The Winter Rose || Game of Thrones

Pride

The wolf maid headed to the field for another day of jousting, making a pact with herself to lay low and avoid any more heroic actions for the days to come.

Brandon, Ned, Robert, Benjen and Howland were all standing next to the Stark tent, and when she perceived them, Lyanna ushered Violet to follow her to join them and find out what they were talking about.

"I promised the king I would find who it was." Robert said before he saw his lady approaching.
"Who are you talking about?" she asked with an amused smile, already having an idea about the answer.

"My lady, I heard you weren't feeling well. Are you better now?" her betrothed asked, and she rolled her eyes.
"I am fine, Robert. Thank you." she said.
"You didn't hear? Everyone has been talking about it lately." Brandon told her.
"What about?" she asked.

"A mysterious knight appeared yesterday and defeated ser Haigh, ser Blount and ser Frey in a row, never revealing his name nor his face." the eldest said.
"He fought valiently." Ned continued, and he sounded impressed, which made Lyanna's ego blunt a little more.

"His name was rubbish though! Knight of the Laughing Tree!" Benjen mocked, and without even realizing, she glared at him.

Idiot.

"He made enemies though. The king sent the prince and the Kingsguard to find him, but they only found his shield under a tree." Ned told.
"The king promised a reward for anyone who'd find him." Robert said.

"For anyone who would bring him his head, I think his words were." Benjen giggled.
"I don't care. I could use the gold!" Robert exclaimed.

Lyanna wasn't as amused anymore. The situation was more serious than what she had planned, and the tyrant king was involved in it. That could never be good.

Oh, what have I done?

"Let us take our seats. The joust will start shortly." she interrupted their talk, sounding more irritated by the topic than she planned.

Robert stayed behind to participate, while Ned, Howland and Lyanna proceeded to sit with the attendees, followed by Benjen and Violet who walked slowly behind them..

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Lyanna spent the entire day eavesdropping on the attendees of the tourney, and her brothers were right. Everyone was talking about the Knight of the Laughing Tree.

If she wasn't too focused on the king demanding her head, or rather her whole body to be burnt, she would've been flattered by how people described her skills.

At night, after all the halls were asleep and there was no sound to be heard other than the hooting of owls and the wind blowing, she wrapped a cloak around her and stood in front of a large embrasure in the far end of her corridor to take some fresh air.

Lyanna never found sleep easily. At home, she would always wait until everyone was asleep to take a stride or go to the Crypts beneath Winterfell to admire the Kings in the North whose names she now knew by heart.

It helped her clear her mind and meditate on who she was and what she wanted.
She would even go to the Godswood regularly to pray to the Old Gods, even in the dark of night.

That night, it wasn't only insomnia she suffered. She felt fear. Great fear of what was to come. Even with all her caution, she was afraid that someone might've recognized her, and she was already on the king's bad side to risk anymore trouble with him, now that he had declared the Knight of the Laughing Tree an enemy of the crown.