Solace
run, run, as fast as you can
Pale blonde hair flicked behind the young girl as she sped through the trees just outside of Winterfell. Her parents had instructed her to not leave the castle walls, but playing chase and hide and seek with the eldest Stark boy had become so enjoyable that the warning had slipped her mind. Weaving between the trees and bushes had proven to be exhilarating as well as soothing, her mind resting and forgetting about her parents arguing. Her head whipped around to find the forest clear of all beings, only the snow revealing the pinpricks of footprints animals had left behind. Satisfied that Robb would not know where she had ran to, Lucella ducked behind a large tree and tugged her cloak tighter around her neck to shield her light skin from the cold.
When she heard the soft pitter-patter of boots crunching on the snow, Lucella held her breath and prayed to the Old Gods that he wouldn’t find her after all of her hard running. A mop of untamed brown curls poked around the edge of the tree and she jumped, startled by the quick movement. Her fright was soon replaced by giddy laughter as Robb widely grinned at his new friend.
“I found you,” he said proudly. “It’s your turn to chase me now.”
“How did you find me? I hid so well!” Lucella exclaimed. Robb’s cheery grin changed to reveal a hint of mischief as he realised that she was unaware of the footprints she had left in the snow.
“I will always find you,” he declared with a smile, deciding to not reveal his advantage in the game.
“But mother! I want to sit with Robb! He’s my friend!” Lucella whinged, only further embarrassing her mother as Lady Catelyn watched on from the corner of her eyes.
“You are a lady now! You will sit with the women!” Elyn insisted as she flicked one of her daughter’s braids over her shoulder. Her red flower had only just blossomed, and Lucella continued to be the child she was at heart instead of maturing into the lady her parents wanted and needed her to become. “Besides, how could you want to sit with all of those wolves?” Lucella frowned and glanced over at the table where the Stark children were all seated.
“Wolves?” she repeated quietly.
“You have seen what the wolves do to the snow rabbits in Bellwood, in the fields behind our home. The snow rabbit is our house’s sigil, you must stay away from the wolves,” Elyn explained in attempt to interest her daughter’s whimsical mind.
“I don’t understand; they wouldn’t hurt me,” Lucella mumbled and a low, frustrated growl rumbled in her mother’s throat.
“Do as you are told, Lucella!”
“I don’t want to sit with you!” she declared before running out of the hall, not stopping until she could no longer smell the roasting meats and vegetables. Having taken so many haphazard turns throughout the castle, Lucella no longer knew where she was and she sank to the ground with annoyance at herself and her situation. She simply could not comprehend the importance of sitting with adult women when after eating they would all leave their tables to converse with the men, merging and forgetting about the separation mere moments beforehand. As heels tapped against the stone floor, Lucella shrank back and wished that the person would not stumble upon her, until he rounded the corner and she realised who was searching for her.
“Are you all right?” Robb asked while crossing the passageway to sit next to her on the floor. He softly draped an arm across her shoulders and they remained quiet as his presence alone comforted her.
“How on earth did you manage to find me? I have no idea where we are right now,” Lucella murmured once she had accepted that she would have to return and do her mother’s bidding.
“I will always find you,” he replied, the answer calming Lucella.
Her wedding dress was as white as the snow outside, the stitched snowflakes as dainty as the ones falling from the grey sky, and Lucella knew that she had never looked as beautiful before. But the day brought fear, apprehensiveness because of a young man she did not wish to marry, and sorrow from the boring future she believed she had awaiting her, locked away in a corner of the North. As though the walls were closing in on her, Lucella felt an urge to break free from her room, so she tore outside and sped unseen into the dense forest of Bellwood.
Heaving, she came to a stop. Her chest lunged forwards as she gasped for air, the icy breeze from the north winds chilling her from the inside out. Lucella trembled as she already began to regret fleeing as her mother would have severe consequences upon her return, but she still felt trapped, as though there was no other choice for her but to remain lost in the woods and snow. So she wept. She wrapped her arms as tightly as she could around herself. She drew pictures in the snow. She clenched her fists from rage whenever her mother crossed her mind. She stared up at the spiralling branches and watched birds singing and leaping between branches as they went about their worry-free lives. Until a man’s boots thundered through the snow, heading towards her.
“What are you doing out here? Everyone is panicking because they can’t find you!” Robb called out as he came to a stop, his expression proving just how relieved he was to have located her and that she was unharmed.
“I cannot wed him, Robb. I am not a fit match for him, and I know that I will be unhappy. Please take me away from here!” she begged, standing and gripping onto the newly crafted leather vest he had worn for the special occasion. Her hope was deflated the moment he hesitated.
“I came to bring you back to your wedding,” he informed her with a heavy heart and Lucella’s head dropped, crashing into his chest as she begged herself to not cry before him. Robb took a moment to embrace her, an attempt to relieve her of her anguish as well as rid himself of the guilt he felt. “For now we have to do as we are told. Perhaps one day we can act freely… But in the meantime, you can continue to run from your troubles.”
“That does not appear to do me much good,” Lucella admitted as they broke apart. Robb offered her his gloved hand to lead her back home with a kind smile. She took it and blocked from her mind the thoughts of what was awaiting her.
“But you find solace in a friend whenever you run, do you not?” Robb asked and Lucella hesitated, glancing up at him with hopefulness and receiving a smile in return as he gripped her hand tighter. “I will always find you when you need me, I promise.”
When she heard the soft pitter-patter of boots crunching on the snow, Lucella held her breath and prayed to the Old Gods that he wouldn’t find her after all of her hard running. A mop of untamed brown curls poked around the edge of the tree and she jumped, startled by the quick movement. Her fright was soon replaced by giddy laughter as Robb widely grinned at his new friend.
“I found you,” he said proudly. “It’s your turn to chase me now.”
“How did you find me? I hid so well!” Lucella exclaimed. Robb’s cheery grin changed to reveal a hint of mischief as he realised that she was unaware of the footprints she had left in the snow.
“I will always find you,” he declared with a smile, deciding to not reveal his advantage in the game.
“But mother! I want to sit with Robb! He’s my friend!” Lucella whinged, only further embarrassing her mother as Lady Catelyn watched on from the corner of her eyes.
“You are a lady now! You will sit with the women!” Elyn insisted as she flicked one of her daughter’s braids over her shoulder. Her red flower had only just blossomed, and Lucella continued to be the child she was at heart instead of maturing into the lady her parents wanted and needed her to become. “Besides, how could you want to sit with all of those wolves?” Lucella frowned and glanced over at the table where the Stark children were all seated.
“Wolves?” she repeated quietly.
“You have seen what the wolves do to the snow rabbits in Bellwood, in the fields behind our home. The snow rabbit is our house’s sigil, you must stay away from the wolves,” Elyn explained in attempt to interest her daughter’s whimsical mind.
“I don’t understand; they wouldn’t hurt me,” Lucella mumbled and a low, frustrated growl rumbled in her mother’s throat.
“Do as you are told, Lucella!”
“I don’t want to sit with you!” she declared before running out of the hall, not stopping until she could no longer smell the roasting meats and vegetables. Having taken so many haphazard turns throughout the castle, Lucella no longer knew where she was and she sank to the ground with annoyance at herself and her situation. She simply could not comprehend the importance of sitting with adult women when after eating they would all leave their tables to converse with the men, merging and forgetting about the separation mere moments beforehand. As heels tapped against the stone floor, Lucella shrank back and wished that the person would not stumble upon her, until he rounded the corner and she realised who was searching for her.
“Are you all right?” Robb asked while crossing the passageway to sit next to her on the floor. He softly draped an arm across her shoulders and they remained quiet as his presence alone comforted her.
“How on earth did you manage to find me? I have no idea where we are right now,” Lucella murmured once she had accepted that she would have to return and do her mother’s bidding.
“I will always find you,” he replied, the answer calming Lucella.
Her wedding dress was as white as the snow outside, the stitched snowflakes as dainty as the ones falling from the grey sky, and Lucella knew that she had never looked as beautiful before. But the day brought fear, apprehensiveness because of a young man she did not wish to marry, and sorrow from the boring future she believed she had awaiting her, locked away in a corner of the North. As though the walls were closing in on her, Lucella felt an urge to break free from her room, so she tore outside and sped unseen into the dense forest of Bellwood.
Heaving, she came to a stop. Her chest lunged forwards as she gasped for air, the icy breeze from the north winds chilling her from the inside out. Lucella trembled as she already began to regret fleeing as her mother would have severe consequences upon her return, but she still felt trapped, as though there was no other choice for her but to remain lost in the woods and snow. So she wept. She wrapped her arms as tightly as she could around herself. She drew pictures in the snow. She clenched her fists from rage whenever her mother crossed her mind. She stared up at the spiralling branches and watched birds singing and leaping between branches as they went about their worry-free lives. Until a man’s boots thundered through the snow, heading towards her.
“What are you doing out here? Everyone is panicking because they can’t find you!” Robb called out as he came to a stop, his expression proving just how relieved he was to have located her and that she was unharmed.
“I cannot wed him, Robb. I am not a fit match for him, and I know that I will be unhappy. Please take me away from here!” she begged, standing and gripping onto the newly crafted leather vest he had worn for the special occasion. Her hope was deflated the moment he hesitated.
“I came to bring you back to your wedding,” he informed her with a heavy heart and Lucella’s head dropped, crashing into his chest as she begged herself to not cry before him. Robb took a moment to embrace her, an attempt to relieve her of her anguish as well as rid himself of the guilt he felt. “For now we have to do as we are told. Perhaps one day we can act freely… But in the meantime, you can continue to run from your troubles.”
“That does not appear to do me much good,” Lucella admitted as they broke apart. Robb offered her his gloved hand to lead her back home with a kind smile. She took it and blocked from her mind the thoughts of what was awaiting her.
“But you find solace in a friend whenever you run, do you not?” Robb asked and Lucella hesitated, glancing up at him with hopefulness and receiving a smile in return as he gripped her hand tighter. “I will always find you when you need me, I promise.”