LION'S LEGACY
68. Queen of the Westerlands
At Casterly Rock, Theon was making his way to Lyanna's room like he always did at midday. He was about to enter the room since the door was already opened.
However, before he did, he stopped when he saw Lyanna laying on the ground, unable to get up with her face covered in blood.
Arthur stood in front of her body, his face emotionless. He shook his head, crouching down next to her body. "When are you going learn, wife?" He whispered to her in a threatening tone, "No matter how much you fight back, I'll always win."
"Really?" Lyanna laughed as she weakly looked up, spitting up some blood, "I'm alive and not with child while you have no heir to rule through. I dare say I am the only one winning here."
Arthur growled, lifting his hand to punch Lyanna as she laid on the ground. He stopped, however, when he heard the door to the chamber close.
He turned his head, noticing Theon standing in front of the now-closed door. "What the fuck do you want, Greyjoy?" He snapped at Theon coldly.
"Get away from her," Theon demanded in a low tone, taking a step toward Arthur.
Arthur simply laughed, wasting no time spitting in Theon's face. Theon remained calm and silent, however, wiping the spit from his face without saying anything.
"Ironborn scum, I should have killed you the second I had the chance," He commented, hatefully glaring at Theon, "I failed at killing your uncle, after all. The Stark bitch and her Baratheon bastard lover ruined that one."
As she laid on the floor, Lyanna smirked in satisfaction. He was talking about her Aunt Arya.
"Killed all of my men with poison and took some of their faces, I'm told," He continued on and unlike Lyanna, Theon had no clue what that meant, "Mad little bitch that one is."
"Now, run away, bastard, I'm told it's what you do best," Arthur continued on, only to notice the way Theon's eyes instantly went to Lyanna's injured body, "Oh, you want to save her, is that it? You can't. No one can."
Still, Theon remained in place, refusing to leave. Growing frustrated, Arthur balled his hand into a fist and punched Theon in the face. Theon stumbled back before swinging at Arthur, who ducked and avoided the punch.
He kicked Theon in the stomach, but due to his years of torture at the hands of Ramsay Bolton, it was practically nothing to Theon. He could endure more than anyone could ever imagine.
Theon lunged at Arthur, who punched him so hard that he was thrown to the ground. Theon was purposely letting his ass get beat, not that Arthur knew that.
For the first time in years, the infamous Arthur Hightower was being played.
And poor Edmyn wasn't even there to see it.
Theon stood back up, grinning widely at Arthur, who found himself consumed with rage at the fact that Theon was there to defend Lyanna.
Theon swung at Arthur, who grabbed him by the arms before head-butting him as hard as he could.
Theon fell back, but as he went toward Arthur, he was punched in the face yet again. Theon fell to ground, blood spilling from his nose.
Despite that, he stood back up, much to Arthur's anger.
Was he ever going to give up?
Theon staggered as he rose to his feet once more. He lunged at Arthur as he bent forward. He grabbed Arthur by the waist before attempting to tackle him to the ground.
Lyanna weakly pushed herself up into a sitting position, realizing that Theon was up to something what with how slow he was making his forms of attack be.
Before Theon could tackle Arthur to the ground, Arthur began to elbow Theon in the back. He lifted his knee, kneeing him the face. Theon spat up blood as he fell to the ground. He grabbed Theon by the neck, forcing him to stand back up before punching him.
Out of breath, Arthur turned away from Theon. He was on the verge of making his way back over to Lyanna when he saw Theon stand back up, staggering as he did so.
Finally, Theon rose back to his feet. He stumbled toward Arthur, blood covering the majority of his face. He punched Theon, who dropped to the ground once more.
Despite that, Theon turned himself onto his back before standing up yet again.
Arthur continued to pant for breath, clearly exhausted after fighting both Theon and Lyanna. Especially since Theon refused to give up, despite Arthur beating the shit out of him.
Theon limped toward Arthur before falling into him. Arthur smirked in amusement, grabbing Theon by the shoulders. He kneed Theon in the groin, yet Theon seemed to have no reaction to it. He did it again four more times and a large amused grin found its way on Theon's blood-covered face, a grin that made even Lyanna smile.
With that, Theon headbutted the exhausted Arthur, who immediately stumbled back. Theon grabbed him the neck, punching him as hard as he could, clearly unleashing all his bottled up anger on the man.
Theon tackled him to the ground, straddling him as he began to punch him repeatedly. Just as he was close to killing Arthur, Theon stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
He turned, seeing that it was Lyanna, who now standing. "Stop," She demanded in a stern tone, "I want to kill him myself."
Theon frowned, slowly looking down at the knife Lyanna held in her bloody hand. He looked back up at her and she gave him a knowing look.
Theon knew what she wanted to do to Arthur. He didn't know how, but he did. She wanted to castrate him, the same thing Annalys had done to Ambrose when she learned of what he had done to Rickard.
Theon pulled away from Arthur, sitting down on the ground as Lyanna moved closer to her 'husband'.
"You threatened to throw me off that balcony, my love," Lyanna spoke to Arthur in a mocking tone, "Once I'm done with you, I will do that exact thing to you. You thought you could break and in all honesty, you've done nothing to change me. Not in the slightest. It has only ensured that you will die in the worse way possible. Without your cock."
"No!" Arthur shouted in alarm, attempting to push Lyanna off of him.
Theon, however, moved forward, pinning the man's arms down while Lyanna sat on the man's legs before beginning to untie Arthur's pants.
That day, throughout Casterly Rock, Arthur's screams of agonizing pain were heard all throughout the halls. The servants and guards did nothing, however, and continued on with their daily tasks. A part of them was honestly happily to finally be relieved of him.
Those loyal to Arthur Hightower did nothing, either, their dead bodies laid across the castle after Arya Stark had gotten to them. She left the castle after doing so, removing the face of Lord Mace Tyrell from her own.
What better face to have in her possession than the face of the true Lord of Highgarden?
_____
In her tent, Allyria laid in bed. She was silent, in deep thought about all that Eddard had said. He believed Olyvar and her were involved with each other. She couldn't believe it. And she was dumb enough to allow him to think such a thing to avoid the truth. His parents were alive.
Hearing the flap of her tent open, Allyria turned onto her side and remained calm when she saw Eddard enter with a content expression on his face.
He walked over to her bed, laying down next to her without saying a word. Allyria turned to face him, her breath hitching.
Eddard laid on his back, turning to look her in the eye. "It isn't true. I'm not involved with your brother. I swear it," She told him softly and Eddard nodded.
"I know," He whispered softly and Allyria frowned, "Olyvar told me. He was comforting you, because you're afraid of ruining my life by being with me. But you won't. And there's no need to be afraid. I'll protect you, I swear it."
Allyria remained silent, feeling guilty about it all. She sighed in defeat, laying on her back. After her hand brushed against his, Allyria felt butterflies in her stomach as her fingers intertwined with his.
She didn't want to feel this way, but she couldn't stop herself. She cared deeply for Eddard, no matter how much she tried not to.
"I can't do this," Allyria managed to get out, rising up from the bed to walk away.
Eddard sighed, forcing himself to stand up as well to walk over to her.
Allyria felt uneasy, knowing that Eddard was walking over to her. "Don't," She argued softly, shaking her head in disapproval.
"Why not?" Eddard complained in annoyance, taking a step toward her, "You think I want to marry some highborn lady who comes from a Great House, but I don't care about any of that. My mother raised me to have the freedom to fall in love with and marry whomever I please. I don't care if you're a bastard, or a commoner, I don't even care you were the daughter of a whore or a whore yourself. I love you, Allyria. That's all that matters. I love you and I want to marry you and I know you want the same, no matter how much you try to deny it. I promise you that as your husband, I will love you unconditionally, put your needs above mine, listen to your council, and never let anyone harm you. And if they did, I'd fight them like I would fight my enemy. To the death. I would do anything for you. I swear it. Just prove to me that I'm not a fool and tell me that this is mutual. That I'm not the only one in love here."
There was a moment of silence between them and Eddard found himself feeling uneasy. "Allyria..."
Not being able to take it anymore, Allyria whipped herself around to face Eddard after taking a deep breath.
She rushed toward Eddard, who sighed in relief. Eddard smiled, cupping Allyria's face with his hands before pressing his lips against hers.
Continuing to kiss, Allyria ran her hands down Eddard's clothed chest before beginning to untie the front of his shirt in order to strip him of his clothes.
Before she could finish, however, Eddard pulled away from the kiss and grabbed onto her wrists. "Stop," He insisted, causing Allyria to frown in concern, "Tell me the truth. Are you a maid?"
Feeling ashamed, Allyria nodded but Eddard instantly cupped her face in his hands. "There's no need to feel ashamed, Allyria," He whispered to her softly, "I just wanted to know, so I could make this different than the other times I've been with girls. Because this is special. Especially for you."
Eddard leaned forward and kissed Allyria passionately. He began to kiss down her neck, untying the front of her dress before removing her dress.
Allyria rushed to cover her breasts, causing Eddard to smile and shake her head. "There's no need to cover up, Allyria. You're beautiful."
Allyria chuckled at his compliment, playfully rolling his eyes. "I bet you say that to all the girls."
"I do," Eddard jokingly commented, earning an offended look from Allyria, "Kidding."
Allyria scoffed, playfully slapping Eddard on the chest as he continued to kiss down her body. He stood back up, grabbing Allyria by the waist and lifting her up before he carried her over to the bed.
He placed down on it and then climbed on the bed as well. "Tell me if you want me to stop," He whispered to her softly.
"Never," she admitted, both of them smiling as they kissed once more.
_____
After what had nearly happened to her, Joanna arrived at a tent in Vaes Dothrak. She stood with Rickard and Dreamer, both of which she was happy to now have with her.
The merchant who had attempted to assassinate her was tied to a wooden post a few feet away from her. "What will happen to him?" Ser Rickard found himself asking Joanna, knowing she knew far more about the Dothraki than he did.
"When the Khalasar rides, he'll be leashed to a saddle, forced to run behind the horses for as long as he can," Joanna explained in a calm tone, which was what surprised Rickard most of all.
"Queen Margaery wants you dead. This man was the first, but he won't be the last," Ser Rickard pointed out to Joanna, who didn't seem bothered, "We should flee. I can keep you safe."
"My place is here," Joanna replied without hesitation, much to Ser Rickard's shock, "I am Khaleesi, wife to Khal Najo. My home is with him."
"You're a Lannister and a Stark, Princess Joanna. Your son will have that same blood running through his veins. He'll never be safe," Ser Rickard complained, causing Joanna to scoff.
"He'll have forty-thousand riders behind him, men who would kill and die for him. There's no safer place for him, Ser Rickard," Joanna explained to him and the man couldn't understand why Joanna wanted to stay so badly with Dothraki savages.
"You love him, don't you?" Ser Rickard suddenly realized and Joanna nodded in response, "He forced you to marry him. He raped you."
"Rape?!" Joanna exclaimed, turning to Rickard with a look of disbelief, "Who said anything about rape?"
"They said--" Ser Rickard began to explain, but Joanna cut him off.
"I chose to marry Najo. I wanted to bed him on my wedding night and still, I want to bed him. I love him and he loves me. How hard is it to understand?" Joanna snapped at Ser Rickard, who wanted to believe she was brainwashed, but by the way she spoke of the Khal, she seemed genuinely in love.
Just then, Najo entered with a couple of his men. He briefly glared at the terrified merchant before he rushed toward his wife.
Ser Rickard watched closely as Najo rushed to Joanna's side, cupping her face in his hands. "My love. Are you alright?" He asked in genuine concern, which confused Rickard since he didn't understand Dothraki.
"Yes. We may thank Ser Rickard for that," Joanna spoke in Dothraki, gesturing to the knight. She began to smile, starting to speak in the common tongue, "He is...family."
Najo turned to glance at Ser Rickard, who seemed uneasy about being there. Najo quickly kissed Joanna on the forehead before he walked over to the knight, taking a long look at him.
"Ser Rickard," Najo spoke the common tongue, which shocked the man, "I thank you for saving Khaleesi. Choose any horse, it is yours. I make gift to you."
Rickard slowly nodded, not understanding why Joanna smiled at the gift. He didn't understand how big of a gift a horse was in Dothraki culture.
Najo turned to address the Joanna as he placed his hands on her swollen belly. He began to speak in his mother tongue once more, something Rickard couldn't understand while Joanna could.
"And to my son, the Stallion Who Mounts the World, and my wife, the Khaleesi," He paused, affectionately stroking Joanna's cheek with the back of his hand. Joanna smiled, placing her hand over his.
Just then, he pulled away, turning to address the Dothraki. "I will give him the iron chair that his mother's mother, the Great Khal, sat upon. I will give him the Seven Kingdoms. I, Khal Najo, will do this. I will take my Khalasar west to where the world ends and ride wooden horses across the black salt water as no true Khal has done before." He shouted out loudly and Joanna began to smile happily.
Ser Rickard turned to Joanna in concern, noticing how ecstatic she seemed to be while the Dothraki surrounded them cheered loudly. It couldn't mean anything good.
"I will kill the men in iron suits and tear down their stone houses. I will take their women and their children as slaves and bring their broken gods back to Vaes Dothraki," He continued to explain and despite how horrid it was, she seemed happy and proud about the whole ordeal.
If Ser Rickard knew what he was saying, he'd question how the fuck Joanna, innocent Joanna, was happy about it all.
"This, I vow. I, Khal Najo, will do this. I swear before the Mother of Mountains as the stars look down to witness!" Najo finished and Joanna stepped forward, smiling proudly.
Najo stopped walking, facing her completely to see the way she smiled. He smiled back, staying in place as she made her over to him. He grabbed her by the waist, lifting her up off the ground as she kissed him.
____
Just outside the Stark encampment in the Westerlands, it was nighttime and a Septon stood in front of Eddard and Allyria. "In the sight of the Seven, I hereby seal these souls, binding them as one for eternity," He announced, tying their hands together with a ribbon, "Look upon each other and say the words."
Allyria and Eddard smiled. They turned to each other, smiling lovingly.
"Father, Smith, Warrior. Mother, Maiden, Crone. Stranger," They spoke in unison before saying their separate parts.
"I am hers, she is mine, from this day, until the end of my days."
"I am, his, he is mine, from this day, until the end of my days."
Eddard smiled, placing Allyria's face in his hands. He leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers. They kissed passionately, pressing their foreheads together as they smiled happily.
"Shall we return to bed, my queen?" Eddard jokingly asked, causing Allyria to playfully roll her eyes as she laughed.
____
In the woods of Westerlands, Lyanna and Theon ran as fast as they could, trying to outrun Lord Hightower, of all people, and his men.
With their luck, even after finding all of Arthur's men dead, more men arrived with Lord Hightower, who became outraged when he found his son's head mounted on a pike on the walls of the rock, his corpse hanging by his feet, castrated.
Theon and Lyanna soon reached a cliff, causing them to exchange a look with each other. They knew what had to be done. It freezing outside and snow covered the ground.
Winter was getting worse as each month passed and many feared spring would never come when word of it snowing in even Dorne reached them.
The duo intertwined hands, just before jumping off the cliff and into the water.
Several moments later, Theon and Lyanna found themselves taking shelter near an over-turned tree, its roots providing shelter from the snow.
The duo sat together, both of them shivering, their lips practically blue from the cold.
Theon turned to Lyanna, noticing how she seemed to be losing consciousness. He sighed in defeat, grabbing her by the shoulders to shake her awake. "Lyanna? Lyanna," He called out, but got no answer.
She looked to be in shock from what Theon could notice. Having no other choice, Theon wrapped his arms around the girl, holding her close to his chest to provide body heat to her, since she clearly lacked it.
She was, indeed, a southern child, all of Robb's children were, unlike their father.
Lyanna rested her head on Theon's shoulder and closed her eyes, finding comfort in his embrace that she hadn't felt with anyone in what felt like years. She couldn't remember the last time she felt physical contact with someone when it wasn't Arthur's fist colliding with her cheek and his boot striking her in the stomach.
Just then, the sounds of houses barking filled their ears once more, much to their dismay.
A hint of determination in his eyes, Theon pulled away from Lyanna. "Stay here. I'll lure them away."
Theon was on the verge of standing up, only to stop when Lyanna grabbed him by his hand. "You'll do no such thing. You'll die, Theon," She argued and Theon shook his head.
"I died a long time ago, Lyanna," She admitted softly, causing the girl's eyes to fill with tears.
"Please," Lyanna managed to get out, refusing to let him leave her, "You can't. I won't make it without you."
"You will," Theon argued in a stern tone, "You are stronger than you think, Lyanna. Stronger than me, stronger than your father, stronger than your mother. Trust me on that."
"No, no--" Lyanna began to argue in protest, but Theon quickly cut her off.
"You are," He responded, sounding determined, "Go north, only north. Your brother has his armies camped at Ashemark. You know the Westerlands like the back of your hand, you told me yourself. You will find your way to them."
"I can't leave you," Lyanna complained, shaking her head in disagreement, "You're family."
Theon froze for a moment, knowing that Lyanna's comment was genuine, not something she simply said to convince him to stay.
"Your brother will kill me the second he sees me," Theon complained and Lyanna shook her head.
"I won't let him. Just stay. Please," She pleaded softly.
"They'll find us," Theon pointed out and once again, Lyanna shook her head.
"They won't. Not while they're out there," Lyanna informed Theon, causing him to give her a puzzled look, "Don't you hear them?"
Theon frowned. He remained silent, turning his head slightly. He listened closely, only to have his eyes widen at the sound that accompanied the hound's barks. The growls of direwolves. He continued to listen and soon enough, he heard the sounds of swords clashing.
"I didn't stay because I was afraid. I stayed because I wanted to know everything," Lyanna informed Theon in a calm tone, much to the man's shock, "He only viewed me as an object. He only acknowledged me when he wanted to. It made me invisible to him any time it wasn't time for him to come to my bedchambers. I was able to listen into everything he spoke of without him even noticing."
"What did you learn?" Theon asked quietly, knowing he was missing quite a lot.
"I know I must head South to save my mother and father before they're executed because they are still alive. They have one of my siblings. Joanna will soon sail west with her husband and his Dothraki. My twin brother has married. And Rhaegal is alive." Lyanna explained, beginning to smile happily while Theon looked absolutely shocked, "I didn't cry these past months because I was winning the entire time and Arthur didn't even know it. I know exactly how to defeat the Tyrells now and they don't even know it."
Lyanna paused, weakly standing up to meet Theon at eye view. She took a deep breath before placing her hands on Theon's shoulders. "Right now, Grey Wind and Dawn are ripping Lord Hightower and his men apart, as are Jaime and Ser Edric. While they're distracted, we're going to return to Casterly Rock," She explained, taking a deep breath, "You think you're useless, Theon, but you are not. I need you. I need you by my side. As my friend, as my family. Family isn't always determined by blood. You've shown me that."
Theon remained silent, nodding his head in understanding. "Will you stand with me and help give these bastards what are owed to them?" She asked and gradually, Theon began to smile, "Good. Because after what I plan to, everyone in this world will know and fear Lyanna Lannister."
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
DAMN ARTHUR FINALLY GOT WHAT HE DESERVED
And Allyria and Eddard are cute ❤️❤️