole ordeal.
"Joanna just rode Rhaegal with your mother today," Robb responded, earning a small nod from Lyanna.
"But they don't know that, Father! They continuously blame me for Mother's negligence toward them, but I am not at fault! I don't ask for her to continuously take me everywhere! I didn't ask to be her favorite nor did I ask to be the heir!" She explained, tears beginning to form in her eyes, "And Eddard can go to the seven hells for ever thinking it was acceptable to blame me for something I had no control over. I hate him. I hate all of them."
Robb sighed, starting to feel saddened by her words. "Look at me, Lyanna," He insisted in a soft tone and Lyanna sighed as well, slowly turned to look at her father, "You're a Stark of Winterfell, no matter how much of a Lioness you may be at heart like your mother. And tell me, what are the words of House Stark?"
"Winter is coming," Lyanna replied without hesitation, knowing the words by heart after how many times her father had said.
"Yes, and now, Winter is here. Even if we live this far South, Winter is still here. It's been years since Winter has come and at this rate, it will remain for many more years, longer than any winter in living memory. And as my father, your grandfather, used to say, in winter, we must protect ourselves, look after one another. When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives." He explained, smiling softly as he began to think about all the times his father used to tell him and his siblings that growing up.
Robb wrapped an arm around Lyanna and pulled her closer. "Eddard is your brother, your twin brother. No matter how much you'd like to deny it, your bond with him will be far stronger than anything else you'll ever feel with your other siblings. You were born together, you two are the firstborn children of King Robb Stark and Queen Annalys Lannister. Many years from now, after your mother and I have died, the two of you will be the head of this entire family. You will have to work together to keep this family safe. You will rule the South, he will rule the North. You will not be able to rule the seven kingdoms without your brother. You will need each other, no matter how much you try to deny it now."
Lyanna sighed in defeat, realizing her father had a fair point, "I don't hate him," She confessed, continuing to look saddened, "I just don't enjoy being blamed by him about matters that I have no control over."
"I understand that, Lyanna," Robb replied, pausing as he gave his daughter an uneasy look, "There's something we must also speak about."
"I have a feeling I already know what it's going to be," She whispered softly, avoiding eye contact with him.
"I heard Eddard say something during your fight..." He trailed off, letting out a small sigh, "Is it true?"
"I don't know," She answered, acting as though she was oblivious to what he spoke of when they both know she was far from that, "What did he say?"
"You know exactly what he said," Robb answered and Lyanna turned to look him in the eye, tears welled in her eyes, "Is it true? Do you not like...men?"
Hearing her father's question, Lyanna began to cry, shaking her head as she gave him a pleading look. "I'm sorry, father. I didn't mean for it to happen. Eddard wasn't even supposed to know. I was telling Torra and Eddard ended up hearing. I'm sorry, please don't be angry with me--"
Before Lyanna could finish her apology, Robb tightly hugged her. Lyanna found herself feeling shocked, but immediately began to hug back, crying into his chest, which was something she needed at that moment. Her father's love and comfort. It was something she denied herself for a long time.
"It's okay. I could never be angry with you, especially about something like this," Robb replied as he slowly pulled away from the hug, cupping Lyanna's face in his hands. "There's no need to apologize nor be ashamed, Lyanna."
"Of course I should be ashamed. If people find out, they'll never let me rule. I know I could still marry and have children, but I don't want to do that. I don't want to marry and bed a man that I'll never truly love in the way people will expect me to." Lyanna confessed, tears streaming down her face.
"You don't have to marry," Robb responded, shaking his head in disagreement.
"I do," Lyanna argued as she nodded her head, "If I die without an heir, the throne will go to Eddard."
"What's wrong with that?" Robb questioned Lyanna in confusion, not understanding why it was such a big deal.
"He is a Stark," Lyanna answered without hesitation, causing Robb to frown in confusion, "I call myself a Lannister because I want myself to be a Lannister when I sit on the Iron Throne. Mother is was so insistent on keeping a person with the name Lannister on the Iron Throne and ruling Casterly Rock. How is the Lannister dynasty supposed to continue and stay on the Iron Throne if Eddard's heirs take the throne after I die?"
Robb sighed in defeat, realizing Annalys' 'fantasy' had gotten to Lyanna. The poor girl now felt the need to keep the Lannister name alive, despite having no way to do so with her decision to not marry. She felt herself being forced to, thinking it was what her mother wanted.
In truth, however, Robb knew Annalys would rather let House Lannister die off with Lyanna than have her daughter live an unhappy life married to a man she would never love, no matter how much the Lannister wanted to fulfill Tywin's dream of a dynasty that would last a thousand years. Her daughter's happiness meant more to her.
That was one of the main things that made her different from her grandfather, despite their ways of leadership and warfare being quite similar.
"I don't want to disappoint Mother. She's so proud of me and the person I've become. I don't want to fail her," She cried as she confessed her feelings about the whole ordeal to her father, "You can't tell her about me not liking men, either. She'll be angry with me."
Hearing her words, Robb couldn't help but laugh, causing Lyanna to turn to him and frown. "Do you not know your mother at all, Lyanna?" He questioned, smiling softly.
"What do you mean?"
"You're not the only woman in this family who enjoys women's company," He informed Lyanna, who frowned in utter confusion, "Your mother might like men very much, especially me, but she also likes women. People know this, but they accept her nonetheless. They look past it because they believe in her and her ways of ruling Westeros. You may do the same when you become queen."
"That is different. She may like women as you say, but she's married a man and has given birth to six heirs. I will never have the same." Lyanna argued, disagreeing with her father's attempt in making her feel better.
Robb sighed in defeat, nodding his head in understanding. "Fine, I won't tell her, but sooner or later, you'll have to tell her yourself. I promise you, though, she will accept no matter who you like or what you plan for yourself in the future. You are her daughter and she will love you, no matter what."
"I will tell her soon, I promise," Lyanna assured her father, smiling sadly as Robb hesitantly nodded his head.
Suddenly, Lyanna surprisingly hugged him again, much to Robb's shock. "Thank you, Father," She told him softly and Robb gradually began to smile and hug back, still shocked by Lyanna hugging him.
It was foreign, but for the first time in a long time, he felt as though he was getting somewhere with his attempts in actually having a bond with his firstborn.
And it felt great. He wondered if Annalys was having the same success, which would be harder, since she needed to do the same with more children than just one.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
So Robb has finally snapped some sense into Annalys and Lyanna is finally forming a bond with her father. I find the scene between them so cute, tbh and definitely needed.
Anyone notice the oddness with Rickard, though? 👀 Like who tf is this Ambrose and what is his intentions?