12 Legacy

Highgarden shimmered in the distance, its towers like gilded spires reaching towards the heavens.

A familiar warmth washed over Meredith. "Almost home," she breathed, the words laced with both weariness and anticipation.

Inside the open wheelhouse, Lord Willas fidgeted, his eyes fixed on the ever-nearing castle. "I can't believe we're back already," he said, excitement clear on his young face.

Lady Olenna, her sharp eyes twinkling with amusement under her snowy white hair, chuckled softly. "Patience, my dear. You can send your letters to your friend soon enough." Seeing the boy's face flush, she added, "Now, now, Princess Arianne is a remarkable friend indeed."

Willas squirmed in his seat with ill-concealed excitement.

Meredith couldn't blame him.

Lord Willas and Lord Garlan had spent almost every moment in the castle alongside the Dornish princess and her bastard cousin, playing games and getting her to tell them stories.

She wished Caelum could have joined them, maybe that way his experience at the tourney wouldn't have been as perilous as it turned out to be.

"Willas told her that he'd send her letters using hawks" Garlan whispered conspiratorially to Caelum seated beside him, "She didn't believe hawks could send letters. It's going to be hilarious watching Willas try and teach a hawk how to carry letters!"

Caelum flashed a wide grin at the thought, happy to see his friend squirm in discomfort. "Are you sure they can do that?"

"I don't know, okay!" Lord Willas reddened slightly "She'd been saying that Dorne can make use of Eagles to send their letters, I thought we should have something like that too!"

"Can Dorne use eagles to send their letters?" Caelum couldn't help but ask.

"I don't knowww" Willas whined "Maybe?"

Lady Alerie chuckled amusedly, her palor seemed much healthier now that they were returning to Highgarden. "The Dornish do not use Eagles for their letters Willas, Princess Arianne was teasing you."

Willas looked affronted at that revelation, but then a mischievous look settled on his face "Then … if I do succeed in getting Hawks to take my letters, she'll have to be true to her word and send her own by Eagle. I can't wait! Gran, do you think Maester Lomys can help me train some hawks?"

Lady Olenna chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm "I am sure he will help. But remember, you need to learn to manage your time now, child. Your lessons at the yard will begin soon. Mace has arranged Ser Vortimer Crane to begin your training in a moon's turn."

Garlan shifted nervously at that, "C-can I join too?" he asked.

Lady Alerie chuckled at his eagerness to enter the training yard "Not just yet, Garlan. Another year or so and I am sure your training will begin soon too. You need to focus on your riding practices."

"Awwwww!" the boy whined, "But then I'll be doing my lessons all on my own!"

"Now, now, Garlan," Lady Olenna chided "Willas is going nowhere, he will still be able to play with you when you're both done with your lessons."

"But…but if he'll be training he'll get tired!" Garlan whined, his lower lip trembling with the threat of tears. "He won't have the energy to play!"

Willas patted Garlan's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, Garlan. I'll always have time for you. Besides," he added, a mischievous glint in his eye, "Mayhaps, I can help you practice too, once I learn everything."

Garlan considered this, his pout slowly fading.

While still dejected, there was the tiniest glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Lady Olenna, observing the exchange with a knowing smile, decided to intervene.

Turning to Meredith, she remarked, "It seems young Caelum's health has improved drastically, aside from that…unfortunate incident on the ship, of course." Her gaze fixed on the young maid. "Not a single cough, and he even manages to keep pace with my grandsons. After King's Landing, I had entertained the idea of a check-up with Maester Lomys upon our return, but clearly, there's no need."

She paused and then mused "Perhaps he might even benefit from joining Garlan in his lessons? Just a bit of extra riding practice, and perhaps some of the lessons too, Garlan sure will appreciate a friend there."

Meredith felt astonished.

A warmth suffused Meredith's cheeks at Lady Olenna's words.

"My lady," she stammered, "your generosity… I don't know how to thank you."

Caelum too realized the kindness the old woman was showing him . "Thank yoy, my lady! I'll be a good riding partner, my lady! I promise!"

Lady Alerie sighed, a touch of weariness marring her delicate features. "It seems at least one good thing emerged from that disastrous tourney," she murmured. "After that…spectacle by Prince Rhaegar, the Lords of the realm were eager to be gone. The Starks left within hours, I hear, Lord Rickard seemed froth with the Prince. Rumor has it Lord Rickard has moved up Lady Lyanna's betrothal - she is to wed before her six and tenth name day, barely a moon after her brother Brandon's own wedding."

Meredith felt a jolt, relief and a pang of sadness warring within her.

So, their letter had worked.

Lord Stark, was clearly taking swift action to shield his daughter from the prince's machinations.

Caelum too seemed to be holding in a sigh of relief.

She was happy for him, he deserved some reprieve after the harrowing ordeal at the tourney.

He hadn't truly taken ill aboard the ship on their return, instead, he had been a delight, helping Luke take care of her when illness caused by the sea claimed her.

Instead, the poor boy had shut himself in her cramped cabin aboard the large merchant vessel that Lord Mace had hired in haste to leave Harrenhal as swiftly as possible along the Blackwater rush to Kings Landing.

Caelum had instead been flustered by the constant sounds of horny travelers that tended to spend their time fucking like rabbits. While he could ignore the noises during the day, he didn't have the control required to do so at night.

She pitied him, but she was glad he was no longer troubled by the sounds as they did when the magic had reared its ugly head in him.

Their arrival at Kings Landing had quietened all her worries finally. She had assumed the city would remain too much for him, but Luke had done a remarkable job at teaching Caelum to block out the sounds that reached his ears.

Garlan fairly bounced with excitement "This is going to be amazing!" he exclaimed, his earlier dejection entirely forgotten. "We'll explore the whole castle, you and me! I'll show you the Briar City, and..."

Caelum, finally having gotten the reassurance that their attempt to save Lady Lyanna had worked, radiated a quiet excitement.

His eyes were bright. "Thank you so much, Garlan," he said, while he was undoubtedly thrilled, he had learned to temper his enthusiasm, "I can't wait to learn to ride. And to see the Briar City... that sounds amazing!"

Lady Olenna observed the exchange, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

Turning to Lady Alerie, she remarked, "This… unfortunate incident with the Prince has certainly shaken up our courts. Poor Princess Elia, such a sweet girl...to be humiliated so publicly. There will be a rift between her and Rhaegar, mark my words."

Lady Alerie nodded, a frown creasing her brow. "It is a sad state of affairs. I worry for the Princess... and what this means for the realm as a whole."

"Indeed." Lady Olenna's eyes took on a steely glint. "Write to Gerold, dear. Instruct him to observe the situation closely. If there is a rift in the crown, if it jeopardizes any alliance with Dorne, we must be prepared to handle the fallout."

Meredith was happy to be away from the complexities of those of higher birth. She was happy to be returning home.

To the warmth of her mother's inn, to see Jerren's teasing smiles and quiet comfort. Away from the nasty schemes of lords and ladies, knights and maidens.

She was happy that Caelum was away from it all too. Safe at home.

Home.

The word echoed in her mind, promising the sweet scent of rain on freshly tilled earth, her mother's weathered hands, and the familiar ache in her bones after a hard day's work.

Soon, she mused as the procession crossed the gates of the castle into the Briar proper, and the scent of the city's markets, of the grain and flowers wafted to her nose, she finally felt at peace.

Soon, she would have answers about Luke and Caelum, about the strange magic, the blessing that they had believed to have always been a part of him, that had finally bloomed among the dangers of Harrenhal.

And then, perhaps, they could finally find peace within the protective walls of Highgarden, and the reach.

x ------ x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x

Lyanna's sobs wracked her body, a primal cry of despair that echoed ominously through the ancient Godswood. She had come here to be away from her father, and elder brother.

Her father had announced that her wedding had been moved up.

He had seen her laughing with the Prince after the feast. The Prince had spoken to her alone again, asked about her promise to ride with him.

Seeing as her 'friends' had decided to not show up, she had ridden with him the next morning before the final jousts, and her father had found out.

Her tears fell, hot and unrestrained, carving paths through the dust that clung to her travel-worn dress.

She knelt before the Heart Tree, its carved face gazing down with implacable silence.

Benjen huddled beside her, his boyish face etched with worry. "Lya," he murmured, his voice hesitant, "Please… Father has his reasons. Brandon's wedding, the alliance with the Riverlands…"

"Don't!" Lyanna shrieked, swiping at the tears ineffectually. "Don't pretend to understand! It's not fair, Benjen! I hate him for this!"

Her voice cracked on the last word, the injustice of it all a knot in her chest.

Father had rushed them away in the night, sparing her from the whispers at Harrenhal. He wouldn't speak a word to any of them, but she could see he was wroth and scared at the same time.

But the stain of Robert's betrayal stung even deeper. She had been ready to forgive him. All high lords have bastards, she knew.

That oaf!

To spend the day at a whorehouse after that…that spectacle the Prince had made of her... and now, she was to be his reward?

His wife?

Benjen's gentle touch, the only thing tethering her to sanity, faltered. "Lya, please…" he pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe… maybe there's something we don't see…"

"Don't see?" she spat, her eyes flashing with desperate anger. "What is there not to see, Benjen? That Robert is an oath breaker, unfit to even tread the same ground I walk on? That Brandon..." She trailed off, a familiar ache throbbing in her chest.

She wailed, the words twisting into a bitter cry. "Robert, the prince, Brandon… even Father! They all just take what they want, and we..." her voice choked with a sob, "... we are left to bear the shame. All men are the same!"

Benjen winced, a flicker of hurt crossing his young face.

Yet, love for his sister overrode any offense. "Lya, that's not true…" He reached out tentatively, his hand hovering in the air as if afraid to touch her. "We can ask Father again. He has to have a reason for this…"

Lyanna scoffed, brushing away a fresh wave of tears. "Ask him? I did! The moment he announced it in his solar. He just stared at me, for a long moment and said he couldn't. Brandon asked too, but he just wouldn't say!"

A hollow laugh escaped her lips. "Do you think he even cares about my happiness? It's alliances, duty… that's all that matters."

Benjen's voice was barely a whisper now. "I don't know how to help, Lya." Despair laced his words, the helplessness of a child in the face of forces he didn't comprehend.

Lyanna's tears subsided, replaced by a coldness that chilled her to the bone. "Did you know, Benjen?" Her voice was low, almost dangerous. "Did you know that Brandon... that he's been sleeping with Lady Barbrey Ryswell? Or should I say Barbrey Dustin now?"

Benjen's eyes widened in shock. "Lya...you shouldn't speak of such things. Brandon wouldn't!".

"Why not?" Lyanna spat, her anger reigniting. "He's a man, he can do whatever he wants. Fuck whoever he wants. I'm a woman, meant to be quiet and obedient? Ned was meant to marry her at first, you know. But Brandon couldn't keep his cock in his breeches, and now she's married to Lord Dustin."

Benjen's head was spinning. His brother, the strong and honorable Brandon, capable of such… such deceit?

"Lya...no." Benjen's voice trembled. "You must be mistaken. Brandon wouldn't… he couldn't…" He sounded desperate, clinging to his image of his brother, the strong, honorable protector.

Lyanna's eyes blazed with icy fury. "Mistaken? Oh, sweet, naive Benjen. Do you wish to see for yourself? To face the truth?" Venom dripped from her every word. "The proof is tucked away in Brandon's chamber. A love letter, Benjen. Filled with their filthy plans. They write of… of how they'll meet next time he journeys to Barrowtown."

Benjen's face paled. His world was tilting on its axis. "But… Maester Walys… the ravens... He checks all the messages."

A bitter laugh escaped Lyanna's lips. "Oh, Benjen, do you think Brandon is a fool? The messages come disguised, hidden amongst the tax, delivered in the marked head crate of lumber from the Rills. I saw it myself," Her voice softened then, a hint of pleading in her tone. "I wouldn't lie about such a thing, little brother. Not to you."

The silence that fell between them was thick with unspoken questions.

If Lyanna was telling the truth… then the Starks.

Suddenly, even the ancient Heart Tree seemed to offer no solace, its red eyes like weeping wounds.

Lyanna watched her brother's face, the innocence of childhood crumbling before her eyes.

A strange, twisted satisfaction twisted within her. "It doesn't matter," she declared, her voice brittle. "He's a man, isn't he? It's what they do. Robert, the prince... they all want what they want, and they take it."

Benjen swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously.

Yet, in that moment, a flicker of something cold and calculating appeared in his eyes. "It'll be fine, Lya," he said, his voice steadier than she expected. "Father will …."

Something inside Lyanna snapped.

Ignore her?

Dismiss her pain as a mere political inconvenience?

"Father will do nothing!" Lyanna hissed, her frustration boiling over. "He got rid of the friends I had made at Harrenhal, I had awaited Luke and Caelum, but they never came, and I am sure it was father that got rid of them. He won't tell me why he brought up my wedding. Brandon knows, but will he share the reason with me? No! He follows me around like a hawk, a warden keeping an eye on a dangerous captive."

She paused, catching her breath, seeing the fear flicker in Benjen's eyes. "Princess Elia...she seems so sweet," Lyanna murmured, the words laced with quiet venom, "Much like Lady Ashara. And what does that matter? The Prince still wants to wet his cock in my cunt. Let him I say!"

Benjen gasped "Lya! You can't mean that!"

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "Brandon tried it with Lady Ashara too, you know? Despite knowing she held Ned's heart. One betrothed woman wasn't enough, he had to try his hand at another." Her voice dripped with contempt. "Lady Ashara denied him, of course, so like a good brother, he played matchmaker to bind her to Ned. Now she avoids him whenever possible, despises him for the attempt."

She took a ragged breath, pacing before the Heart Tree.

The envy for Ned burned beneath her anger, an invisible fire eating away at her. "Even Ned…" Her voice was barely a whisper now. "He gets to marry Ashara. A marriage for love, I am happy for him. And you, Benjen, even you'll likely have that choice one day. But me?" She turned, her eyes blazing. "I'm a bartering chip, a pawn in their game."

Benjen shifted uncomfortably, a mixture of pity and confusion in his eyes. "Lya, there must be a way to…" he trailed off, his young voice failing to find the words to fix this, to fix her.

Lyanna cut him off. "And the prince. No different, Benjen. Just another man content to dishonor his wife." A twisted smile touched her lips. "He wants me, you know. After the final joust, the way he looked at me... the way he spoke to me that night..."

"Lya, no," Benjen protested, but his voice lacked conviction.

He'd seen it too.

A terrible thought blossomed in Lyanna's mind.

Taking a step closer, she whispered, "What does it matter, Benjen? If Robert strays, why should I be any different? Lady Barbrey beds Brandon while married, Brandon tries to dishonor his own betrothed... why must I alone carry the burden of purity?" She reached out, her hand closing gently around Benjen's. "It's not fair, little brother. And you can help me."

Her touch was like ice, and Benjen flinched, yet a strange spark had ignited in her eyes.

A blend of fear, guilt, and something else - a dangerous fascination.

"Help?" Benjen echoed, a tremor in his voice.

Lyanna's smile was a predator's, both beautiful and terrible. "Yes, Benjen. You heard me. The prince wants me, wants to dishonor his wife... and I…" Her voice softened. "If I am to be bound to Robert, I may as well take something for myself first. At first, I considered...someone lowborn. Maybe... I had thought it would have been that Reacher, Luke to take my maidenhood, he was sweet enough, brave enough to take on three squires older than him to save a random boy he knew nothing of, but father had him run off. He had been against them interacting with me all along. But now..."

Her gaze drifted away, as if seeing something just beyond Benjen's gaze. "That seems...beneath me now. If the prince, the heir to the Iron Throne, wants to sully his marriage bed, then he can have my virtue."

She squeezed his hand, her voice sharp once more. "But the choice will be mine, Benjen. Do you understand? You will help me. Tell the prince that I am... interested. That I long to meet him."

Benjen's mouth worked, words struggling to form.

He was still a child, barely on the cusp of manhood, he realized the injustice that was thrust on his sister, but he didn't know if he could do this.

"Lya, I don't know... This is dangerous. Father could..."

Lyanna cut him off with a dismissive wave. "Father will know nothing…. Brandon will know nothing. " She leaned closer, her eyes blazing. "And I will marry Robert. I will play my part. I will be his wife. But my maidenhead? That, my darling brother, will belong to a dragon. If Brandon can have an affair behind his betrothed's back, if Robert wants to sully our bed, I can have one too."

Benjen's eyes widened, a mixture of awe and terror battling within him.

"How..." he stammered, finally finding his voice. "How will we contact the prince?"

Lyanna smiled.

The hardest part was done; the seed of rebellion had been planted. "Don't you see, Benjen?" she whispered. "Brandon's not the only one that can send letters in secret."

She knew she was corrupting him, using his love for her as a weapon.

But a reckless thrill coursed through her veins. If Robert wanted to dishonor her, she would repay him in kind.

The Prince would be the best way to do it, she would fuck a better man behind Robert's back.

The Prince was likely doing it with other women anyway.

Princess Elia should return the favor, an eye for an eye.

Benjen swallowed hard, a knot forming in his stomach.

Lyanna's plea, her desperate defiance, burned in his ears. His fingers tightened around her hand, wanting to pull back, to shout a refusal.

But when he looked at her, the Lyanna who took riding on her horse, hugged him every morning, helped him pour flour on Brandon's head flashed before him for an instant.

Yet, beneath the fury, he saw a flicker of the vulnerability she'd desperately tried to hide. He couldn't be the one to break her further.

With a trembling hand, he squeezed Lyanna's back.

It was a silent promise, a betrayal of everything he knew was right. He would never be the same boy again.

"I'll do it," his voice rasped, barely a whisper. "I'll help you, Lya." Lyanna's eyes flashed with a terrible triumph, but even as she smiled, he noticed a subtle tremble in her hand.

Was that a fleeting hesitation?

A sliver of doubt about the path she'd chosen? It disappeared, replaced by a mask of icy resolve that chilled him.

x ------ x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x

Elyna held her breath as Caelum shut his eyes tight.

The hearth fire crackled, casting dancing shadows across the worn stone walls of Harlon's farmhouse.

Tonight, within the familiar comfort of the flickering light, the world itself seemed to tilt on its axis.

Meredith's account of the tourney – the prince's scandal, the jousts and Caelum's awakening of his magic – still swirled in her mind.

But it was Luke's quieter moments, the awed whispers of saving Luke's life from the Prince's assassins, of the Prince's supposed madness; or Caelum saving a lost child or facing down bullies much older than he, that had set her heart pounding with a mixture of pride and fear.

A soft, warm glow began to emanate from Caelum's closed eyelids.

Elyna gasped, clutching Harlon's hand.

Then, his eyes snapped open, and twin beams of searing red light shot out, striking his bowl of stew that had grown cold during the retelling.

Caelum looked at his parents "See, Ma? It's real."

Harlon squeezed her hand, his voice rough with emotion. "Yes, son, we do see."

A gasp of wonder escaped both Marna and Serra.

Marna reached out a tentative hand towards Caelum, her weathered face alight with awe. "Bless you, child," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "The tales were true...the Maiden has marked you for greatness."

Serra nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. "I always knew," she murmured, a hint of pride in her voice. "From the moment the star fell, bringing you to us...there was something special about you, Caelum."

Luke frowned, shifting uncomfortably. "Knew what, Mother? What star?" His protective instincts flared, a sense of foreboding settling over him.

There was something his mother, all of them, weren't telling him, they needed their answers now.

Harlon cleared his throat, his usually steady voice tinged with a hint of tension. "Now, now, Serra. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. The boy's only just come into his own."

Serra shook her head, a stubborn glint in her eye. "No, Harlon. Don't you see? The Gods have deemed the time is right. We cannot hide the truth any longer, not from him."

Elyna's heart pounded against her ribs.

She watched Caelum, her precious son, as a flicker of fear crossed his young face.

He was too young to face his divine destiny.

Harlon's jaw tightened, a muscle twitching in his cheek.

Anger flashed in his eyes, but he swiftly tamped it down. With a weary sigh, he turned to Luke.

"Luke, my boy," he said, his voice gruff but laced with affection, "I charged you with a task – to keep Caelum safe. You did that and more, that scar on your shoulder …. You went beyond any friend's, no any brother's duty. For that, I'll be eternally grateful."

A rush of warmth flooded Elyna as she looked at Luke and Meredith. "We thank you both, from the depths of our hearts," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "Teaching him, watching over him….you've given us back our son, a stronger boy than ever before."

Serra scoffed, a touch of disapproval twisting her lips. "Toman should have been there too, doing his part. Not leaving it all to the children."

Luke shook his head, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Father couldn't risk leaving Lord Tyrell's side, Mother. You know how it is – duty above all." He paused, his gaze turning serious as it fixed on Harlon, Elyna, and the others.

"But there's something I still don't understand," Luke said, his voice thick with confusion. "Why...why did you think Caelum was blessed? I mean, he was…sickly for so long. We both know the village whispers…they called him cursed."

A flicker of unease crossed Caelum's face. "Please, Father," he whispered, his small voice barely audible above the crackling hearth. "Tell me."

The silence that followed seemed to stretch on forever. Harlon looked torn, the love for his son battling against some deeper, unspoken fear.

"Luke," he finally began, his voice strained, "you are right. The Gods, they have chosen Caelum. He walks a path none of us could have imagined. But the blessing…that came before the power. When he was no more than a babe…"

Harlon hesitated, as if the words themselves were a burden.

Elyna reached out, placing her hand gently over his. They had kept this secret for so long, borne its weight together, but the time for hiding was clearly at an end.

A tremor passed through Elyna's body as she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "We've told you of two sons…" she began, a catch in her throat, "two that came before …and were lost to us... in truth there were three."

Luke, Meredith, and Caelum exchanged confused glances.

They'd always known about Caelum's stillborn brothers, a tragedy the family had grieved together.

But a third?

Elyna continued, her eyes glistening with tears. "The night you came to us, Caelum… it was the same night I bore our third son, Rowan. Stillborn, like his brothers…"

Her words hung heavy in the silence.

Caelum's face had gone pale, his eyes wide with a mix of shock and disbelief.

Harlon took over, his voice low and strained. "Marna and Serra were there…they saw it all." He swallowed hard. "We'd lost all hope. Elyna, she... they said she wouldn't survive another birth. And Rowan...I thought my world had shattered."

Elyna choked back a sob. "It felt like I would die too…truly die that night. But then, as if the Gods themselves heard our anguish…a star fell. Right there, in our field…" Her voice caught, but she pressed on. "Everyone saw it, the whole village. The Tyrells, they came, took the pieces…but they never realized, never saw…"

"Saw what, Mother?" Caelum whispered, his voice trembling.

A strange, almost hysterical note had crept into his tone, the shock beginning to give way to something akin to panic.

Marna stepped forward, laying a gentle hand on Caelum's shoulder. "The star, child…it wasn't just a rock. It was…a vessel. And inside…"

Serra finished her thought, her own voice filled with awe. "…inside was you, Caelum. A babe, small and perfect, sent by the Maiden herself."

The room seemed to spin around Caelum.

His breath came in ragged gasps.

It couldn't be true.

This was some… cruel joke, a nightmare he would soon awaken from.

A surge of protective anger coursed through Luke. " What kind of a jape is thus?" he spat, his voice tight with fury. "Why torment Caelum with … this – this cruel jape?!"

Meredith was already beside Caelum, her arm tightening around him in a gesture as much defiance as comfort.

She shot Harlon and Elyna a withering glare, her usual gentleness replaced by a fierce protectiveness.

Harlon knelt before Caelum, his weathered face etched with a mix of sorrow and resolve. "Caelum, son," he said, his voice steady despite the tremor in his hands, "this is no joke. The truth…it's harder to believe than any tale."

Caelum shook his head frantically, tears streaming down his face. "No!" he sobbed. "I love you, Ma, Pa. I don't want…I don't want to be some …. some star child!"

A fresh pang pierced Elyna's heart.

"Caelum," Harlon sighed, "it's better I show you. It's the only way you'll understand." With a nod towards Luke, he said, "Help me, Luke. Bring the spades."

Luke hesitated, his jaw clenched.

She could see the anger still simmered in his eyes, but a flicker of reluctant agreement softened his expression.

As they made their way towards the barn, a sense of oppressive dread washed over the group.

Caelum's sobs grew louder, and it was all Elyna could do to comfort him.

Inside the barn, Harlon pointed towards a spot in the earthen floor. "It was just outside, once," he explained, his voice strained. "After… after you came…well, we were blessed with good fortune. I had this built, to keep the place safe."

Caelum's cries were growing more hysterical with each passing moment.

Meredith murmured soothing words, her voice shaking slightly despite her brave front. "It's okay, little brother," she whispered, "I'm right here."

Elyna reached out to Caelum, a silent plea in her eyes.

But he shrank away, burrowing deeper into Meredith's embrace.

A silent sob escaped her lips as she watched her son recoil from her touch.

Serra and Marna shared a look of anguish, placing comforting hands on Elyna's shoulders.

Luke's spade striking the earth with grim determination. Caelum watched, his body trembling, a mix of fear, despair, and a strange, terrible awe washing over him.

Suddenly, Luke's spade hit something solid with a jarring thud. "Found it," he grunted, kneeling and brushing away the dirt to reveal a shimmering, almost silvery surface hidden beneath.

Caelum stared as if transfixed, dread pooling in his chest.

The star… his cradle… the harbinger of a destiny he never asked for. From the cursed of the village to the blessed.

He had wanted to be True Knight. Live a respectable life, show the village that he was no curse. He had not wanted this.

Harlon worked swiftly, his hands trembling slightly as he cleared the dirt away from the smooth, star-like object. When it was fully exposed, its polished surface gleamed dully in the lantern light.

He turned to Caelum, his voice trembling. "You came to us in this, child. Birthed by the Maiden herself, delivered from the heavens. Now… now it holds our Rowan. A final resting place, a testament..."

"Why?" he sobbed, his small body wracked with anguish. "Why me? What do the gods want from me?"

Harlon knelt before him, his eyes filled with a love that battled against the profound sorrow of this moment. "Caelum, you are my son. You will always be my son, truly. You're a blessing the Seven granted to Elyna and me. You will always be my son." He paused, a flicker of doubt crossing his face. "But…the Gods have woven another thread into your tale. They have given you a purpose only you can walk, you were sent here for a reason. Beyond what I can understand"

"I don't want a purpose!" Caelum wailed, finally burying his face in Elyna and Harlon's shoulder as they knelt beside him. "All I want is you, Ma, Pa, I want Luke, Meredith. To be your son, their friend. I want to be a good knight…I don't want blessings," his voice choked with disgust, "or grand purposes!"

A flicker of hope ignited in Elyna's heart as Caelum finally accepted her touch. "You will always be my son," she whispered fiercely. "And the greatest knight this realm has ever seen, I have no doubt. Your heart…it would have led you there anyway, blessings or no."

Across the barn, Meredith and Luke watched, a sense of awe finally displacing their initial fury.

The proof lay before them – otherworldly and undeniable.

Silently, they made a vow, otherworldly or not, Caelum was their little brother.

Caelum pulled away slightly, his eyes flicking towards them, a flicker of wariness replacing some of the despair. "I don't want to lose you…" he whispered.

Luke knelt, a gentle smile softening his stern features. "And you won't, little brother. We'll forge that knightly path together, make sure you're the finest warrior anyone's ever seen. I'll be there every step of the way."

Meredith nodded in agreement, her voice thick with emotion. "And so will I. Always."

Relief washed over Caelum as he rushed into their arms, the warmth of their embrace a balm against the chilling cosmic truth laid bare before him.

A sense of peace descended over the barn. Marna and Serra exchanged relieved smiles. This might not be the life any of them had imagined for the child they all loved, but love itself would remain their guiding star.

Caelum, now reassured of the one thing that truly mattered, cautiously approached the vessel, a strange mixture of trepidation and curiosity warring within him.

The silence within the barn deepened as Caelum neared the star. It was as if the vessel itself sensed his presence, a subtle shift in the air hinting at something extraordinary about to occur.

Suddenly, the star seemed to split along invisible seams, its polished surface separating into sections that glided open with an eerie sound, like petals of a strange, metallic flower.

Gasps echoed within the barn as the interior was revealed. There, nestled in a bed of shimmering silver fabric lay Rowan, Caelum's stillborn brother. He looked impossibly small, perfectly formed, and heartbreakingly peaceful. It was as though he merely slept.

Elyna and Harlon's tears flowed freely, a bittersweet joy mixing with their grief. This was their child, whole and beautiful, preserved forever within this celestial cradle. Marna and Serra wept softly, their hands clasped together in shared sorrow.

Luke gently squeezed Caelum's shoulder in silent support. The look in his friend's eyes was unreadable – a mix of awe, bewilderment, and a hint of understanding beginning to dawn.

Caelum reached out, his hand trembling as it hovered over Rowan's tiny cheek. "I'll keep them safe," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Our Ma and Pa. May you rest well in the Maiden's embrace."

At his words, something astonishing occurred. A clear crystal tumbled from Rowan's small hand, landing gently at Caelum's feet. With a final, soft sigh, the star closed once more, encasing Rowan again in its protective shell.

Bending, Caelum picked up the crystal.

It was smooth, warm to the touch, and faintly luminescent.

Caelum had seen first hand the madness that divine fates and Prophecy wrought. He wanted no part in it. The madness prophecies and grand purposes brought were not what he wished for himself.

He would be a Good Knight.

The purpose the Gods had in mind for him can go to the pits of Seven hells.

As he turned it over in his hand, he noticed a symbol etched faintly upon one side.

A single, elegant letter… it looked almost like an 'S'.

He would take this purpose and bend it to fit his own.

x ------ x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x ------- x

(A/N) Rickard hasn't told Lyanna of the letter. Ned doesn't know either. Ned has gone back to the Vale. I always wondered what led Benjen to want to join the Night's Watch. Either way, canon is already fucked.

More A/N Lyanna here is grieving. She's essentially gaslighting Benjen to help her.

Edit: There was a redundant passage in Lyanna's scene. I also added more clarity to why Caelum dislikes the notion of being sent from the Gods.