Lyanna's Curse

LYANNA

I woke to cold silence, alone like I did almost every morning nowadays.

John always came home late and left early, leaving me by myself most days. He tried his best to avoid me and I tried my best to keep my head down.

I stared into the mirror, my long dark hair dull from the winter months. I glanced out the window, smiling at the sunshine outside. Spring had finally come and it was time for new growth and warmer days. I pulled my sweater over my shoulders and walked down the stairs, jumping as I saw a figure pace the living room.

“John!” I hollered in surprise, pressing my hand to my chest in an attempt to slow my racing heart. “What are you doing here?”

He turned to me with a cool stare. “I live here.”

“Yes, but usually you’ve left by now,” I replied, pulling my sweater tighter around my body. “What’s going on?”

“I’m waiting for word from the council,” he said before pacing again.

“Word for what?” I asked as I took a seat on the couch.

“They are announcing the new head of the council today,” he said, speaking as if I should know.

“Oh, I didn’t know your father was stepping down.”

He turned to look at me with disdain. “It was announced weeks ago.”

I shrugged. “John, this is the first time we’ve spoken in almost a month.”

He shook his head, looking down at his watch. “No, we spoke just yesterday.”

“I haven’t seen you with my own eyes since last Tuesday.”

“Oh…well…,” he grumbled, his mind distracted as he anxiously waited.

I stared at him as he paced. He had changed in five years. His body had gotten thicker as well as his mind, barely ever acknowledging my existence.

It was to be expected though. I was the shame of the village. The councilman’s wife that couldn’t conceive a child.

After five years of trying to have a child, John finally gave up and retreated to his own little corner. We didn’t even sleep in the same bedroom anymore.

It broke my heart, but there was nothing I could do. We had tried everything we could think of, even visiting the village medicine woman.

As I continued to watch him pace the room nervously I was taken back to our wedding day. Our marriage hadn’t started out with love, but a friendship had grown between us and at one point I truly thought I loved him. That idea was gone now as my days were continuously filled with loneliness and his growing disdain for me and my inability to do my duty.

My mind was brought back to the present at the sound of a knock at the door. We both turned quickly and I watched as he rushed to the front door, opening it to reveal his father and a few of the council members.

“John…”

“Father?” he replied, his voice filled with hope.

“Councilman Graves was chosen,” my father-in-law said firmly, showing his disappointment.

“I see,” John replied coldly. “Thank you for informing me.”

His father nodded to the men behind him and watched as they walked away before stepping into the house. He walked past me into the living room, standing in front of the fire to absorb some of its warmth.

“It was very close,” he said, turning back to face the two of us.

“Why wasn’t I chosen? I thought you said they always choose the son of the council head…?” John asked. I could tell by the sound of his voice that his disappointment was slowly being replaced by frustration.

His father shrugged. “They usually do. Apparently, they felt more secure with Councilman Graves.”

John shook his head. “I can’t believe I have to just—”

“You will keep your head held high,” his father interrupted, “So that when Graves retires you will be the obvious choice to replace him.” He turned to me with a grim stare, “As for you, Lyanna. It’s about time you did your duty to this family and your community. Still childless after five years of marriage? It’s absurd.”

I lowered my head in silence as he passed me and walked to the door, followed obediently by John.

He gave a slight bow of the head to his father and closed the door, his hand still resting on the handle as he tried to calm his nerves.

“I’m so sorry, John,” I said quietly. “I know you wanted that position.”

He turned to me with anger burning in his eyes. “Of course I wanted the position! It’s been the only goal on my mind for the last ten years!”

“I know.” I sighed before turning away. “I’ll go start on dinner.”

I began walking away, hoping to end the conversation and let him pout in his office for a while. I was surprised when he followed me to the kitchen.

“It’s your fault. It’s because we are childless. They can’t hand the council over to a man who can’t even handle his own home,” he boomed from the doorway.

I spun around to him, glaring up at him with fury. “We tried to have children,” I hollered. “For five years we tried to have children. It didn’t work! How do you know it’s my fault?”

He stepped forward with anger. “Whose fault would it be if not yours?”

“It takes two!” I yelled, throwing my dish towel at him and storming out the back door.

“Lyanna!” he yelled from the threshold.

I ignored him, walking into the trees that lined our backyard and into the forest. I had walked through here a hundred times before, but never in anger.

I stomped through the trees, making my way further from my home in an attempt to curb my anger at the man I called my husband.

I stopped at a clearing, my mind pausing in its anger as I looked around at the beautiful little spot. There was an old well that had to be decades old. The stones had come loose in places and it was overgrown with moss and vines, like something out of a fairytale.

I walked over to it, pressing my hand on the cool moss. I sat down beside it and pulled my knees up to my chest, hoping to keep at bay the tears in my eyes fighting to fall. I wiped a stray tear from my cheek and closed my eyes, wondering what I was going to do.

“Are you alone?”