act i . chapter xii

LOST IN THE SKY
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"WE KNOW NOT WHO THE man under the helmet was. Ser Jaime Lannister is riding to King's Landing at this very moment. The jousting will resume and I will find the Knight of the Laughing Tree," Prince Rhaegar announced from behind Ned.

And when he left, the crowd was silent. Ned was no exception. He wasn't silent with fear. It was the rage that cut his tongue out. He knew exactly who that knight was. He knew only one person who could ride a horse like that. He knew who that fake man's voice belonged to. He had heard it mocking her superiors his entire life.

It was Lyanna. The Knight of the Laughing Tree. And that could only mean that the masked squire below that was making a run for it was Benjen. He stood up abruptly and began to leave. Ashara followed him. He knew he should have told her to stay, but her presence inspired comfort in him and he didn't quite want her to leave.

"Ned!" she called out to him as he descended the stairs of the grandstand in a hurry. "Ned what is it?"

"I know who the knight is," he answered, throwing on a cloak from the armory to hide his face. He gave one to Ashara too. "I've got to stop her squire."

Confusion erupted upon Ashara's pretty face. "Her?"

"My sister, Lyanna. She's getting revenge on some squires that were bullying a crannogman, Howland Reed. Benjen told me what happened last night. Who would have thought she'd be committing treason today."

"The knight was Lady Lyanna?" Ashara asked, shocked. Ned shushed her. "Ashara, quiet. I know not for sure, but if it is, then the kingdom cannot know. Didn't you hear the king?"

Ashara silenced immediately and tugged the cloak tighter around her face. They snuck around the stands to the supply house where Ned saw the person, who he was sure was Benjen, run to. Ned burst through the tall, heavy, wooden doors into the shed and caught Benjen red handed. He was atop a horse in a mask, discarding the one he wore before. "Shara, bar the door," Ned ordered as he ran down the center aisle to meet his little brother. Ashara let the cloak fall off her back as she struggled to lift the bar up, over and into the slot, locking the door to any outsiders.

"Dismount, Benjen!" Ned ordered Benjen in a voice that Benjen heard quite scarcely. Ashara had never heard him take control like that I the few days she had known him. She was a bit intimidated for sure. Benjen was defin of ofitely intimidated by the aggression Ned's voice. He flinched back a bit.

"Who is Benjen?" he asked in a false voice. Anger and fear crawled up through his body like spiders. Lyanna and Benjen were at stake and he could not have that. He stormed towards Benjen mounted on his horse. Benjen reared his horse, trying to keep Ned away, but Ned just held out his and grabbed the horse by its reins and pulled it back down to the ground. "Dismount, Benjen Stark! Immediately!" he yelled, reaching up and grabbing his brother by the arm, ripping him off his horse, and pushing him into the wall. Ashara flinched.

"What were you too thinking? Did the fact that our king is insane to go through your small minds before you dressed up a girl and put her in the largest tournament of our time?" Ned asked him in a low, angry voice, ripping the mask off Benjen, revealing a scared, young boy.

"It was Lyanna, Ned. I was only her help. Now the Prince is after her! Let me go find her! Let me go, Ned!"

Ned let him go. "Benjen, do you think could find your sister before Rhaegar Targaryen? No. If you go out there, you'll be executed for treason as well."

"How is riding anonymously in tournament treason?" Benjen yelled back, pissed.

Ned answered, "When you have a madman for a king, anything could be treason."

Benjen took a deep shaky breath, tearing up. "So Lyanna's going to die? For another man's honor?"

Ned shook his head defeated. "Go back to the stands. You know nothing." Benjen blinked the tears away and stormed out of the armory. When he left, Ned turned to look at Ashara, worry too evident on his face.

"Ned, you don't know Rhaegar," Ashara told Ned, putting her hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. "And you do?" asked Ned.

"I'm the Princess Elia's handmaid. Ser Arthur's sister. I am most definitely part of Rhaegar's inner circle."

Ned nodded and sighed. "So how is me not knowing the Prince supposed to help the situation?"

"He called Robert and Richard off the search so that the Knight wouldn't be unmasked. He calmed his father down and volunteered to find the knight himself. He's 'not' going to find her. He probably knows exactly who she is. If not, he's got theories circling around in his mind. You don't need to worry about your Lady sister. She is safe in Rhaegar's hands. It would be different if Robert found her."

"But how do you know," Ned asked. "There's no way to know what he'd do."

Ned," she drawled out. "Rhaegar is after her. He probably knows exactly who she is and she'll be returned to the castle as if nothing happens. Rhaegar won't find anybody. I swear it."

Ned sighed. "But how do you know," he asked again. Ashara huffed taking his hands in his.

"As a child, the Prince, Oberyn Martell, and my brother, Ser Arthur would spend endless hours frolicking in the gardens of the Red Keep, playing naked the waters of Dorne, or jumping off the high cliffs of Starfall. Rhaegar and I were the same age and Oberyn and Arthur were only years older. Elia and Doran watched on our childish games and scolded us when we may have gone too far. That's why they were the victims of our mischief. And the Queen, Rhaella was always there to care for us."

"So you know the prince truly."

"I don't lie, my Lord," she responded, her eyes shining. "And he was never the same as us. He was always smarter. Less playful. Always reading. If Rhaella and Arthur didn't make him join in, he would have been in the library all the time. He always stood up for Elia and Doran when we'd put purple leaf extract in their tea. He's had a certain melancholy about him his entire life. It was hard to bring him out of his shell. He looked like he wanted to, but it seemed like he never allowed himself to. But he always wanted the best for everyone. This one time, I stole my older brother's sword, Dawn. It was Soloman's at the time. Rhaegar helped me out of it when I'd realize what I'd done. No one knows but him what I'd done that day. You can trust your sister with him. He would never hurt her. Ask Barristan what they do every second day."

"Barristan Selmy?" Ned asked. Ashara nodded. "What do they do?"

"They stop everything they're doing and go down to Fleabottom with Rhaegar's harp and an empty helmet and play music and sing to the common people. They play until the helmet fills up and give the money to the first place they feel needs it."

Ned sighed. "I respect the man. I'll think he'll be a solid replacement for the current king. The situation is getting worse. The people are restless and afraid." Ashara shrugged. "I thought that Rhaegar was bringing everyone here so that he could hold a great council to remove his father. I was surprised when Aerys came. I think Rhaegar was too."

"He doesn't want to be king," Ned noted simply. "You can tell."Ashara shrugged.

"Aren't trueborn leaders who hate to lead the best at what they do?"

Ned nodded, agreeing. "Anyone who loves it all the time has no empathy or fear for his people."

Ned had officially been assured. He didn't know if it was the words she had said or if it was the way she sang them so smoothly. She must have noticed his newfound contentment. "Kiss me, Lord Stark."

Ned smiled as he pulled her into his arms and planted a soft, loving kiss on his Dornish beauty. "Let us go back and watch the jousts."

Ned backed away from her. "Why don't we not go back. Just for now."

Ashara frowned, stroking his stubbled chin. "My job is up there," she noted. "The Princesses."

Ned raised his eyebrows and took her hand from his face and interlaced his fingers in her. "How many handmaidens does your Lady have?"

"My princess, Ned. And four." Ned smiled and leaned in closer to her. "We both know she doesn't all four of you."

Ashara frowned. "But ever since the princess, Rhaenys was born..." she trailed off.

"She's needed two rather than one," Ned pressed, taking the hand he was holding and pulling her toward the horse Benjen prepped to ride. Ashara giggled and repeated for him to stop, even though she really didn't want him to. When Ned gestured to the horses, Ashara shrunk, blushing. "Ned, I can't ride," she admitted nervously.

"You can't ride?" he asked, disappointed. Ashara frowned. "I suppose all the northern girls you know can ride a horse?"

Ned laughed. "Of course. But that's of no matter to me. He put his hand on her hips. "Give me a little jump," he instructed. Ashara looked at him strangely. "You can't pick me up. I'm bigger than you."

Ned them smirked. "You don't think so?"

Ashara then said breathlessly, excited, and afraid, "I've never been picked up before, Ned. I can't ride either. And I have a duty." Before she could start walking away, Ned picked her up by her waist and lowered her onto the horse. Ashara gasped, tensing up and grabbing at the mane.

"There's a first time for everything," Ned said, putting his foot in the stirrup and swinging the other over sitting behind Ashara who he put on the saddle. Ashara shrieked at the movement and Ned laughed. "Relax. When you're scared, he can feel it, and they'll be scared too."

"Why am I on the saddle?" she asked, shaky. "Shouldn't you be here?"

"No, Ashara. You're gonna ride us out of here." The beautiful maid... well, as far as anyone would know, she was still a maid... looked back at Ned in shock and excitement. "Ned," she chastised.

"Ashara," he mocked back. "Take the reins, my Lady." Grinning, she turned around to take the leathers in her soft hands. "Wait," Ned ordered, reaching into his belt and pulling out his riding gloves, handing them to her. Laughing, she pulled them on. "You're so small, Eddard."

Bashfully, he returned, "I may be smaller, but you are rather large for a woman."

"Are you calling me fat?" she asked incredulously. Ned was quiet for a moment before stumbling over his words. "N-no, my Lady. I only mean you're tall."

Ashara reached back, putting a reassuring hand on his leg, smiling back at him. "Just teasing," she quipped. Turning back in the saddle and grabbing hold of the reins with her newly gloved hands, she asked, "And what have I got to do now?"

"The right rein," he said, placing a guiding hand on her elbow, "will make him go left. Touch the strap to his neck. Just touch and he'll go the opposite way. It's the same with the left."

"So how do you make him go?" she asked.

"Lose the leathers and give him a little kick," Ned instructed. When Ashara did so, the horse gave a little neigh and took a step back. When she asked what was wrong, Ned reminded the Lady to calm down. That the beast could feel fear.

"I'm not scared," she swore, her words true. "Not anymore."

The nagging thought in the back of his head dropped to a pang in his stomach. Though Ashara guaranteed Lyanna's safety, he still worried. Suddenly the horse underneath him felt hot and fluid. The clothes on his back seemed to squeeze and hold him down and the smells of freshly forged steel, manure, hay, leather, and split wood turned to vomit in his throat. "Are you sure Lyanna's alright?" he asked, breathlessly.

Ashara craned her head to look at her companion, placing her hand on his leg. "Yes," she reassured.

"Where are we going?" Ashara asked him, scooting up a bit. Ned thought a minute.

"Aways from where Lyanna ran off to," Ned suggested.

"But I suppose we can't be gone for too long. In case Lyanna is found." Ned shook his head.

"If Lyanna is on the run. It will be at least a day before the best tracker could find her. He won't be able to just rope her horse. it will take some hours."

"Well," Ashara said, giving the horse a kick. The horse moved in a walk. Ashara wasn't ready for anything faster. "Let's go make the best of it all."