Lucas took a couple of steps and stood in front of Sansa. Unlike the rest of the Stark children, who had shown obvious excitement and expectant looks on their faces for the gifts they were about to receive from Lucas, Sansa Stark was wearing a neutral look with a polite smile. She was neither overly excited nor very downcast. A proper ladylike behaviour. At least as per the training she had received.
She had received all the training required to behave like a proper lady, and she was emulating those lessons perfectly. But even so, it was not difficult for Lucas to spot the small flicker of hope and excitement hidden behind her composed mask. She was a young lady, after all.
"Lady Sansa," Lucas said. "You are as beautiful as I had heard. Perhaps even more so."
"Thank you, Lord Lucas," she replied, nodding graciously.
Meanwhile, one of Lucas's men was already in motion. He unbolted another box and pulled out Sansa's gift. Small gasps of amazement echoed through the hall as the object emerged.
These gasps came mostly from the ladies, and a smile of pride appeared on Lucas's face as he basked in their marvel. Even Sansa's eyes widened slightly as she took in the gift, her composure cracking just a bit.
The man was holding a mannequin of a neck bust. Obviously, the mannequin itself was not the gift.
Wrapped around the neck bust was a heavy, ornate necklace crafted out of pure gold, its yellow hue glinting in the dim light. The carvings on the gold were incredibly intricate, indicating a high level of workmanship and the countless hours of labor poured into the piece.
At the center of the necklace, a large, beautiful emerald had been set, radiating a deep green glow.
But that was not all. Strapped to either side of the display were two matching earrings, featuring the same level of detailed carvings and fitted with identical emerald stones.
"My humble little metal town is famous for weapons, tools, and other equipment," Lucas said, his voice echoing in the hall. "But I would not be wrong if I said that I also possess a few very talented and extremely remarkable goldsmiths."
"I had this piece of jewelry crafted by one such master," he said, as the bust was placed on the table in front of Sansa. "For the most beautiful lady in the entire North."
"I hope you like it," he added.
Sansa's hands instinctively rose, her fingers delicately brushing against the emerald.
The expression on her face was enough to reveal how amazed and happy she was with the gift.
And why not? Despite being the eldest daughter of Ned Stark, Warden of the North, she did not have a single piece of jewelry that could compare to it. The stone alone was likely more costly than all her other jewelry combined. Probably her mother, who was the Lady of Winterfell also did not have such a piece of jewellery.
"Thank you, Lord Lucas," she said, after a couple of moments of admiring the necklace. "It is truly beautiful and wonderful."
Both Catelyn and Ned were taken aback by Lucas's display. The first three gifts had been precious, but not overly so. This, however, was in a different league.
Ned did not interrupt immediately, as he did not want to disrespect Lucas Lannister, but he had already made up his mind that he would return the necklace. He would let the other children keep their gifts, but the necklace was too costly to be accepted.
He was no fool. He understood the political implications of what Lucas was trying to achieve. His metals. His weapons. His craftsmanship. He was clearly putting on a display of his power and wealth.
Lucas finally turned to the last remaining Stark child: the heir of Winterfell.
"Robb," he said warmly, and Robb responded with a respectful nod. Being the eldest and most mature, he remained calm and composed. A small respectful smile was plastered on his face. However, like everyone else, he was secretly wondering what gift he was about to receive. He too was a little bit excited.
"You know," Lucas said, facing Robb, "selecting a gift for you was quite a difficult task. For you will not only be a warrior but also the future Lord of Winterfell."
"In the end, I decided to settle on two gifts," he said, gesturing to his men.
Another box was opened, revealing its contents to the hall. Inside lay a complete suit of plate armor, polished to a mirror finish. The attendant left the armor in the chest but pulled a longsword from the box and handed it over to Lucas.
Lucas unsheathed the sword, letting it catch the light. Its pommel was crafted in the shape of a white coloured direwolf's torso.
"A sword and a full set of fierce armor, crafted from the same grade of metal used for your brother's blade," he said, extending the sword toward Robb.
Robb rose from his chair and took the sword into his hands, his eyes full of admiration. He traced the bust of the direwolf with his index finger before gripping the hilt tightly, giving it a quick, practiced swirl in the cramped space.
"A wonderful sword, Lord Lucas," Robb said. "Perfectly balanced. I like it very much. And I can tell the armor is equally magnificent."
"Thank you very much," he added with a small smile.
"Now," Lucas said. "Your second gift."
"I thought that the sword and armour counted for two gifts," Robb said with a frown.
"No," Lucas shook his head. "And how come armour or the sword relates to you being the heir of Winterfell? They only relate to you being a warrior."
"What is it then?" Robb asked.
Lucas looked toward his men, and another box was opened. It was nothing as spectacular as the previous gifts, and the observers wore contemplating expressions as they looked at it. It was a book, a thick, heavy tome.
"Robb," Lucas said, taking the tome in his hands. "It is a book. You could say it is kind of a personal favourite of mine. It deals with politics, governorship, administration, and the various other issues a ruler or the lord of a house might have to deal with. I hope you find it useful."
Robb accepted the book with the same warmth he had shown for the sword.
"Thank you, Lord Lucas," he said. "I truly appreciate the gift, and I will surely read it as soon as I can."
Lucas nodded in return and then finally turned to the last two people remaining. Catelyn and Ned Stark.
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