( PART I; a dreary existence. ) ⟵ ◊ ⟶ chapter 2: the king is coming.
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SUMMER snows fell as they often did in the early mornings, their flakes gracing Raina's chamber window's warped, aged glass. It was a quiet morning, with few awake except the house guard changing shifts and servants tending to their early morning duties. The midnight-haired bastard loved the quiet, with nothing except the sound of a crackling fire burning under a wax-covered mantle. She stood before the wooden structure while breaking away pieces of the wax as she sometimes did when bored or anxious. She rubbed the smooth substance with her fingers before tossing it in the flames below her to watch it melt into nothing.
The small whine of Stryder caused her to turn toward her bed, where the pitch-black pup looked up at her with its blue eyes. Raina smiled slightly as she wandered over, causing the pup's ears to fold back and her tail to thump uncontrollably.
Scooping up the pup, she looked into his eyes. "Such a demanding little thing you are," she remarked as a slight giggle emitted. "So energetic as well. How does a walk sound? Perhaps outside?"
At the sound of her enthusiastic tone, the pup squirmed and whined excitedly as Raina went to place him on the floor.
A sennighthad passed since the arrival of dire-wolf pups, but the joy that had come with it came to a halt once dark news on a raven's wings reached Winterfell after a long flight from King's Landing. Jon Arryn, a man her father had fostered under and practically been raised by, had sadly passed away. He was Robert's Hand but unfortunately was taken by a ravaging fever.
With the news of the Hand's death was the impending arrival of Robert himself on his way toward Winterfell. Even if one had never seen the King for themselves, everyone knew the man was a notoriously lazy monarch. It was apparent that he had no interest in ruling the Seven Kingdoms and, therefore, left the governing of the country to his advisers and those alike. Instead of ruling the country he'd taken in rebellion, Raina had heard rumors that he did nothing but drink, eat, and whore about despite having a Queen that was rumored to be a goddess among men.
As the girl and the pup exited the room and entered the hall, Raina mentally scowled at the thought of such an ignorant man, with the world in his grasp but with no care about his prestige or duty as a king. She thought about everything she would do to live her days without shame or Snow.
The daunting arrival of Winterfell's royal guest would bring a small army in itself to her home: a small army of Lannister men, likely with knights, sellswords, and those alike following after the trail of gold, crimson, and black. The court would also be coming, with all their servants and guards. Behind them, there would be whores and lickspittles pining for work within the king's presage. If she remembered correctly, the king had four children, all little lions like their mother, Raina had heard. She might have liked to speak to them a time or two if she hadn't offended them with her presence alone.
