┏━ tribulation.
( SCENE 4 ) ━┛

ISMENE'S heart was heavy as she sat at the long table with her family for supper. Just the night before, she'd been informed about her dawning union with the Estemore heir that she was too scared to follow through with. She'd kept silent on the issue all day, not even speaking to Jon or Darik, who were usually the first to hear anything important Ismene had to say.

She'd barely picked at her food, which consisted of rabbit boiled in broth with onions and other vegetables. She never quite cared for the taste of wine or any other mind-altering drink, but the site of the full pitcher just an arm's length from her looked appetizing, with her anxious thoughts holding power in her mind at the present.

Amid the quiet conversing of her dining family, Ismene focused her dark eyes on Darik, who sat at her side. He knew nothing of the secret that would soon be revealed, anytime in fact, and she wasn't ready to face whatever anger he had.

"What troubles you?" Jon asked from Ismene's side. He noticed the change in her demeanor that evening in the way she'd picked at her food with little interest.

Ismene shrugged. "I'm sure you'll find out soon enough," she grimaced. "It is not light news, nor do I have the heart to say what it is. I will put it plainly, Jon, that I won't be here much longer."

His expression falls into confusion and shock. "What do you mean you won't be here much longer?" He echoes her words. "You mean to say you're leaving Winterfell?"

Hearing his voice, the inevitable made her heart sink even lower than it had before. How could her family do this? Why would they wait so long to have her wed when it could have been done years before she was a woman?

"Starks, listen up," Ned's voice silences the table, pausing to take a sip of wine before continuing. "Your mother and I have an announcement to make."

Bran perked up. "What is it, Father?"

With every heartbeat of hesitation, Ismene felt like her heart would explode. The time had come to face her fate, and she was terrified of knowing how Darik would respond. She stiffened as her father announced the words. She adverted her eye toward her lap once more.

"In but a day, Lord Estemore will be arriving with his family to Winterfell," their father announced.

Darik's eyebrows furrowed. "Why are they coming?"

"There has been an agreement to combine our houses; Ismene will marry Lord Henrik's heir. The betrothal has been in place for years now, and he has asked that we follow through with it now."

Darik's fork clattered onto his plate. "What?"

Their father heaved a heavy sigh and briefly closed his eyes. It was apparent he knew Darik would react in such a way.

"How could you do this to her? Have you ever asked Ismene if this is what she wants? Because I can assure you that it is not. She╶ "

"Enough." Their father's voice was stern and forceful. All his children stared between the father and son as their eyes held each other for the longest second of their lives.

Where Ismene sat with her eyes downcast, she could feel the rage that radiated off Darik. It was almost suffocating. She bit her lip as she looked up at her fuming twin.

"We have talked to Ismene, and she has nothing against it," Catelyn added.

Darik scoffed, his eyes snapping toward Ismene, who looked away at the intensity of his gaze. It was too much to face, especially with how he looked at her accusingly.

"House Estemore will arrive in a but a day." Eddard's sharp eyes still rested on his heir. "And I want all of you on your best behavior. The Estemores are not only our loyal bannerman, but they will be our family soon. We will treat them as such. Do I make myself clear?"

Though his question was addressed to all his children, it seemed mainly to the fuming Darik.

Darik tossed his napkin down and arose from the table, muttering inaudibly, "Excuse me."

"Darik," Catelyn sighed, her Tully blue eyes watching as he left the Great Hall in a stage of rage. Ismene sighed heavily, knowing the worst was yet to come.

❆

"I don't know what I've done wrong," Ismene exclaimed to Jon, defeat lacing her tone. The two leisurely walked in Godswood, where it was decided they would speak of last night's events during supper. After not being present to break their fasts that morning, it was apparent that Darik's anger was beyond a little temper tantrum.

"You've done nothing wrong," Jon assures her. "We all know that Darik is prone to his angry spouts. This entire situation was out of your control, too. Were you supposed to deny mother and father?"

Ismene sighs. "I'm not opposed to getting married," she tells them both. "Not at all. I want to, in fact, and I want children as well. I wish the circumstances were different... perhaps Lukas and I could have met a few times before he and his family arrived to follow through with an immediate marriage."

"That's the sad truth about arranged unions," Jon points out. "Most times, you don't get the chance to learn who your intended is. There's nothing we've heard about this bad man. Nothing bad is better than hearing nothing at all. Consider yourself lucky."

The two arrive at the small reflective pool under the weir tree. Ismene sits on the stone bench while Jon leans against one of the thick branches of the white-trunked tree.

"I suppose you're right..." Ismene sighs.

"And believe me," Jon goes on. "If this man were to ever harm a hair on your head, know that you have a small army of siblings ready to come save you."

Jon's joke often puts a smile on Ismene's face. Her main concerns were not how her future husband would treat her but rather how Darik would treat him.

"I'm most worried about how Darik will treat him," Jon voices Ismene's exact thoughts. "If he was angry just hearing about the union, there's no telling what he'll do once the Estemore's actually arrive. I wouldn't be surprised if we had to pry Darik off the man."

"Oh, father wouldn't tolerate such barbaric behavior," Ismene reassured them both. Darik is a mature man. We've just got to understand that he's my twin. I'm his only full sibling since we have a mother who is different from the rest. I wouldn't be surprised if he got just as angry about Sansa and Arya."

Jon shrugs. "I suppose. But either way, this is unfair to you. You don't deserve this sort of weight on your shoulders. Darik needs to act like a man."

Ismene shrugs as if she isn't sure how to defend him anymore. "I know, I know. I always try to be understanding with him. He is our brother, after all."

Ismene's thoughts wander as her brother continues with his words, which she doesn't quite hear, and her eyes train on the reflective pool below. She sees her reflection, one of a girl caught in whirling chaos. Would her intended fancy her? Would he want to love her? Or would he cast her aside and force her to live a life of misery within a castle she didn't know?

Fear sets in as she closes her eyes. Things were very close to changing in her life, and the thought of leaving Winterfell was almost too much to bear. She wouldn't have the stone coursing with heat, siblings to spend her days with, or the familiarity that she so desperately needed. She was so very conflicted about what she thought she could and couldn't handle.