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When they met in their dreams it was always in the same Godswoods. It wasn't Winterfell Godswood. She had never been to this place in the real world but she knew it very well at that point, initially she thought it might be somewhere Howland knew, but he said that was not the case. Although they both agreed it was in the north, the plants and trees were all familiar, and more than that, it felt like the north, it felt like being at home. It felt very different from the world outside her dreams.
In that dream she hugged him first, she always had to hug him first. Even in this place, and after all that time he never allowed himself not to be aware of the degrees of nobility that separated them. After her arms were tight against his body he allowed himself to hug her back, stroking her hair and occasionally kissing her forehead lightly. In the world outside her dreams she was often kissed, her mouth, her neck, her thighs, but just in here she was kissed like that.
"Is Ned?" She asked first, as in every dream since the day he told her about the Mad King burning her father and Brandon alive.
“Alive and well”
“Any news from Benjen?”
“Still in the North, being Stark in Winterfell as far as I know”
She was jealous for a second but stopped the feeling before it spread, the situation of no one in her family was enviable no matter what part of Westeros they were in. Be it Benjen's, or Ned's, or hers, or the child growing in her womb. She sat on a large mossy rock and Howland sat beside her.
"What's the matter, Lya?"
"I'm pregnant, I wasn't sure before, but I have now"
"Alright ... congratulations?"
“I love your hesitation before you say that”
“A child makes things more complicated, I'm not sure what Robert would do to a Rhaegar child if he wins”
“I know, he will kill him or her. Are you going to keep my secret? ”
"I keep all the others, what's one more?"
"And the most important"
"Because maybe he will be king?"
“No, because I don't want him to be. I want him growing up in Winterfell, I want him at home ”
"I'll bring him there, I promise"
"That's sweet Howland, but I don't think anyone could promise me that with things the way they are."
"Then I promise I will do my best to help you"
"I already knew that without any need for a promise, but thank you ... now let's walk a little, this is the only place I can stretch my legs "
"As you wish," he said, got up and offered his hand for her to get up.
She took his hand and didn't let go as they walked through the godswood. Howland didn't comment on that, but he noticed, she was sure of it.
"Do you think this place exists somewhere in the real world?"
“I'm not sure, maybe so. Maybe we'll meet there someday ”
Lyanna smiled thinking about it. She doubted that would happen, but it was nice to dream.
