The Lioness Of Winterfell [HIATUS]

Chapter 26: The Wedding

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER HAS STRONG CONTENT

LYANNA

It was not pleasant, it was not supposed to be either. Sebastian Forrester wanted to be sure Lyanna would suffer all the way through it, and he wanted to punish his son as well, for falling in love with the Beauty of The North.

So Asher was the one to take the dark-haired girl down the aisle. She was shaking, her hands holding into his arm so thight it could almost break his bone. He had never seen Lyanna so frightened as she was in that moment. 

"When you are up there," Asher whispered to her, without facing her, "and think of not saying I take this man, say it."

Lyanna didn't say a word, not even when she was forced to approach Lord Sebastian's side; she felt sick to her stomach.  

"Who comes before the Old Gods this night?"

"Lyanna, of House Baratheon and Lannister, comes here to be wed." Painful was clear in Asher's voice, "A woman grown, trueborn and noble. She comes to beg the blessing of the Gods. Who comes to claim her?"

Sebastian stepped forward, "Sebastian, of House Forrester, Lord of IronWood. Who gives her?"

"Asher, of House Forrester."

When Asher let go of her hand, all Lyanna could  think of was biting down on Sebastian's neck and rip the flesh out off it, and then watch as he bled to death in that aisle - nothing would make her happier in that moment. 

Sebastian grabbed her hand with strenght, no one else - besides Asher from far - could see how she was struggling against his touch, but ended up giving in. 

Lyanna knew the next thing coming was the question, she also knew no one could force her to say it - she had nothing else to lose, at least nothing they could touch, but she also knew Asher was right, if she wanted to leave that place, she had to say it. 

"Lady Lyanna, do you take this man?"

Lyanna took a deep breath before saying it, "I take this man."

Lord Sebastian pressed their lips together, "It was not that hard was it?"

Lyanna wanted to spat at him, but held it. 

Thankfully, it was done. Weddings went much more quickly in the north. The cerimony started soon after, a wedding feast they called it. Among the Forresters were some of the Boltons and the Freys. And that was when Lyanna realized she was played, Cersei was probably laughing in that moment. It was clear as water, now, that Sebastian Forrester had made a deal with the devil - with the Lannisters, to be more correct. She was not, after all, a perfect weapon. 

"Congratulations, My Lady." 

Lyanna turned around, her hand tighted the grip around the cup of wine when she faced the Bolton Bastard, the same one that alongside his father slaughtered thousands of Starks - Robb and Lady Catelyn included. 

"I am Ramsay Bolton."

"I know who you are." She poured more wine into her cup, "Isn't it funny how every single Lord in this stupid feast is only here because they made a deal with the Lannisters?"

"I suppose it is." Ramsay faced her with curiosity, "You are smart, I see. We've that in common."

"You are a bastard, Ramsay Snow, and I am being married against my will. The only thing we do have in common is that there is nothing we can do to change that." Lyanna told him.

He let out a cruel laugh, "You are wrong about that. I will be able to change that, as for you, I am afraid you are right, My Lady."

"You can frolic about preaching your father's name, and yet, that name is not yours. You are the bastard of a Bolton, not a Bolton yourself. That is all you'll ever be." She leaned forward, her mouth brushing against his skin, "As for me, I have a lot of names. Lyanna Stark, Baratheon, Lannister, Lioness of Winterfell."

"You forgot one," Ramsay grabbed her arm, he seemed to be enjoying the challenge - and she was not expecting such, "Lyanna Forrester."

She pulled away, anger in her green eyes. 

"This is fun, is it not?" 

"We shall meet again, Ramsay Snow." Lyanna held her chin up, "On different circunstances much probably."

"I though you were like any other women, the northeners talked so highly of you and I could not see why. Then I heard you cut off the King's head and uou, aren't you a warrior." Ramsay touched her cheek, "You do not disappoint me, My Lady."

"Did you really think I was weak? Who told you so?" She looked into his eyes, "I will end the Lannisters' glory and hope you are there to witness it."

"I would like to see you try." The Bastard took a deep breath, "If your husband does not satisfy you, come to Winterfell."

"I ain't anyone's whore." 

Lyanna grabbed her white dress and walked away. Her green eyes met Asher's from far away, and she poured all the wine down her throath - it burned, but she went for another. She would need every drop of it that night, to survive it. 

When they were taken to Lord Sebastian's chambers, she somehow was still hopeful that he would not force himself on her - but as she had been about most things that past couple of days, she was wrong. 

Sebastian started to take off his clothes first, his eyes only on his wife. Lyanna was standing still, her arms wrapped around her body. 

"I do not want it."

"I do not care." He approached her, "We must consumate our marriage, Lyanna."

"Please." She dared to beg, "You already killed Hope, you humiliated me, is it not enough?"

"The Lannisters promised me gold," Sebastian confessed, "and you."

"I thought you wanted the crown..." Lyanna wondered.

"I do but that is something I will keep to ourselves." His hand went to the knots on her chest, revailing each one, "Now..."

"Was it my mother?" She had to ask.

"Yes, she wrote me ten days after the King's death. She did not wish to kill you, so she proposed me a deal." Lord Sebastian breathed, "I could not refuse."

"You take my name, and they give you take their gold."

"Smart." His lips went to her skin, "Now I see what my son saw, now I know."

"No!" Lyanna struggled, "Leave me!!" 

It all happened too fast, but when Lord Forrester finally managed to put her on her back, lying down on the large bed, he had blood everywhere on his face - Lyanna gave a good fight, but not a good enough to free her of the bedding cerimony. She might be a good warrior, but Sebastian had spent thirty years fighting for his House, and that was why red tears were running down her face - cuts on her nose, on her cheeks.

"Please!!" She fought under his grap, "Do not touch me!"

Lyanna could not find her voice after Sebastian got what he wanted from her. It was almost like he had taken that away from her too, you know, her voice. All she could do was shake and fall into the ground as Lord Forrester walked away after he finished. Lyanna could not understand why he did it or why he did not stop even when she screamed at the top of her lungs. 

"You will be a much better wife than you are a warrior."

With every word, Lyana felt a little more of herself crumble into ashes - and that was also when she knew she had been wrong all wrong, and Asher had been right, that was something left of her somewhere inside, but now not anyome. Lyanna did not feel much like a woman anymore, she did not feel much like a human at all.