Chapter Text
The party from Winterfell had arrived at Harrenhal mere hours before, the grounds already lavishly prepared for the tournament being held there. It hadn’t taken long for Lyanna to wander away from her brothers and explore on her own as she so often would at home. She couldn’t help but be drawn to the noise and excitement; so different was it from the life she was used to. There were tents raised in house colors, Lyanna spying the crimson Lannister banners in one group while further on black and red dragons marked the royal housing. Voices drifted toward her, knights jesting with each other, raised in greeting as they met old friends. Being among strangers was nothing short of a relief for Lyanna after news of her betrothal to Robert Baratheon. It would be much easier to avoid the Lord of Storm’s End as well as her father in a crowd and she was soon blissfully lost in anonymity. Soon a few voices caught her attention, though the sources were hidden behind tents just on the outskirts of the grounds. At first it reminded Lyanna of when her brothers would spar with each other in the training yard but as they grew closer she could tell this was no innocent fight. As she turned the corner the figures finally came into focus. Three squires were standing before her, the oldest no more than fifteen, distracted by a smaller boy in front of them who seemed to have been pushed to the ground by the looks of his mud-spattered armor. A spear was next to him just out of his reach, fingertips brushing the wood as he tried to grasp it.
“Whatsa matter frog, I though you’d like being in the mud?” One of the squires asked the boy, his laugh causing Lyanna’s fist to clench involuntarily. Now that she was close enough to study the boy’s face she could see he was clearly not a boy at all but a man gown. It could have been her imagination but Lyanna was almost certain the sludge next to him was streaked with blood.
“I didn’t mean any harm, honest!” Came the response. “I was just passing by.” There were more sniggers and a different squire moved forward trying to land a kick. Before he had the chance Lyanna felt herself rush to stand between them. It seemed to take squire by surprise, at least for a moment, as he seemed unable to speak, his companions equally silent.
“Leave him alone.” Lyanna’s voice was steady and clear. This time her words were enough to elicit a response. As the squire stepped toward Lyanna her gaze strayed to his armor, which bore two towers outlined in a brilliant blue.
“What’ve we got here? What does a lady like you care about the likes of ‘im anyway?” He spat at the ground below him, using his sword as leverage to stand as he did.
“He’s my father’s bannerman.” Lyanna cried. Her voice was even as she lied, having never laid eyes on this man before in her life. “And you have no business hurting him.” There was more laughter at her answer and now she could feel the crescents of her nails digging into her palm. As the squire turned to share his amusement with the others Lyanna saw her chance while he was distracted. Rushing forward she swept the sword out of his hand, causing his balance to falter enough to send him into the mud. Though Lyanna had never been allowed to train with her brothers she knew enough from mimicking what she’d watched them doing in the yard.
“I told you to leave him alone.” She hissed, repeating herself. Scrambling to stand, the squire did not seem eager to approach her again. The same could not be said for the other two who looked affronted they would have to defend their honor from a woman. Their swords were raised and Lyanna skirted to her left as they loomed closer. As the first boy reached her she ducked his weapon, deftly avoiding the hit. She was behind him then, a blow from her leg sweeping his own out from under him. Another moment and the second squire had nearly reached her. Before he had the chance to close the distance Lyanna ran at her full power, hoping to use surprise to her advantage. That was always Ned’s undoing in a fight, as she had heard Brandon say a thousand times. He relied far too much on planning and was never prepared for the unexpected. The sheer force of her strike sent him flying backward, a horrified sort of expression on his face as he landed on the ground.
There was the sound of sloshing mud while the three squires struggled to their feet as fast as they could. Without another word they scattered in different directions. Lyanna felt sure none of them would be eager to spread the story of how they’d been bested by a woman.