Chapter 1
Erin was throwing knives to her favorite practice tree when a maid brought her a letter from King's Landing, bearing the news that Queen Aemma Targaryen was with child-a son-and an invitation to a grand celebration for his birth, which would include-among endless activities-a jousting competition.
Erin was taken aback by the fervor surrounding the event, unable to understand the early excitement and celebration when not even the most skilled maester could predict the sex of a child growing in its mother's womb. But what surprised her the most was that she had been invited too.
Her younger brother, the Lord of Winterfell, was barely four years of age, and though invitations were sent, they rarely wrote letters with more of an object than politeness.
"Lady Stark," the letter said, "On this very special occasion, We wished to extend the invitation beyond the festivities, so that, if you wish, you may stay at the Red Keep for a couple of months. My daughter Rhaenyra is of your age, and I believe that each other's company could prove very rewarding for both of you."
Odd.
Very odd.
Though Erin was not naïve. The invitation was as much about politics as it was about the celebration of the Targaryen heir's birth.
Due to her fathers passing, they clearly needed to confirm the obvious, that the Stark haven't forgotten their oath to the House of the Dragon. And as her brother could only speak short sentences by now, they invited her.
After discussing it with her cousin, Jon, only one year older than him, the two decided she would attend the event. If everything felt right, Erin would accept the king's invitation to stay-though she knew she would likely say yes, as rejecting an invitation from the king himself would be considered rude.
Jon would stay in Winterfell, until the tournament is done, and he would take care of everything, so that's not to worry.
Erin was beloved in the North, though her insistence on learning to defend herself-thanks to her persistent determination and her cousin, -little,- but still encouragement-had lowered the esteem of some lords, as it was deemed improper for a lady to wield a sword. Still, her impeccable manners and graceful appearance were her greatest shield against such comments.
Although Erin didn't mind much, as she was always more at home with a bow than with a sword anyway.
Screw them.
She supposed she would miss it. Miss Winterfell, the people who greeted her like family, the land that had shaped her. It would be strange to leave it all behind, even if only for a few months.
Though she didn't have much time to dwell on it, as the very next day she was leaving for King's Landing-and she hadn't packed a thing.
When she walked through her door of her chambers, Celia, one of her best friends, and also, not most importantly, her maid, received her with a wide smile glancing between dresses in her bed and her.
"Erin!" She shot out rushing towards her "Aren't you excited?!! Why is your face like that?" her very enthusiastic tone transformed into a concerned one.
Erin was excited that she was going to king's landing,
Though she would never be that excited.
"Yes I am, I just don't feel the need to jump of a cliff, to show people, Celia" She regretted her words and annoyed tone instantly, as she knew, as hard was the North, not so much was Celia, and her feelings could easily be hurt.
"Oh... Right" her friend now looked like someone threw a jug of cold water and brought her back to reality.
She felt sad about it.
So she tried to cheer her spirit up.
"So what are these?" She inquired.
"Oh! They are gowns I thought you might like for the South" she quickly became chipper , but she then furrowed her brows and surmised "You were playing in the dirt again, weren't you?" She suddenly gasped "Look at your dress, all muddy, it was so beautiful!"
Erin loved Celia.
No doubt about that.
But she wouldn't lie and say she enjoyed it when Cdli acted like a bit of mud on her dress was the equivalent of a full-scale tragedy. Honestly, the way she gasped, one would think she'd just witnessed the fall of her house.
"It's fine, really. I think it might be cleaned," Erin tried again, hoping to calm the storm before it turned into a full-blown disaster. Maybe, just maybe, she could get Celia to see reason.
But Celia was clearly not in the mood for reason that day.
"No... it's ruined."
She stared at the stain like it had personally insulted her ancestors.
"Celia, it's just mud."
"Just mud?" Celia 's voice went up an octave. "That's what they said before Harrenhal melted, Erin!"
Erin blinked. "Are you seriously comparing your dress to a castle being burned alive? And if I may, I am pretty sure that's not what they said when they found out about that"
Celia crossed her arms. "At least Harrenhal still had structure after the disaster. This? This is a lost cause."
Erin sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, trying to ignore the fact that Harrenhal did not have its structure after it was burned down. Maybe if she just threw the whole dress into a fire, Celia would finally move on.
After what felt like an eternity of dramatic sulking, Celia finally relented and moved on to the next crisis: the dresses.
As she and Celia-examined the two dresses she had brought (both far too extravagant for her taste), Erin couldn't help but sigh.
"Do I really have to wear one of these?" she muttered, eyeing the excessive embroidery like it had personally offended her.
"Yes," Celia replied without hesitation.
"That was fast."
"Because there is no debate. You're going to King's Landing, Erin. You can't just show up looking like you wrestled a bear on the way there."
"First of all, that only happened once-"
"-And second," interrupted, ignoring her completely, "this one brings out your eyes." She held up a deep blue gown with silver accents.
Erin wrinkled her nose. "Brings out my eyes? Celia, I'm going to visit the capital, not seduce any gray man, who likes extravagance and show off."
"Everyone has their own opinions on that matter. Besides, why did you pick this one?" She lifted the second dress, even more extravagant, with layers upon layers of delicate fabric.
Erin groaned. "I didn't pick it. It was given to me. Under the assumption that I have lost all sense of personal style."
"You are a lost cause if you don't even try!" Celia replied, hands on her hips, clearly not backing down.
"I do try! I do like dresses," Erin protested, throwing up her hands in exasperation. "It's just... I do not like when a dress looks like I could feed an entire army with just the fabric!"
Celia opened her mouth-probably to make another unnecessary yet accurate remark-when a knock at the door interrupted them.
"Go in," Erin muttered, barely sparing the person outside a glance as she was still embroiled in the never-ending dress dilemma.
"Oh, I see you're packing for King's Landing, aren't you, cousin?" Jon said, opening the door with his usual grin, giving Celia a quick nod of acknowledgment.
"Yes, in fact, I am," Erin replied, trying her best to look unbothered by the chaos of dresses around her.
"Almost done?" He asked, leaning against the doorframe, his posture casual but his eyes twinkling with amusement.
"Uhm... actually, I'm nervous about my clothes. I don't think most of this is light enough for the South. The last time I was there, I was four, so forget about any dresses from that time." Erin gestured toward the extravagant piles of fabric that had somehow become her entire wardrobe for this trip.
Jon chuckled softly, clearly still amazed at how his sister, just hours ago, hadn't minded being soaked in dirt and snow as long as she could practice with her sword.
"Don't worry, Erin," he teased, a playful glint in his eyes. "If you need to, you can always go make some dresses down south. I've heard there are more dressmakers in King's Landing than brothels, and that's saying something"
Erin couldn't help but laugh. "And you, as always, my dear cousin, the gentleman with the sharpest tongue in all the kingdoms," she replied with a mock bow, noticing the surprised and slightly confused look on Celia's face. "And besides, you shouldn't speak like that in the presence of ladies."
"That's strange, I only see one," Jon retorted sarcastically, his eyes flicking between Erin and Celia. He was clearly teasing her about the old lords of the North and their never-ending criticism of his sister's "unladylike" ways. Though he was joking now, Erin knew that if he ever heard anyone insult her like that, he'd be the first to stand up for her.
Erin gave him a knowing look, before turning to him with an annoyed face. "Oi! Thank you for that, cousin," she said dryly, "But I think I'm capable of taking care of myself, even without your constant protection."
"I know you can," Jon replied with a grin, but his voice held a slight sincerity. "But it's nice to know I'm around, just in case."
Celia looked between them, still trying to piece together the banter. "Well, if you're done joking around, could you help me with these dresses? They're a lost cause."
Jon raised an eyebrow. "A lost cause? I thought we wrre talking about dresses not Erin"
Erin shot him a look, but Celia was already holding up another dress, looking at Jon like she expected him to weigh in.
"Is this one the right shade of blue?" she asked him, still holding it up.
Jon squinted at the dress, clearly not at all interested in fashion. "If it's blue, it's good enough for you, right? Just make sure it's not the same shade as the sky, or Erin will end up blending in with the clouds and be hard to spot when the brothel's busiest."
Erin rolled her eyes, annoyed.
Celia shot Erin a slightly exasperated look before turning back to Jon. "If you two are done making jokes, can we please get back to the dresses? I swear, Erin's wardrobe might be more complicated and intriguing than finding the leaks in my room."
"Wait, you have leaks? You never spoke to me about it, you want to change your chambers?"
Erin asked softly, after the new realization, though Celia just gave her a dismissive hand
"Its fine really. Its not that bad"
"How bad?" Jon popped in.
"I mean, its sucks that most of the leaks are close to my desk, and somewhere close to my matress but, its really-"
Celia got shut down, after seeing the knowing-faces of the cousins
"I'll seek for you to get a new room" Jon said lightly moving from the door, closer to Lola and offered her a small smile.
Celia a d became more friendly with each other over the years. Since she was always around, she became like part of the family aswell.
"Thank you, though, my dresses are untouched."
Erin grinned, unable to resist. "Yeah, thank gods, I'm not the one who insists on turning every fabric decision into a life-or-death situation."
Celia and Jon chuckled, taking a step into the room, his eyes scanning the mess of clothes. "Honestly, I'm amazed you can even move in here. I thought you were preparing for a trip, not hosting an exposition."
Celia crossed her arms. "You don't understand, Jon. The dress makes the lady. You can't just waltz into King's Landing looking like you've just come from a hunt. You'll make Erin stand out for all the wrong reasons."
Jon raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly is wrong with standing out? From where I stand, Erin could walk into any hall with that sword of hers and stand out far more than any dress ever could."
Erin grinned at him. "See? He gets it. It's not about the dress; it's about the attitude." She scoffed with her best sarcasm.
Lola sighed dramatically, clearly defeated by the duo's teasing. "Fine, fine. But don't say I didn't warn you when someone comments on how... 'refreshingly simple' your outfit is."
Erin laughed. "Oh, I'm sure you know all about the South's fashion scene, with all those times you've been there." She grinned. "I'll be sure to let them know I'm just making a statement. You know, simplicity is the new trend"
Jon nodded with mock seriousness. "Exactly. Who needs frills and silk when you've got the sharpest tongue in the room?"
Erin gave him a side-eye. "And here I was, thinking we were done with the compliments."
Celia shook her head, her expression a mix of fondness and frustration. "You two are impossible. It's like talking to a pair of stubborn wolves who won't stop bickering over who's the bigger one."
Jon smirked. "I think we both know who the bigger one is, Lola. It's definitely Erin. I'll g-"
Erin shot him a playful glare. "Oi! If I were bigger, I'd throw you out right now for that comment."
"I know," Jon said with an exaggerated air of grandeur. "However, you should hurry up and decide, because you're leaving at sunset."
"What?" Erin blurted out, her eyes widening. "I'm not ready yet!"
"Well, you're going to have to be," Jon shrugged, going toward the door.
"Yeah well, What happened to leaving tomorrow?" Erin asked, frowning.
"Snowstorm's on the way." He explained, "You'd better be out of Winterfell before it hits."
Great.
"You don't mind traveling on horseback, do you? I mean, it's not as fancy as a carriage, but it's much faster, but if you-"
"No, it's fine," Erin replied, her tone light.,. "Just make sure you don't destroy the castle while I'm gone, now hush, we have an emergency to attend"
"Alright, alright, I'll leave you two to your... dress crisis. But remember, you've got my advice: if it's blue, you're golden."
Without them understanding as single word, he backed out of the room, still chuckling as Erin and Lola returned to their endless clothing debate.
.
"Do you think you'll like King's Landing?" Jon asked as he loaded the horses with her bags.
"I hope so," Erin replied, running her fingers over the hilt of her sword. "It's just... so different from here. It'll take some time to adjust."
"I'm sure you'll manage," Jon offered a reassuring smile, though his tone was filled with an edge of teasing. "You'll probably be busy making a name for yourself in the capital. Just try not to get yourself into trouble while you're at it."
Erin rolled her eyes. "Who do you think I am, Jon? The last time I was there I was four. You know I can handle myself."
"Yes you are right.
You're not four anymore," he replied, raising a brow. "You're a lady. A lady who knows how to use a bow, fight with a sword, and keep herself from being dragged into some petty court game."
He leaned in closer, his voice lowering to a more serious tone. "Don't forget what people are like there, Erin. They might smile and be kind to you, but at the same time, they could be thinking you're a wreck, that you aren't a proper lady.
And then?
They'll spit and gossip, twisting lies about you."
Ha! Gods, please.
Because, of course, she needed a reminder that the court was full of two-faced vipers. What would she ever do without her wise, all-knowing cousin?
Probably trip over her own skirts and faint at the first sign of deception.
She scoffed. "First of all, I've never been there, so no, I don't know what people are like. Second, I'm not some stupid little girl who would fall for a pleasant smile and nothing more. I would've hoped you knew me better than that, cousin."
"I do, but it's hard anyway."