Chapter 18

The next few days passed in a blissful sort of serendipity for Laena. There was an air of calm to Winterfell that she hadn't seen anywhere else. The closest environment that came near it was the Eyrie and she hadn't been there for long enough to truly experience it.

But Winterfell, with its snow falling and grey skies and cold winds and utter silence, it was unlike anything she had ever seen before.

And she loved it.

The utter peace of the place was something completely foreign. In fact in her first week in the fortress, Laena wondered if this was the first total quiet she had ever experienced in this life. Even thinking of the word brought back memories of her time sitting in a tree right next to her home which towered above a dull shorn landscape.

The thick grey sky seemed to hang low over the very flat land and sometimes, the girl called Luna had sat in the branches of the tree, stared out at the horizon and imagined that she was able to see forever.

But here, there was none of that.

On their first night there, a small feast had been thrown in their honor with some minor lords in attendance. Laena had been seated between Ned and his younger sister Lyanna whom Laena could feel the tension practically rolling off of.

She had a feeling that she knew what it was about however. Ned had privately informed her in one of his letters that northerners were generally distrustful of outsiders and typically married amongst their own people.

It was one of the reasons she was glad that Baelor had come with her. He seemed to have a natural talent at diffusing tension in any situation and had no idea how to comprehend insults or take offense to anything. He talked to anyone and everyone while they were getting settled at Winterfell and it didn't take long before the servants were in love with him and she was able to see tentative smiles on the faces of the men.

Benjen Stark had taken to the little prince right away and had spent nearly the entire afternoon teaching him how to build a snow fort. After some prodding, Lyanna had gotten involved as well and her icy exterior had begun to melt.

Laena didn't begrudge the connections her brother was forging but there were times when she fervently wished she had his gift of audacity. He simply didn't care what others might say and was more focused on having a good time.

Then again, he was the youngest prince and as it stood, was not going to inherit much, hence he did not stand to lose much.

He also didn't seem to have much trouble making people feel included and valued at the tender age of four. And from the way Ned had observed the littlest prince, the princess had a feeling it was something he also appreciated.

And speaking of Ned, despite the best of intentions, they had been able to spend very little time together in the few days since her arrival. It was no one's fault, Laena had been busy attempting to get to know Winterfell and Ned had been very preoccupied with running his home as the head and main branch were somewhere away to the north.

Thankfully, Benjen was an attentive soul and he ensured that she had whatever she might need.

Her opinion of Lyanna hadn't been fully formed yet but from what she had observed she was a headstrong stubborn young woman who didn't like to be forced into a role.

Laena had a feeling that if she appealed to Lyanna's wilder desires, the two of them might just form a connection.

At the moment however, she found herself alone in her chambers, penning a very long letter to her mother and brother detailing their journey and arrival in Winterfell.

She had decided she would save mention of her trip to the Isle of Faces for a face to face meeting as there was simply too much there to be put down on a piece of paper.

Every so often, she would glance out her window and down into the courtyard and glimpse Benjen helping Baelor build a snowman and smile.

The snow had delighted her brother to the point where he wanted to be out in it almost every day and despite his lack of magic, the cold didn't seem to bother him.

She glanced back down at the page she was writing on and read over the words she had written briefly before chewing on the edge of her quill.

"Your grace?"

The blonde flinched slightly and looked up to find a familiar figure standing in the doorway and felt a smile come over her face.

Ned was standing there dressed in his furs and dark grey leathers and tall boots watching her. There was a sparkle in his eyes that cancelled out any smile he might have worn.

"Yes my lord?" she asked carefully setting the parchment aside.

He hesitated for a moment before stepping into the room. "I feel I must apologize your grace, running Winterfell has kept me inordinately busy and I haven't been able to show you around."

Laena frowned slightly and cocked her head to one side. "There is no need to apologize Ned. You've been thrust into a role that you didn't expect. I would be concerned if you weren't taking it seriously."

Ned ran a hand through his dark hair, somehow making it more unruly. "Be that as it may your grace, there are some things I would like to show you. Might I do that now if you are not too busy?"

Laena immediately got to her feet. "Of course Ned, I would be honored. Allow me to just retrieve my cloak and boots and we can go."

She hurried across the room and took a soft grey cloak off its hook near the bed, tucking her feet into the tall boots she had brought with her just after. She hurriedly buttoned up the cloak and then strode across the room so she was standing in front of her betrothed. "Where to first?"

Ned solemnly held out his arm, allowing her to take it. "I thought we would start with my favorite place in the entire keep."

With that cryptic explanation, he led her out of the room and down the hall nodding to servants who bowed as they passed the couple.

"How is Lyanna?" Laena asked as they descended the stairs and emerged into the great hall. "I've barely seen her these last few days."

Ned grimaced slightly and ran a hand through his hair again. "My sister…is one of those individuals who marches to the beat of her own drum. She hasn't really been….thrilled with the changes that life has taken."

"My arrival you mean?" Laena asked and Ned was silent for a moment.

"Not only that," he said honestly. "But I know the prospect of her upcoming marriage has been weighing on her."

"She doesn't like the choice of a husband?"

"No, and a part of me fears she may do something drastic in order to get out of it."

"Has it been announced yet?"

"No, but I know that my father intended to do so before he left in search of Brandon. He will no doubt announce it when he returns."

Laena noticed the slight stress he placed on the word when and her eyes narrowed slightly. She had a feeling the hole left by his father in the fabric of Winterfell's world was being felt by all but most profoundly by Ned.

She wished there was some way she could help him.

A thought occurred to her then and she considered it a moment before speaking up. "Is it the idea of marriage that Lyanna is opposed to….or is it the person?"

Ned paused slightly in his stride through the great hall and she could tell that this was a notion that he had considered before from the way his brow furrowed.

"Truthfully I think that its both. But her opinion of Robert has influenced her opinion of marriage in a negative way."

"Hmm," Laena said thinking hard. "So if she were to be betrothed to someone who was different from Robert…someone who encouraged her passions and supported her desires and didn't try to expect things of her that she wasn't ready or willing to give….would her opinions then change?"

To this, it seemed Ned had nothing to say for a while.

"I would hope so," he said finally. "However my sister is like a tempest. She comes and she goes as she wills and her mind changes so often that I cannot help but wonder if I will ever truly understand her."

"She is surrounded by men all the time?" Laena teased gently. "In that regard, her and I have a lot in common. She has no sisters and neither do I. We are both protective of our brothers and yet there were many times growing up where I wished I had a sister whose heart I could share."

Ned surprised her then by stopping in the doorway of the great hall and turning to face her. He took both of her hands in his and fixed her with a look that was so sincere it was almost painful.

"I had hoped that you might be that person for her," he said softly. "I know she can be rough around the edges but soon enough, you will be joining this family. It is very important to me that all members of my family get along."

Laena blinked, stunned by the admission and scrambled for words for a moment. It touched her that Ned seemed to have such confidence in her that she would provide a sisterly outlet for Lyanna. Truthfully it was something that she hoped as well. She would just need to figure out what it was that Lyanna liked and meet her on that level.

Ned led her out of the doors of the great hall and into the blowing snow of the courtyard. The sky was a pale pearl color and promised no signs of weather relief for the rest of the day, but Laena didn't mind.

The sound of high pitched laughter invaded her thoughts and she glanced down the stairs into the courtyard where a highly amused Ser Barristan stood watching the youngest Stark and the youngest Targaryen frolic about in the snow.

They had been in the process of constructing a snow man but had at some point abandoned it in favor tossing snow at each other and laughing hysterically.

Baelor's cheeks were red but Laena wasn't sure if it was from the laughter or the cold.

She glanced at Ned who was watching the scene with what seemed no small amount of delight. "Shall we halt the tour for a moment and join them?"

He looked down at her and there was no hiding the smile on his face this time. "Certainly."

The pair strode towards the younger boys, stopping a few feet away and regarding the situation for a moment.

Ser Barristan noticed the pair coming and bowed slightly, the small smile evident on his face.

"What's going on here?" Ned said with mock sternness.

Immediately the laughter was cut off and both boys looked up to see the acting Lord of Winterfell looking at them seriously.

"Hello Ned," Benjen said with a smile, seemingly unfazed by his brother's tone. "I was just showing Baelor here how to make a man out of the snow and he decided it would be a better idea if he covered me with snow instead."

In response, he gave a rather high pitched shriek when Laena's little brother chose that moment to sneak up on him and dump some snow down his collar.

Laena bit down hard on her lower lips to keep from smiling. She glared hard at the snow and attempted to adopt a stern expression but it was utterly useless.

She glanced at Ned and found a similar expression on his face, the right side of his mouth twitching upwards.

"Come play with us Laena!" Baelor called out, squealing with delight as Benjen tried to tackle him. "We'll have a snowball fight!"
Laena glanced at Ned, a small smile working its way across her face. "A snowball fight?"

To her surprise a touch of pink entered his cheeks and he ran a hand through his hair. "We always used to play it when we were children. It was Ben and myself against Lyanna and Brandon all the time."

"Who usually won?" Laena asked.

"It depended," Ned said. "Usually on whoever threw the snow faster and how quick the balls were made. Sometimes it was me and Ben, sometimes it was

Lyanna and Brandon. But as always, we ended up soaking wet."

"And then we'd all go into the Great Hall and sit in front of the fireplace and dry off!" Ben chimed in. His cheeks were as red as two ripe apples and Laena wasn't sure if it was from the cold or from laughter. "Sometimes we'd even drag blankets in and sleep in front of it!"

The princess clasped her hands together with delight and gazed up at her betrothed. "Ned do you think we could do that? Sometime soon before your father returns? I know Baelor would love it and I would too. It might….take some of the tension off."

The quiet wolf blinked for a second before looking down at her and surprising her with a small smile. "That sounds like an excellent idea your grace. I believe we're supposed to get more snow tomorrow, the clouds certainly look it. What if we did it then?"

Laena's response was interrupted by a small blonde blur that launched itself at Ned and nearly bowled him over.

Baelor had wrapped his small arms around his soon to be good brother's legs and was holding on for dear life. "Thank you Ned! Thank you! Thank you!"

Laena had to bite down hard on her tongue to keep from bursting into laughter at the bewildered expression on Ned's face. But when he looked down at her brother, she was surprised to see the affection shining in those still grey eyes.

If anything, it endeared her to him more.

He reached down for Baelor's arms and gently extricated himself from them before crouching down in front of the littlest Targaryen. "Your very welcome your grace. But I need you to do something for me before that happens."

"What is it?" Baelor asked, little eyes wide.

"You haven't shown me how well you can ride a pony yet," Ned said and Baelor's eyes went wide. "Do you think you could show me that before we do this?"

Baelor nodded and Laena wondered how on earth her betrothed had managed to wind her little brother around his finger so fast.

If I didn't know any better I would say he's a wizard too.

"Good," Ned said getting to his feet. He sounded very pleased with himself. "Ben do you think you and the prince could go to the stables and saddle his pony so that when I get back from showing the princess around we may see his skills?"

Ben was grinning and shaking his head. "Of course, whatever you say."

"Come on Ben!" Baelor fairly shouted as he grabbed hold of the youngest Stark's hand. "Let's saddle your horse too!"

He likely would have flown to the stables if it hadn't been for Ben holding him back, as it was he was all but dragging the youngest Stark along behind him.

Ser Barristan smiled at Laena and nodded before following along behind the pair and chuckling all the while.

"Mother have mercy, what am I going to do with him," Laena muttered as she ran a hand through her curls. "I don't know how its possible but he somehow seems to have even more energy here than he did in the capital."

"It's the air your grace," Ned said almost cheerfully. "I find that fresh air can cure nearly every malady. Besides, its good for growing children."

"Well I can't argue with that," Laena said wryly as she took his arm and the pair continued on through the snowy courtyard. "I think you have succeeded in doing an excellent job of making him not want to go back."

"The prince would be most welcome to stay for as long as he wishes," Ned said quietly causing his betrothed to blink at him. "I don't think Ben would mind it at all if he did. He's always wanted a younger brother."

"I think they get on so well because they're both the youngest," Laena mused. "Baelor's always been chasing after my brothers and sometimes they ignore him because there's such an age difference. Other than Rhaegar and myself and mother, he hasn't really had someone doting on him."

"I can tell Ben loves it," Ned said quietly but with no less warmth. "I want to thank you for bringing him."

Laena chuckled. "He brought himself Ned, I certainly didn't do anything. Even if your letter had said nothing about him, he would have saddled his own pony and ridden out of the capital on his own or else stowed away in my luggage."

The quiet wolf smiled and seeing it sent a thrill through Laena. He smiled so infrequently that seeing it was enough to light her up from the inside. She resolved to try and make him smile at least once a day for the foreseeable future.

"What was it that you wanted to show me?" she asked, shaking off the momentary distraction.

"This," Ned said and it wasn't until he had spoken that she realized they had come to a stop.

Laena blinked when she saw that they were standing outside of Winterfell's enormous godswood.

She had glimpsed the trees poking over the top of Winterfell's towers on the day of their arrival and she had been eager to see it but somehow over the past few days had never gotten the chance.

She turned to Ned. "Why does it feel as if this is the most mysterious spot in the entire keep?"

"It is my favorite spot," Ned said quietly. "So I thought it only fitting that I share it with you. This is going to be your home too after all."

He led her quickly beneath the shadow of the trees and they hid the burn of her cheeks from his softly impassioned words.

Home….what a wonderful feeling.

"Now I thought we might begin with the godswood," he said. "Because I think if anyone were to ask my father what his most favoured retreat was in all of the north he would answer with this as well."

Laena frowned slightly. "Really? Why?"

To her surprise the smile that formed on Ned's face was rather secretive. "I think perhaps it would be better if I were to show it to you rather than try to explain my lady. You will know why when you see it."

"Very well."

He was silent as he led her beneath the trees and down a path that seemed to cut right through the wood.

As Ned led her through them, Laena found herself dazzled by the beauty of their towering branches and enormous trunks.

It was one of the most beautiful forests she had ever seen and was far more impressive than the godswood they had in the Red Keep.

But I suppose that weirwood trees and godswoods can't fully be appreciated unless one were to see a northern one and then compare the two of them. The differences are striking.

Ned led her into the forest and once the sight of the keep had disappeared completely behind them, an intense quiet seemed to settle over the young couple.

Even the distant sounds of Baelor and Benjen's conversation had faded away.

Laena honestly felt as if would be wrong to talk as she walked beneath the majestic branches of the weirwood trees. The faces carved in their trunks were red with sap and ever watchful of the world around them.

The silence was all encompassing and the only thing other than the abject peace in the air for her was the pressure her hand was exerting on Ned's arm as the two walked side by side into the heart of the godswood.

And then she saw it.

With shafts of dull light coming down through the still growing leaves in the trees and a light dusting of snow on the ground, Laena nearly stumbled to a stop at the picture before her that was coming into focus.

It was surely the most beautiful thing she had ever seen…..in this life and the one before it.

Before her, nestled in a clearing was the most enormous tree she had ever seen. It bark was a stark white color as perfect an ivory as she had ever seen, unblemished by the dark streaks of a birch or the knots of an oak.

Its leaves were a deep red color like that of a red maple and there were thousands of them. A face was carved in its heart just like all the other trees. But against the white bark of this tree the red sap was all the more striking.

There were several rocks situated at the base of the tree and half covered in moss and perfect for sitting on beside the most beautiful pool she had ever seen.

It was only perhaps twenty feet long and ten feet wide, was as calm and as clear as glass and one could see all the leaves in the trees above in the waters of that pool. No birds sang and not even a breath of wind blew in that place but it was not necessary.

Nothing more was needed for this place to be complete perfection for it had achieved that standard already.

Laena was slowly aware of her dropping her hand that was on Ned's arm and slowly walking forward.

Shafts of sunlight came down through the trees and lit certain parts of the water. Her feet crunched on the snow as she walked on the uneven ground and she had to be careful of the protruding roots, but at the moment she really didn't care.

The moment she reached the edge of the pool, the blonde bent down, uncaring of the snow around her and ran her fingers gently across the surface of the water. It was cold but she barely noticed it.

Ned must have noticed the awed look on her face as she got to her feet once more, and walked slowly over to her. "As I said your grace, there isn't really a way to describe it until one sees it for themselves."

"It's without words," the princess said softly. She knew she was acting rather out of character for the whimsical Laena Targaryen but surely when faced with the perfection of this place it could be overlooked.

She lifted up her long skirts and walked over to the heart tree before running her hand almost reverently down its face. Her fingers came away sticky but when she brought her hand to her nose to smell the sap and a spicy sweet scent filled her senses, she had no desire to wipe it away.

She looked up at her betrothed who was watching her carefully and smiled before closing her eyes. "I think I understand now. I could stay here for hours. It's more beautiful than anything I've ever seen in the south."

She could tell that her words pleased Ned and she had meant every word of them. Even as Luna Lovegood, she couldn't remember seeing anything this beautiful before.

He took her hand and led the two of them to some of the rocks so that they might sit.

It thrilled Laena that he wanted to talk with her in so intimate a setting. If he was willing to share this part of his home with her, a part that was almost sacred in its tangibility, than she had no doubts that this would be a marriage that it wouldn't be hard to love each other in.

She felt a flutter in her stomach as she sat and folded her hands in her lap before staring at the water, wishing she had had a place like this to retreat to when she was a small looney Ravenclaw. She would have spent hours here just reading. No one would have been able to find her.

Laena knew that this was where all the future lords of Winterfell had married in the last several hundred years, since the days of the first men even. She couldn't think of a more perfect place for her wedding.

"Do you like it?" Ned asked finally and she laughed gently. "There are very few things in my life that have had the power to render me speechless and this one of them. I think that is your answer my lord."

He chuckled deep in his throat and the princess decided right then and there that Ned's smile and his laugh were her favorite things about him so far.

No, she thought as she watched Lord Rickard's second son. I don't think it's going to be very hard for me to love him.

"I believe I would be proud to call this place my home," she said softly, so softly that she missed the look of pleasure in his eyes.

"I had hoped you would like it," he said softly. "We may not be here for very long but I wish for you to be as connected to this place as I am."

Laena frowned, startled from her reverie of staring at the Heart Tree. "Where are we going?"

Ned sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "My father before he disappeared to the Wall told me that he had decided on a holdfast for me. He didn't tell me what it was but I have my suspicions that it was Moat Cailin."

Laena frowned as she remembered seeing a glimpse of the rundown keep in the distance on their journey north. It was definitely in need of some reconstructions.

"Its very south," she pointed out. "And quite near the Neck."

Ned grimaced a bit and ran a hand through his already unruly hair. "Yes, there is that and though the Neck is nothing to us northerners, its great swamp has always been a source of discontent to the southern travelers who have come across it."

He looked at her and the look in his eyes was almost apologetic as if he was sorry he was asking her to live with him outside of a swamp.

Laena almost wanted to laugh as she pictured a much smaller blonde knee deep in a marsh helping her father search for Salt Marsh cutworms as the slime they emitted prevented hair loss.

If only Ned knew.

She instead offered her betrothed a reassuring smile. "I think in this case Ned, I will have a way to make myself more comfortable living near a swamp."

He blinked at her and then understanding clear his face and her offered her a small smile. "I suppose that's true. Perhaps there is a way to lessen its stench altogether."

Laena eyed him carefully and realized that he wasn't as much a fan of rotting plants and murky water as he let on and smiled slightly. "It's a swamp Ned. If it didn't stink a bit, people might find it odd."

He nodded. "And it is an important stronghold. It commands the causeway and is the safest route for armies to travel through the swamps, though we have no need of such things now."

The way he said the last sentence caused Laena to frown. The words almost sounded ominous.

She turned back to the heart tree and placed one hand upon the face engraved in its white trunk and slowly ran her fingers down the ancient features, wondering who had carved it, wondering what had given them the inspiration and whether or not this was what the face of one of the Old Gods looked like.

Merlin, but the north was ancient.

"You look troubled your grace," Ned asked from behind her. "Is something wrong?"

The blonde shook her head, violet eyes still locked on the ancient face. "No….but sometimes I wonder how much or how little we know about the world around us."

There was a brief pause to one side. "I'm afraid I don't follow."

Laena sighed and seated herself rather heavily on the stone bench before the Heart Tree. "I suppose its time I tell you what happened on our journey here."

Ned's eyes were narrowed as he glanced down at her and she could read concern in those grey eyes. "What happened your grace?"

She exhaled slowly, feeling as if she were beginning to deflate. "You had better sit down. I think this story is going to be difficult to comprehend standing."

Once he had done so, she told him. She told him all about arriving in Riverrun, not being able to sleep on one of the nights in that keep, waking up to find

Baelor under a trance and walking down the hall, hearing him speak with a voice that was not his own and glimpsing those eerie white eyes, following him into the bowels of Riverrun where he opened the door to a long unused room, seeing an ancient tree there, touching it and being transported to the Isle of Faces.

She told him that once there, the strange host had kept a hold of Baelor and they had been greeted by men in long green cloaks, some with horns and emerald skin.

Ned was a scarily good listener and his constancy listening to her tell this bizarre story impressed Laena.

But when she reached the part about being greeted by the Green Man himself, Ned sat back on his haunches as if he had been struck. "Truly? You saw the Green Man, spoke to him? We have heard tales of strange goings on in the south but never something so bold. What did he look like if I may ask?"

Laena thought of Addam Velaryon with his long pale hair, protruding horns and violet eyes standing out like two stars framed against a green sky. She shuddered slightly, wondering just how much she should tell Ned about him.

"He was….different," she said finally and then hurried to amend her response, knowing that it was a weak one. "But I suppose that you might expect that given who he is."

"What did he say?" Ned asked and for once she was thankful that his astuteness had been overshadowed by his surprise.

"He…He gave me a warning," Laena said in a low voice and the pregnant silence that followed her words was enough of an indication of Ned's surprise.

"A warning?" he asked finally in a voice so low that she barely heard him. "What sort of a warning?"

"I had a vision," the princess replied after a long time. "A vision of a place that is both dead and alive."

There was a slight susurration amongst the leaves on the ground as Ned knelt down in front of her, forcing her violet eyes to meet his grey ones. He didn't ask any other questions but he didn't need to. The inquiry was strong enough to pull the story from her without words.

So she told him. She told him about her vision, the long hall made of earth and ice, the chill in the air, so sharp and brittle that no human bones could take it.

She told him about the dead tree and the creatures that weren't altogether recognizable.

And then she told him about the chair…the great grey twisted chair, fit only for a twisted being a twisted being alone.

Finally….Finally she told him about the creature sitting on the chair with its cadaverous features and its crown and its eyes.

By the time she finished, she was trembling as if from an unshakable chill and fingers felt cold to the touch.

All of a sudden a pair of large, very warm hands wrapped around hers and stilled the trembling in them with a single touch.

Even though Ned's face had gone pale, his eyes had gone very still, much the pool they were sitting in front of.

"And then?" he asked in a voice barely higher than a whisper.

"It….It came toward me," Laena continued, her words nearly constricted by the tightness in her throat. "It seemed to know who I was…and why I was there.

And then…..this happened."

She held out her hand, concentrated for but a moment and then felt the familiar warmth dance across her palm. When she looked at it, a concentrated flame was dancing atop her skin as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"The flame?" Ned asked as if confused.

"It wasn't just a singular flame," Laena explained. "The creature reached out a hand toward me and then all of a sudden, a wall of fire roared to life between us. I wasn't sure if I had erected it or if it was just a result of uncontrollable magic. Whatever it was, it seemed to enrage the creature. It uttered this peculiar scream and then thrust its hand towards me….and it put out the fire."

"And then?" Ned asked.

"And then I came back to myself on the Isle of Faces," Laena replied. "My distant relative said it was a warning."

"A warning?" Stark asked sounding genuinely alarmed. "A warning about what?"

Laena was silent for a long time, rubbing her hands together that were suddenly cold. She clenched and unclenched them slowly, willing the fire back into them. It took a long time for them to feel warm again.

"Something's awake Ned," she finally whispered. "Something evil."

Ω

The sound of pounding feet in the hallway caused Laena to fly up from her bed in shock.

There was a light coming through the crack beneath the door that flickered and then died as if someone had run past it carrying a torch.

There was a pause outside of the door and then a barked greeting and breathless words followed by a knock on the door.

Her heart in her throat, the blonde stumbled out of bed and threw her robe and boots on before hurrying to the door.

"Ser Barristan, what's going on?" she asked the Kingsguard standing outside of it.

The old knight's face looked pale in the light of the torches. "There seems to be some sort of commotion in the godswood your grace. An…An unnatural red light. Lord Eddard has asked for you to come immediately."

Laena swallowed hard, wondering just what other supernatural appearances were going to happen next. Just as she stepped out of the room and shut the doors behind her, the sound of loud footsteps rang in the corridor and the princess looked up in time to see Ned and his siblings in somewhat rumpled clothing hurrying towards them.

"What is going on?" Laena demanded.

In the pale light of the torches, Ned looked pale. He appeared to swallow hard and then steeled himself as he looked at her.

"Your grace, I'm not certain how to say this…but it would appear that Prince Baelor has gone into the godswood with one of the guards. And all who saw him…..said that his eyes were stark white."

An intense chill crawled up Laena's skin and a breath of silence passed before she turned on her heel and all but ran down the hall, Ser Barristan and the Stark siblings in hot pursuit.

In the back of her mind, Laena could tell that there were voices calling her name but she didn't respond or stop.

After a wild ride down the stairs and into the great hall, she ran to the heavy doors at the end and wrenched them open before darting out into the blowing snow.

She could see the godswood in the distance and nearly came to a screeching halt when she saw that the sky above it was shining an eerie white.

"Your grace!"

She jerked slightly when Ned came to a stop beside her, Lyanna and Benjen beside him.

"What is that?" Lyanna asked in a hushed whisper and Laena swallowed hard, her mouth very dry. "If it is what I think it is…..then nothing good."

"Well let's go," Benjen said looking very determined. "We need to make sure that the prince is alright."

Those words were all Laena needed to hear before she was off again.

She didn't even hesitate before entering the godswood but the further they moved through the trees, the brighter the white light grew, as did her trembling.

Finally they came to the clearing and Laena had to grab hold of one of the tree branches so great was her shock.

There were startled curses and exclamations from Lyanna Benjen and Ser Barristan and Ned's shock must have been as great as her own for he didn't even reprimand his siblings.

There, standing before the Heart Tree was the small figure of Baelor. He was standing stalk still and his hand was pressed against the face engraved into the trunk. The face itself was all aglow, casting a bright light that was nearly blinking.

There was an energy on the air that was causing it to nearly hum and Laena felt the hairs on her arms stand on end.

Somehow she managed to stumble forward. "Baelor? What….What is this? What are you doing?"

There was a long and terrible pause but then her small brother shocked her by turning almost mechanically to face her. When she saw his face, she gasped and stumbled back a step as if she had been burned.

The air suddenly felt very hot and there was a scent in the air like that of burning wood.

Her brother's violet eyes had disappeared and were now as stark a white as his hair. Before her very eyes he seemed as if he had grown a hundred years.

Finally he opened his mouth and spoke and it was like the earth itself had decided to speak for how deep and dark and terrible it was.

"Child of fire," he said. "You are well met indeed. You must fulfill the pact of ice and fire that was forged long ago but never connected. A wolf and a dragon must go north. The enemy has awoken, the pack thins but must remain strong through the storm. Winter is coming."

And then the light disappeared, and Baelor slumped forward into the snow.

Ω

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Don't forget to subscribe to my Youtube channel if you have not already. The Channel name is Kaetie Mac. I would greatly appreciate any new subscribers. I hope you all have a merry christmas and a happy new year!