Ser Jorah Mormont was still covered in thick linen bandages and smelled strongly of vinegar and healing herbs when he formally asked Leyton Hightower, the Lord of Oldtown, for the hand of his youngest daughter in marriage.
What thoroughly surprised every single person present in the grand hall was that the Lord of House Hightower did not immediately give a refusal.
Instead, the older lord turned his head and calmly asked his daughter for her own personal wishes on the matter.
"He made me a queen, father. I would be a fool not to marry him," Lynesse answered without a single shred of hesitation.
Ra was present in the hall at that moment as well. He watched the interaction closely, his sharp eyes easily discerning that the young girl was incredibly naive and deeply sheltered from the harsh realities of the world.
Ra had absolutely nothing against Jorah Mormont, and he had even grown to like the northern knight during their time together, but he could see as clear as day that a marriage between this fragile southern girl and Jorah Mormont would not be a happy one.
Though the thought weighed heavily on his mind, the custodian chose to bite his tongue.
He fully suspected that Lord Leyton would ultimately reject Jorah's bold proposal even with the words on his daughter.
To his genuine surprise, the Lord of House Hightower agreed to the northern Lord'd proposal.
Ra and Ned Stark looked at each other the moment the formal announcement was made. A brief, shared look of surprise passed between the two men before they both looked back toward the giddy, blushing Lynesse and the broadly smiling Jorah.
It did not take much time at all for the official date and the grand venue of the wedding to be set.
The wedding was scheduled to happen immediately after the tourney concluded, taking place inside the grand Sept of Lannisport under the watchful eyes of the Faith of the Seven.
In his own mind, Ned strongly objected to the venue.
House Mormont had been devout followers of the Old Gods for thousands of years, and the Lord of Winterfell might have even spoken up on the matter if Jorah had not immediately agreed to the sept wedding as quickly as he had.
The Mormont knight was almost desperate in seeking the approval and recognition of his future good-father, eagerly agreeing to every single condition the moment Lord Hightower spoke the words.
Ned could only let out a heavy sigh as he turned to instruct some of his personal northern guards to assist with the upcoming wedding arrangements.
Meanwhile, Ra quietly left the hall to procure a suitable wedding gift from a wealthy merchant of Nightshade who happened to be passing through Lannisport.
| The Next Day |
Robert Baratheon lived for days like these. He fancied himself a true warrior king and a hero above all else.
What truly made his heart feel alive after it had been ruthlessly ripped from his chest with the tragic death of Lyanna Stark was the chaotic thrill of a good battle.
A real battle involving real, flesh and blood men was exactly what the king had meticulously arranged for the day. Thirty battle hardened Northmen, numerous aspiring southern knights, and even a few lesser lordlings were currently fighting tooth and nail inside the dusty arena.
Robert roared with pure delight as the bloody melee raged on below the royal box, the dry soil of the arena quickly becoming decorated with the fresh blood of competing warriors.
The king looked back over his shoulder and clicked his tongue in mild disappointment when he noticed that Ra was not present at the moment. He did, however, give Ned a brief nod of acknowledgment before turning his eyes back to the violence ahead.
Earlier that morning, Ra had been walking on his way toward the arena when he was suddenly intercepted by Ser Jorah Mormont.
"Could I have a moment of your time, ser?" the knight asked nervously.
Ra naturally responded to the anxious man with a courteous nod of his head.
"You see, my wife-to-be deeply admires Princess Elia, and she greatly admires you as well," Jorah explained, a visible hint of shame seeping through his facial expression. "Could you possibly spare her half an hour of your time over a cup of tea?"
Jorah was not at all jealous about his young betrothed's unusual request.
He could easily see a genuine sense of wonder in Lynesse's eyes whenever she spoke of the legendary custodian, a childlike wonder rather than any sort of romantic interest.
Furthermore, the Mormont lord had calculated that it would significantly elevate his own impression in his future good-father's eyes if he could successfully arrange a private meeting between a renowned warrior like Ra and the young Lady Hightower.
Ra naturally gleaned all of that information from the knight's posture and demeanor, successfully suppressing the sudden urge to shake his head at the man's desparate maneuvering.
"Lead the way," Ra consented to the man's request, agreeing simply because Jorah was Alysane's older cousin.
Jorah smiled broadly and gestured politely with his hand before he started walking briskly in the direction of Lynesse's private chambers, where his wife to be was currently waiting anxiously for a personal meeting with a literal knight in shining armor.
Jorah eventually paused in front of a heavy wooden door guarded by two stern men from Oldtown.
The guards offered a respectful bow to Ra before opening the door and letting the armored custodian enter the room.
Jorah peered inside for a brief second to see Lynesse sitting gracefully on a velvet settee with the flawless poise of a highborn noble lady.
He offered a quick wink to his wife to be and immediately left the area.
He was not allowed any private time alone with her until the actual wedding day because of the strict orders of her lord father.
"It is an absolute honor, ser," Lynesse said, an eager and bright smile lighting up her face.
She gestured gracefully for Ra to take a seat on a large, comfortable chair opposite her, quickly pouring him some hot tea the moment he sat down.
"The honor is entirely mine, my lady," Ra said politely. He accepted the delicate teacup with a nod before taking a slow sip.
"Do please forgive me for any unnecessary trouble I may be causing you today," the young girl said with a slight bow of her head. "You are a living legend, ser. I simply had to request my husband-to-be to arrange this meeting for me."
"There is no trouble at all, my lady. I genuinely wished to see you as well," Ra said with a gentle wave of his hand, a calm smile resting on his face.
By now, the custodian fully knew that the young girl sitting in front of him had likely never heard the word no in her entire life, and he could precisely see the difficult future awaiting her in the frozen North.
The girl gave a short, delighted giggle, entirely believing that the warrior was just saying those kind words to be polite to her.
Ra simply smiled, and a quiet silence lingered between them for a brief moment as he took another sip of his tea.
"How exactly did the North agree with you, ser?" the girl asked curiously once the quiet moment passed.
"It is incredibly cold, my lady. The beds are entirely made of thick furs and heavy wool. Mummers rarely pass by the castles. And I think it is entirely safe to say that the North is not known for its beautiful music," Ra said honestly.
The girl's bright smile went noticeably stiff at his blunt words.
"It is the people who truly make the North what it is, my lady. They are undeniably gruff and blunt, but they are also fiercely honest. That is a rare trait that has helped me love the northern lands," Ra added.
He spoke every single word clearly, filling them with deep meaning.
The custodian had used a very slight touch of legilimency on Lynesse, easily figuring out exactly what she cherished most in life.
Her internal answers were identical to those of most noble ladies of the south.
She wished to lay comfortably on beds of fine silk with colorful mummers performing in her grand halls when the sun was up, and the soft, beautiful tunes of sweet music playing when the sun would set.
And though his worlds Ra had given her a glimpse of her future in the north.
Through in the end, Ra had deliberately given her an option, offering a subtle suggestion to open her mind to the people of the North even if she currently considered them to be savages.
Ra could see that the girl seemed to be thinking deeply about his words, but she was still not entirely ready to look at the harsh reality of the world.
"I greatly admire Princess Elia and her incredible journey," the girl suddenly said, using the statement as a quick way to brush off her own uncomfortable thoughts, and also because it was genuinely true.
Young ladies all across the Seven Kingdoms were told the inspiring story of Princess Elia Martell, viewing her as a woman of immense strength and legendary character because she had successfully gained the absolute love and unwavering loyalty of a walking legend.
She was still called the Flower of Dorne for her great beauty, but no one in the realm considered her to be delicate anymore.
Ra let out a soft sigh and his gaze shifted slightly. He looked at Lynesse Hightower like she was a little child, which in his ancient eyes she truly was.
"I understand that the world has easily bent to your will since you can first remember. However, there are limits to how much the world can bend, child," Ra said. He spoke with the exact same gentle, paternal voice he normally reserved for his own children.
Lynesse took in a sharp, quiet breath before her gaze lowered to her clenched fists in silent contemplation.
Ra extended his large hand and gave a light, comforting caress to the girl's golden hair before smoothly getting up from his chair.
"And I admire my wife deeply as well, my lady. She is without a doubt the strongest woman I know," the custodian added with a fond smile before quietly leaving the room.