HI.
TWO YEARS LATER AND I'M FINALLY BACK.
SURPRISE.
I'm not going to waste your time with rambling apologies and such because I'm sure all that you're interested in is the chapter that I've been procrastinating uploading for centuries now... woops. sO ANYWAY, SORRY, HERE YOU GO.
Hopefully you enjoy!
disclaimer: I do NOT own Game of Thrones or ASOIAF (sadly), credit to the respective owners. I do, however, own my OC's, my writing and any other plot that I make up etc.
Winter Is Coming
Thud.
Ember Stark watched as her younger brother missed the target once again. She grimaced slightly, watching her two older brothers; Robb and Jon evaluate Bran from beside her. She smiled sympathetically as Bran let out a defeated sigh.
A frosty wisp of wind blew past the eldest Stark girl and she let out a silent shiver, wrapping her arms tighter around her body. Robb looked down at her, frowning when he saw her begin to shiver.
"Do you need a coat?" He asked worriedly, reaching down to a barrel where his large fur coat lay.
She looked up at her brother, shaking her head before returning her gaze back to Bran.
"No. I'm fine." She reassured him with a wave of her hand. Despite the fact that she was only wearing a thin dress, she wasn't too cold; living in Winterfell made you adapted to the cold. But that didn't stop her from shivering occasionally.
Robb simply rolled his eyes at her stubbornness but didn't press further, moving away from the barrel to stand beside his siblings once again. From beside him, Jon looked down at his sister, watching as she clenched her jaw tightly in an attempt to stop shaking, and let out a chuckle. The only response he got was a sideways glare.
Suddenly, as Bran slammed his bow down onto the ground, Robb Stark and Jon Snow broke out into small barks of laughter at the younger Stark, Rickon even laughed along from where he sat atop a discarded saddle. Ember let out a small snigger at the petulance, only to stop when Bran shot her a playful glare.
"And which one of you was a marksman at ten?" She heard her father call out from above them all. She glanced over her shoulder, watching him frown down at them before offering Bran a reassuring smile. Her brothers' glanced up, neither of them saying a word as they listened to their father. "Keep practicing Bran." When Bran didn't move, Ned nodded. "Go on."
"Widen your stance." His sister reminded him softly. Bran glanced over to his sister, who gave him a subtle wink and a gentle smile from where she stood. Smirking to himself, Bran picked up the bow with renowned vigour and aimed it at the target, doing as she instructed. He'd always wanted to be a better shot than she was; it was why he'd insisted that his brothers teach him with a bow and arrow instead of a sword that day.
He released another arrow, watching hopefully as it flew through the air. His smile disappeared as the arrow passed over the fence behind the target.
Jon leaned down to his brother. "Don't think too much Bran."
Robb watched him, folding his arms across his chest. "Relax your bow arm."
Bran stood there for a few more moments, taking in deep breaths and trying to keep his hand from shaking as he picked up another arrow and aimed at the black square of the target in front of him. His finger twitched as he felt his brothers watching him; narrowing his eyes, he took one final deep breath.
Just as he was about to release his arrow, another arrow shot past the brothers and landed right in the centre the target.
The brothers all turned immediately at the unexpected arrow that flew past, eyes landing on the figure. Bran narrowed his eyes at the culprit, but a ghost of a smile was on his lips. Robb and Jon both frowned, but their expressions softened as they both saw the teenager that stood a few feet away from them.
Ember stood near the horse stalls, a bow gripped tightly in her hands as she did a little curtsey, a teasing yet smug grin on her face. The two older Starks let out a few shocked laughs at their sister; how she managed to get over there so quickly without either of them noticing, they had no idea. She'd managed to do it in the past and they were never able to hear her move.
Bran suddenly dropped his bow and began to chase after his sister, annoyed that she barely even took a moment to aim and still managed to hit the targets centre. Realising what Bran was doing, Ember's eyes suddenly widened and she dropped her bow, running off in a random direction and letting out a small string of curse words which provoked another round of laughter from her brothers.
From above, Eddard and Catelyn Stark leaned over the edge of the rail to see what all the fuss was about, only to be completely surprised as they saw their eldest daughter being chased by Bran. Ned simply shook his head, a hearty smile on his face as he watched his daughter check over her shoulder to see where her younger brother was, letting out a loud protest as she saw him gaining on her. Even though he knew she should be with Arya and Sansa instead of out with her brothers, Ned found himself feeling proud of the lady his eldest daughter was turning out to be.
She was definitely the most wild-spirited, head strong sixteen year old he'd ever met.
Catelyn on the other hand, wasn't so impressed. She pinched her lips together, letting out a sigh as she watched Ember let out a giggle when Bran hopped up onto her back, a grin on the boy's face as he caught his sister. Catelyn had always wondered how Ember wasn't interested in the sophistication that most noble women were. In truth, Ember was never one for the extravagant dresses that her sisters had, she just found them a little pointless. That didn't mean she didn't like wearing dresses, she would wear them but she much preferred wearing some of the more loose fitting clothing; mostly garments stolen from her older brothers because they didn't 'suck the life out of me' when she wore them.
Catelyn was most definitely proud of Ember and the bright spark of character she had – it reminded her of herself when she was at that age - she just wasn't so keen on her aptitude for fighting. That one she blamed entirely on Ned, because as soon as Ember had become of age, Ned insisted she learnt to fight, not wanting his eldest daughter to be defenceless if she were to find herself in any trouble.
And with the amount of trouble Ember found herself in, Ned was glad he had taught her how to defend herself. She was a better shot with an arrow than most boys her age that he had seen train but that probably came with the determination she dedicated to the art and the amount of time she spent missing her etiquette classes in favour of training. It didn't help that her older brothers practiced with her whenever she asked.
But Catelyn smiled nonetheless; she was so proud of all her children.
"Lord Stark." Both Eddard and Catelyn turned around to face Rodrik Cassel as he approached them, Theon Greyjoy right beside him. "My lady."
Knocking on her mother's bedroom door, Ember waited in silence for a response. Robb had come out on a search party for her, seeming highly amused when he found her hiding in one of the stable stalls, talking affectionately to one of the horses. She seemed offended when he begun laughing at her attire – covered in hay with splotches of mud and dirt scattered around her knees and hem of her dress – but had soon started laughing along with him as he steered her towards the castle.
He was riding out with their father, Jon and Bran. Something about a deserter and how it was their job to deal with the punishment. She had asked if she would be allowed to accompany but Robb had immediately shot back a sharp 'no'. She still failed to see how it was perfectly fine for Bran – who was only ten years old – to travel along with them but it seemed outrageous that she would want to accompany them.
It didn't make sense.
But she did not question it and just allowed Robb to do his job as an older brother; letting him put his mind at ease that she would stay at the castle and not attempt to come along like she had when she was twelve.
"Ember? Is that you?"
The girl smiled at the voice from the other side of the door. "Yes, mother."
"Come in, come in!"
Surprised at her mother's eagerness, Ember pushed on the heavy wooden door, a small creak echoing around the room as she entered her parents' chambers. The room was a lot warmer than outside in the hallway and it was dimly lit as flames danced in the hearth.
"Ah, dear, I was just abou-," Catelyn paused, eyes widening. "Ember Stark!" Her mother gasped once she saw her daughters muddy appearance.
Raising a curious eyebrow, Ember looked down at her dress, suddenly realising how bad she must actually look.
"What in the Seven Kingdoms have you been doing?" Catelyn asked as she walked towards her eldest daughter, picking a piece of straw from her hair.
Not able to think of an excuse that sounded reasonable enough to explain why she looked so disastrous, Ember shrugged. "Hiding?" Her tone was more questioning than reassuring.
Catelyn could only shake her head, but a fond smile twitched at the corners of her lips.
"Never mind. I am sure Bran had some involvement in this so I won't lecture you." She said, her tone bordering on teasing as Ember simply smiled up at her mother. "Just go and find your Septa and clean yourself up."
Ember's smile dropped. "But Mother-,"
"Go." Catelyn said firmly, reaching up a hand and pointing towards the door of the bedroom. "We'll speak later. Go and find Wynn."
Letting out an exaggerated sigh, Ember simply nodded, turning around and heading towards her chambers.
Despite receiving some odd yet knowing looks from the servants in the castle, the trip to her chambers was uneventful. The servants were more than used to the Stark girl coming in all mucky after being outside with her siblings.
She walked inside, pushing open the wooden door with little effort before she closed it behind her. Letting out a deep breath, she closed her eyes for a brief moment.
"Ember Stark, look at the state of you!"
Ember's eyes snapped open upon hearing the familiar, slightly raspy voice of her Septa and long time caretaker; Wynn. She wasn't surprised to hear her full name once again nor was she surprised to see Wynn glaring at her from across the room.
Wynn's jade coloured eyes stared at the teenager for a while as she planted her hands on her slender hips, almost waiting for Ember to say something (probably expecting her to start spinning some outrageous lie in order to cover herself). But Wynn knew perfectly well how the teenager had ended up looking such a state.
"This time," Ember pushed herself away from the door and didn't flinch under the stare of her Septa. "It was not my fault."
Wynn regarded her for a moment before a small smile graced her lips. "It's never your fault is it?"
"I'm offended you would think otherwise."
"I shall run you a bath," Wynn said fondly, "And we will get you cleaned up."
Ember smiled gratefully and fell onto her bed, the after effects of all the running she had done finally draining her energy.
Wynn ran her bath and Ember had immediately slipped into the heated water, dipping gracefully under before re-surfacing and letting out a satisfied sigh. It was nice to be out and doing things but it was always nice to come back to a hot bath and just to feel clean again.
She soon got out and changed into a new, clean dress that Wynn had laid out for her. Pulling her still damp hair into a ponytail with some ribbon that she had laying beside her bedside table, Ember shook her hair once the knot was tied and sighed in relief that it didn't feel heavy with dirt anymore.
She was slipping into a pair of her shoes when her brother, Jon, jogged past her doorway. She frowned as she saw him run past, leaning against one of the beams of her bed as she began to put on the other shoe. Ember straightened a fraction when Jon backtracked, stopping outside his sister's doorway with a mischievous grin.
Despite the fact that Jon was only their half-brother, their fathers' bastard, the Stark children treated him as if he were one of them, because to them... he was. They never treated him any differently and welcomed him into the family.
"I thought you had business to deal with?" His sister teased as she pulled her dark ponytail over her shoulder.
Jon grinned back at her, pressing an arm against the wooden doorway. "We returned. And we have a surprise for you all."
Ember regarded him curiously, taking a tentative step with a curious expression suddenly on her face. "What could you possibly have brought us?"
The mischievous glint was back in his eyes as he stepped out of her doorway and gestured down the hall.
"I think you will be surprised, sister."
"Koda!"
At the end of the hall, the young direwolf suddenly stopped in his tracks upon hearing the familiar voice. Raising his head and perking his ears, he looked curiously at Ember, who was waiting patiently at the other end of the hall.
"Come here, boy." Ember said softly, tapping her thigh lightly through the material of her dress, motioning for the direwolf to come and meet her.
Letting out a small bark, Koda immediately turned around and trotted back up the hall gracefully, his paws not making a single sound along the wooden floor of the corridor. His dark coat shimmered, eyes shining an intense blue.
When her father and brothers returned from their duty, oh boy, did they have a surprise. It was a massive shock to all of the Stark children when Robb and Jon rode in carrying a handful of direwolf pups with them. Ember knew that direwolves were practically extinct around these parts, merely a legend and to say she was surprised they had found some was an understatement. She'd only ever heard of direwolves in stories that her father, mother and Old Nan had used to tell her when she was younger, how they aided their masters in battle, becoming four-legged warriors that were respected widely.
But past her initial surprise, Ember was delighted. Jon and Robb had simply placed the pups on the floor, every single one of them seeming dazed and confused as they were placed in front of the Stark children.
Although there were seven of the pups, one for each of the children, the pure white direwolf of the litter seemed to have already developed an attachment to Jon and stood by his feet the entire time.
Ember had stood there observing the pups intently before crouching down and extending her hand for them to inspect. She'd reassured her brothers and sisters when they began to protest, telling Ember to get back, that the direwolves weren't as dangerous as they probably thought. They were only pups after all.
Koda had been the first one to advance towards her. He was one of the larger pups and seemed to be the boldest as he emerged from the small huddle and licked Embers' hand affectionately after a curious sniff.
And that was the moment the two formed a bond. Koda had claimed Ember as his and followed her around for the remainder of the day, which only furthered Ember's decision in adopting and raising the direwolf. He followed her around like a shadow most of the time, sleeping at her feet when she slept, sitting under her chair at dinners and even sometimes helping her with things she had to do around the Keep.
Their father had had only one condition in keeping the pups; "You look after them yourselves."
And that had been perfectly fine with all the Stark children.
Once Koda was at her heels, she reached down to scratch behind his ears before continuing down the corridor. She abruptly came to a stop when she entered her room and saw another direwolf sat atop her bed.
"Lady? What are you doing here?"
The smaller direwolf simply lowered herself onto the girls' bed and rested her head on her paws in response. Ember watched the direwolf for a moment, letting out a small laugh as Koda rushed away from her side and jumped onto the bed beside his sister, staring at Ember innocently.
"Sansa is going to think I'm stealing you." she remarked, walking to the foot of her bed and watching as the direwolves settled themselves amongst her fur sheets.
The pups whined in unison, earning a shake of the head from the Stark girl. Walking across the room and grabbing her cloak from her vanity, Ember turned back around to the direwolves with a warning expression.
"Right, you two need to stay here alright? No running about." When Koda stuck up his head, almost defiantly, Ember arched an eyebrow. "If you run around the Royals won't get the best of impressions." Koda let out a bark. "Don't use that tone with me; this is for your own good."
To anybody else; it would appear that she was insane. But Koda seemed to have a knack for understanding exactly what Ember was talking about.
But since this was the King that they were talking about, she had to make absolutely sure that the pups were on their best behaviour. The King had sent notice that he was riding for Winterfell not too long ago. Unfortunately, news also came that Jon Arryn had died.
Suspicions rumoured around the keep that the King was riding to ask Eddard for the position that Jon Arryn had once occupied; the Hand of the King. The family were fully aware that the placement wasn't as luxurious as others would believe. Some were lucky and lasted years but others... were not as lucky.
And that worried the Stark family. What if Ned was one of the unlucky ones? Their father had already sacrificed so much for Robert Baratheon and they didn't intend to let him sacrifice his life along with it.
Yet unfortunately, Robert was not the only one riding for Winterfell. He was bringing along his entire family and what seemed to be his entire guard. Ember had never met Queen Cersei or her children but had heard from more than one source that they weren't the most pleasant of people to meet. Regarding her cubs, it was one in particular she heard distasteful things about, the others seemed to be quite lovely and polite. But Joffrey... not one kind word had she heard about him.
And of the things she had heard of him, the most common word was; prick. He seemed to be a big prick actually and Ember had developed an animosity for the Prince to say the least. Not only a few days ago had a whisper spread around that the King was to speak to Lord Stark about engaging one of the Stark girls to him. The thought alone disgusted Ember entirely.
She knew she was the more likely candidate, being sixteen and of age to be married. But if she was to be married; she was most certainly not marrying Joffrey without a fight. She didn't care if marrying the boy meant she would become royalty, she had no interest in being a royal because they always ended up in trouble one way or another. Whether it be a war or political debate, Ember wasn't interested.
She was sure Sansa would more than happily take her place, seemingly rather excited about meeting Joffrey. But that didn't sit too well with Ember, either.
Among the others that would be travelling, she had heard hushed whispers that a companion of the Prince, and member of the Kingsguard, would be riding along with the royals but that hardly seemed likely.
Draping her cloak over her shoulders, she eyed the direwolves carefully as she began to make her way towards her door. The direwolves raised their heads, both following her movements intently as they kept their eyes trained on her.
"Stay." She simply said, sending them last one look before walking out into the corridor.
It was almost a stampede of hooves and banners as the king finally reached the gates of Winterfell.
The men came riding on horses in pairs, each holding a banner that held the King's sign. Then the individuals started to ride in and soon, the Keep was beginning to swarm with the royal party.
Near the Keep, all Stark children lined up beside their parents, awaiting the arrival of the King.
Well, most of the children were there.
"There you are."
Smirking up at her older brother, Ember draped her cloak around her shoulders as she slotted herself between Robb and Sansa. She glanced briefly up at her brother, his gaze almost suspicious.
"Miss me?" She teased, a smile spreading across her face as he simply laughed, Jon letting out a low chuckle from behind them at the comment.
"Not a bit." Robb retorted sarcastically, another bout of laughter coming from him when Ember elbowed her brother in the ribs.
"Rude." She mumbled under her breath, but the smile on her face gave her away, making it hard for anyone to believe she was genuinely angry.
They could never stay mad at each other for long. Their longest silence between each other had been only three days, both caving in by the end of the third and apologising for what had been said.
Being two of the eldest in the Stark household, Ember and Robb were extremely close, knowing each other like the back of their hands. Robb had been a rock for Ember growing up, being the protective brother he was, he always made sure that she was okay and helping her become the lady she was. He and Jon were the ones that taught her all that she needed to know about archery and even aided their parents in helping Ember figure out morals when she was younger. He'd always been there for her and she had always been there for him, whenever they needed each other.
Catelyn glanced around at her children, frowning when she realised that one was missing.
"Where's Arya?" Ember remained quiet, suppressing a grin. "Sansa, where's your sister?"
Glancing away from the spot she had been staring at, Sansa looked over at her mother and shrugged. For a moment Ember thought she had been caught out, but when her parents looked away to a rapidly approaching figure on their left, she loosened her shoulders slightly.
Arya rushed past the crowd that had lined up behind the Starks. Just as she passed her parents, Eddard suddenly reached out and gently grabbed her shoulder to stop her.
"Hey. Hey, hey, hey." Ned frowned at his daughter for a moment before reaching down and pulling the helmet off her head. "What are you doing with that on?"
Ember, Robb and Jon – who was stood just behind his siblings - all smirked down at Arya as she grumbled something under her breath and began to make her way to where she would stand.
"Move!" She snapped, grabbing a hold of Bran and moving him out of the way as she shuffled into her place. Sansa stared down at Arya, rolling her eyes.
Not even moments later, the first horse appeared through the arch, the rest of the company swarming in a continuous stream after him.
Sansa suddenly took an intake of breath as Joffrey appeared, smiling as the Prince caught her gaze. A smirk replaced his grin as he eyed the Stark girl. Sansa had to look down at the ground for a moment to hide the deep blush that began to tint her pale cheeks, a tiny giggle slipping past her lips at the attention.
From beside her, Ember stared at her sister, wondering what the Gods she was doing while Joffrey rode alongside the Hound. The Prince just oozed arrogant confidence as he sat back against the saddle of his horse and she honestly had no idea why her sister seemed to be so interested in him.
The two continued to share flirtatious gazes for a few short moments before the entire courtyard grew silent, the sudden sound of heavy steps heard from beyond the entrance.
Suddenly a large black horse trotted in from the arch, the sound of hooves suddenly sounding like thunder. The boy atop the horse wore complete black, his gaze narrowing as he scanned the crowd around him with indifference. He appeared to be around the Prince's age, if not older and held a regal posture as he gazed around Winterfell Keep. Ember felt her eyes widen as she suddenly recognized who it was.
It was him.
Ethan Griffin.
What is he doing here? Ember thought, an indecisive frown covering her face as she watched the boy steer his horse alongside Joffrey, the large stallion seeming to overshadow the smaller mare that Joffrey was perched on.
She hadn't expected him to be riding along. What business could be possibly hav-?
Her thoughts froze mid-sentence as her lips parted ever so slightly and she let out a small noise of realisation. He was the companion that she had heard whispers of.
The youngest of the Griffin house had certainly made a reputation of himself throughout land. Despite being the youngest of his three siblings, he had arguably achieved the most. Being a Knight of the Kingsguard, Ember had heard great things about the boy before her.
But seeing him in person triggered an indecisive battle inside her. She couldn't be sure if he was like the other noble boys she had met – obnoxious (and quite frankly dreadful) and therefore wasn't sure what to make of the boy.
But there was one thing the Stark girl could not deny... he was a lot more attractive than she had first thought. She'd heard things, but Ember thought they were simply exaggerating. She had to admit she was wrong.
"Seven Hells," Ember breathed, finding herself almost irksome at the boys' presence. It was bad enough having Joffrey in Winterfell let alone one of his closest friends that she was sure was influenced by the Princes' behaviour. If he turned out to be as arrogant as the boy beside him, she was sure that the two would not be getting along anytime soon.
Robb, suddenly hearing his sister mutter something glanced down at her, frowning as he saw her staring at something, looking peeved.
He snapped his gaze in the direction of his sisters, his jaw hardening as he saw what she was staring at. His protective instincts suddenly began riling up when he noticed the Griffin boy staring back at his sister with similar interest, a small yet confident smirk present on the boys face.
Ethan cocked his head slightly as he caught the icy stare of the eldest Stark girl, inquisitively studying her.
Despite the fact he knew Sansa was interested in meeting the Prince, Robb was surprised that Ember seemed to be taking an interest in the Griffin boy, even if it wasn't pleasant; usually speaking of Noble men made her turn her nose up at the thought. But the fact that she seemed to be almost curious – if angry -about the boy made him sceptical and found his big brother hackles rising. Even Jon seemed to have noticed his sisters' sudden interest in the Noble boys that had arrived.
And that was when the carriage pulled up, the King not far behind.
As the King approached the Starks, they all in unison fell to their knees in a sign of respect, the rest of Winterfell copying their movement soon after, all dropping to the cold ground, not a word being uttered.
Pausing his horse a small way from them, Robert regarded them from a distance. It had been a long time since he had been in Winterfell. It was nice to see his old friend once again; even if it was under unpleasant circumstances.
Ember risked a glance up, smirking lightly to herself as she saw Ethan staring down at her and her family. She caught the glimmer of armour in the corner of her eye.
Robert quickly walked down the steps that had been laid out. His boots crunched along the pebbly flooring of the courtyard and he eagerly walked over to the family, stopping just in front of Eddard. He made a tiny motion with his hand for them to rise, Ned barely catching the subtle gesture out of the corner of his eye.
Ned immediately rose to his feet, the rest of his family, and soon the rest of Winterfell, following suit.
Ned finally bowed his head. "Your Grace."
Robert regarded him curiously. He gave Ned a once-over glance, his upper lip curling. "You've got fat."
There was a small tense silence as everyone waited for Lord Stark to reply. Catelyn glanced over at her husband in slight amusement. Ned didn't say anything, glancing over Robert before he quirked a single eyebrow knowingly.
After a few moments of silence, a gradual grin made its way across the King's face, a hearty laugh erupting from him that bounced around the Keep. Ned grinned back, a similar laugh echoing around the courtyard as the two men embraced one another, thuds echoing around the two as they clapped each others' shoulders.
"Cat!" Robert called affectionately, reaching down to hug the smaller women in front of him.
"Your Grace." She replied fondly, reaching from within her cloak to return the friendly gesture.
"Nine years..." he pondered. "Why haven't I seen you?" He inquired. "Where the hell have you been?"
"Guarding the North for you, Your Grace," Just as Ned began to reply, the Queen and her cubs began to file out of the large carriage, each of them dressed in finery that would make some weep in envy. "Winterfell is yours."
The Queen picked up the edge of her dress, appearing emotionless yet judgemental as she glided over towards her husband. She wore an indignant expression as her eyes drifted warily around the people of Winterfell.
Arya, noticing there was someone missing, glanced up at Sansa with genuine curiosity. "Where's the imp?"
"Will you shut up?" Sansa snapped, glaring down at her sister.
Ember tore her gaze away from the King and turned to her sister, an eyebrow arched at the tone of her voice.
"You two," She whispered, gaining the attention of both her sisters. She could feel her parents' gazes on them for a brief moment and thought it best to stop the girls before they started one of their arguments. "Shut up."
Sansa said nothing and pinched her lips together, returning her gaze back onto Joffrey. Arya and Ember met gazes, each widening their eyes subtly and looking away, wondering what in the Seven Kingdoms their sister had snapped for.
"Who have we here? You must be Robb." He stated, reaching out a hand to shake as he came to a stop in front of the eldest Stark boy. He remembered Robb, a young lad that was full of mischief and was always brave, even from the young age that Robert had met him at. The two shared a firm hand shake.
Robert then moved up to Ember who smiled cheerfully up at the King, unfazed by the sudden intimidation of a royal that followed him. Robert paused slightly, almost stunned at how different the eldest Stark girl appeared. The last time he had seen her; she'd had pigtails and freckles and had been running around as if her life was in danger. Now her pigtails had been replaced by long, russet-brown hair that fell in waves and the freckles had faded from her pale skin. She was now a young lady, no longer the little girl he had known. Now there was an aura of sophistication about her.
"Ember? Is that you?"
Ember let out a light laugh. "Yes, your Grace."
Robert turned to Ned and Cat, who were smiling proudly at their children. "She grew up, didn't she?" Ned simply nodded, winking reassuringly at his daughter who had also turned to look at her parents.
Robert studied Ember for a few more moments before fondly shaking his head and walking past Sansa. "My, you're a pretty one." A light blush crept across Sansa's cheek as she huffed and looked down, smiling to herself.
The King greeted the rest of the children uneventfully, ruffling Rickon's hair when he reached the end.
Behind the King, one of the knights removed their helmets. A head of golden hair fell from beneath the helmet, shaking it out as he placed the helmet under his arm and rested his free hand against the hilt of his large sword.
"That's Jaime Lannister," Arya recited excitedly from beside Sansa. "The Queens twin brother."
"Would you please shut up?" Sansa snapped once again, her tone more irritable than before. Ember briefly looked over at her sister and rolled her eyes, deciding to ignore her while she was in this mood and refocused her attention on the Queen.
Cersei moved to stand in front of Eddard, regarding the crowd in front of her with a graceful facade. She briefly regarded Ned before placing her left hand in front of him. Hesitantly, Ned lowered himself, gently grabbing her hand and placing a kiss against her pale skin. "My Queen."
A small smile twitched on her lips as her eyes darted over to Catelyn, who also curtseyed.
"My Queen." She said, smiling respectfully at the royal.
"Take me to your crypt," a loud voice suddenly interrupted. Everyone turned to the King. "I want to pay my respects."
"We've been riding for a month, my love." Cersei interjected, an unamused look crossing her features. "Surely the dead can wait." Her tone was firm, trying to sway her husband away from visiting the crypt.
Robert glanced at her dismissively, acting as if he had not even heard her. "Ned." He simply said before walking off through the crowd, that parted their way, and towards the crypt that he had visited plenty of times before.
Ned glanced briefly at Cersei, wondering whose orders he should follow. The Queen gave him a slight glare but soon lowered her gaze. Ned separated himself from his family and made his way after Robert.
Arya, still puzzled as to where this specific person was, stared up at Sansa who had turned to look down at her younger sister. "Where's the Imp?" she repeated.
Cersei looked over at Arya before spinning around and marching over to her twin brother. "Where is our brother?" She asked impatiently. When Jaime didn't reply and shook his head she sighed, appearing irritated. "Go and find the little beast."
Both Ember and Jon raised their eyebrows at that, not expecting that from the Queen as she spoke of their younger brother.
Ember rolled her shoulders slightly, flexing one of her hands as Robb turned to look down at her once the Royals attention was off them all.
"Well," she started quietly, turning to face her brother with a cheeky smile. "That was fun."
It was only a few hours later that Ember sat in front of both her mother and her younger sister, Sansa, all preparing for the feast that they were holding for the arrival of the King.
Ember was perched on the end of her sister's bed, her hands placed elegantly on her lap. She played with the skirt of her dress with her hands as she watched her mother do her sisters hair. Her hair had already been done by Wynn and she was thankful that she had not done something extravagant like Sansa's; although Wynn had placed some golden clips and adornments in between the smaller plaits in her hair.
Ember caught Sansa's eyes as the girl sat patiently in the chair. She could tell her sister was excited for the feast; or more specifically excited to meet and speak to Joffrey. She still couldn't fathom the interest her sister had but decided not to say anything and leave her sister to her own actions, despite how much she wanted to steer her in the complete opposite direction.
But she also knew she couldn't really complain since she was eager to meet Ser Griffin, the youngest of his house and also, by far, the most intriguing. Ember was aware she would have to try and talk to the young knight when her family was not looking; especially since Robb had noticed her peak in interest during the welcoming.
"Do you think Joffrey will like me?"
Ember smiled fondly, knowing the topic was likely to make an appearance. She noticed her mother pause in her work to listen to her daughters.
"I'm sure he will."
"What if he thinks I'm ugly?" Sansa asked, seeming genuinely worried. She looked back up at Ember, her eyes asking for advice from her sister. Even though the two didn't always see eye to eye on most topics, Sansa always found her way to Ember when she was in need of advice. She knew Ember would be honest and help as much as she could.
Catelyn frowned from behind Sansa, reaching down and placing her hands comfortingly on her shoulders. "Then he is the stupidest prince that ever lived."
Her daughters weren't ones to lack in confidence since Eddard and she had always instilled that confidence in them since the day they were born. They were Starks, their sigil the direwolf; a proud and confident creature.
Smiling slightly at her mother and sisters' words, Sansa picked up the hand mirror that lay in her lap, glancing at her reflection. "He's so handsome."
That's an opinion. Ember thought bitterly, trying her best not to grimace at the memory of Joffrey's smug face.
Yes, he was to be the next King but Ember still couldn't stand the boy. He was selfish and arrogant and didn't care how his actions affected others. They were both sixteen yet Joffrey threw temper tantrums as if he were still an infant.
"When will we be married? Soon? Or do we have to wait?" Sansa questioned impatiently.
Ember blinked twice, staring in shock at her sister. Was she seriously considering this? Ember could feel herself getting anxious at the thought of having Sansa marry Joffrey. Did she have any idea that once she was married that was it; she would have no more freedom? Sansa had no idea of what could really happen in King's landing.
Ember was relieved when her mother had informed her that the King did not wish to marry herself to Joffrey, smiling fondly when she had been informed that the King told her father he knew she would hate the idea and knew she was best unmarried for the time being. But now they wanted Sansa to leave?
She didn't want Joffrey to manipulate her sister. She refused to let that happen.
Catelyn caught her eldest daughters' gaze and realised they were thinking the exact same thing.
"Remember that father hasn't even said yes." Ember reminded when Sansa turned to her. "Try not to get your hopes up."
"Why would he say no?" Sansa questioned once again, determined. "He'd be the second most powerful man in the kingdoms."
"He'd have to leave home." Catelyn countered. There was a slight pause and Ember noticed her mothers' face drop. "He'd have to leave me." Catelyn caught Embers' eyes once again, and the sympathetic smile she gave her mother caused Catelyn to snap out of it. She leaned down to Sansa. "And so would you."
"You left your home to come here." Sansa retorted. "And I'd be Queen someday."
Ember raised an eyebrow when her sisters' eyes landed on her, causing Sansa to immediately turn around in her chair and look up at their mother, the idea of being Queen both exhilarating and exciting.
"Please make father say yes!"
"Sansa..." Catelyn trailed off, exhausted with the conversation now.
"Please, please! It's the only thing I've ever wanted."
Their mother seemed shocked with the statement and studied Sansa carefully.
"Alright Sans, that's enough." Ember interrupted, realising that their mother was done with talk of the Royals. It was hard enough for her that their father might be leaving, but to have Sansa leave as well would truly be too much. "Stop pestering mother." She tried to smile at her sister, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
Sansa didn't say anything, only gave Ember a quick smile before settling back into her seat and allowing her mother to finish the style.
From behind Sansa, Catelyn gave Ember a grateful smile, happy to know that her daughter seemed to be on her side about the whole topic.
Little did she know Ember would be more sucked into the situation than she first thought.
As soon as night had descended, the music began to play.
As Ember sat in the Great Hall, surrounded by most of Winterfell and the King's companions, she was sure that the music could be heard miles beyond the Keep at the sheer volume it was being played. She wasn't complaining, she loved when the music was played simply because she rarely ever got to hear it. The musicians only ever got to perform during special events and feasts - such as the one being held that night.
Ember reached for her goblet that lay on the wooden table, a smile on her lips as she took a sip of the sweet, red drink that was Winterfell wine. She wasn't quite accustomed to the taste of wine since her parents only ever let her and her sisters' have one cup at Feasts. But when speaking to her Father earlier he had hinted that as long as he didn't see it; it never happened. And Ember was going to use that to her advantage. The wine tasted sweet yet crisp and she was more than enjoying it.
"You should slow down," Robb said from beside her, raising his voice as he leant closer to be heard over the roaring crowd and harmonious music. "You'll drown yourself."
Ember nearly spluttered on her drink as she brought it away from her lips. "You're one to talk, brother." She stated once the goblet was placed back onto the table, her eyes turning to meet her brothers. "I'd think you've nearly ran us dry of wine."
"Very funny." Robb retorted a fond smile on his face as he nudged her gently with his shoulder.
A cheerful laugh left the Stark girls mouth as she allowed her eyes to wonder around the dimly lit and crowded room. From beneath, she could feel the music vibrating through the soles of her shoes and the warmth of the room, both from candles and men alike, was a comforting feeling. It was nice to be so surrounded by people.
Her eyes fell upon the King from across the room. Her lip pulled back in slight disgust as he reached around one of the bulkier serving girls and began to have a little bit of too-close-for-comfort fun. Ember was slightly shocked that the King was doing this in front of the Queen, who was only a few yards away, and didn't seem to be thinking nor caring about his actions.
But he was the King. And as her brothers' had told her: 'The King does what the King wants.' Ember could see that quite clearly now.
It was only when she had scanned the entirety of the room that she noticed one significant figure was missing.
"Robb?" Ember called to her brother, though her eyes did not meet his as he turned from his conversation to look at her curiously. She was staring deeply into her cup, her thoughts bouncing around in her mind as she tried to find the face in the crowd.
"What is it?" When Ember didn't reply, he frowned for a moment. "Em?"
"Where's Jon?"
At the mention of their brother's absence, Robb clenched his jaw slightly, avoiding his sisters' eyes as she turned to him with genuine confusion.
"Mother said he was not to attend."
Screwing her eyes in almost outrage, Ember let out a small scoff. "What?"
Robb simply nodded, a sympathetic smile appearing on his face as he turned to look at his sister, knowing she would be displeased with what he was about to say. "Mother thought it might offend the royal family to seat a bastard in their midst."
Suddenly becoming exasperated and annoyed, Ember turned an indignant glare towards where her mother was seated. "Jon is no more our family than the direwolves. He should be here."
Reaching for his sister's hand, he gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry too much about it. Jon didn't seem too bothered; he's using it as an excuse to practice."
Even though she was still irked about the whole ordeal, Ember gave a smile nonetheless, giving her brothers hand a squeeze so he knew she was going to drop the subject for now. There was no use in getting irritable over a matter she could not change.
But, oh, how she wished she could. It didn't quite seem the same without Jon and Ember found herself glancing over the entrance of the hall, wanting to just go and grab Jon and bring him in, screw what anyone had to say on it.
"Enough about that," Robb shouted, reaching across the table to grab the large mug of wine. "Let us enjoy ourselves."
His friends, who had gathered around and seated themselves with the Stark siblings, let out a simultaneous cheer as they all began filling each other's goblets with the rich red liquid. A grin made its way across Ember's face as one of Robb's friends reached over and carefully began filling up the Stark girl's goblet, giving her a wink as the two met gazes. She couldn't help but grin at the gesture and she was glad that Robb hadn't seemed to notice the interaction and that the dim lighting was concealing her blush.
Her eyes began to wonder around the room once again as she brought the lip of the cup to hers, only to freeze as she caught the gaze of someone across the room.
Beside Prince Joffrey sat Ethan Griffin.
The liquid touched her lips, but Ember did not part them to swallow as Ethan kept his curious gaze pinned on her. He was also taking a sip of his wine and, as he pulled the goblet away, a familiar smirk was plastered on his face.
Awkwardly, Ember removed the goblet from her mouth and hurriedly placed it back onto the table, licking her lips in an attempt to get any remnants of the wine from her mouth. She looked back over to Ethan, half expecting his attention to have been diverted, but being pleasantly surprised as he continued to look over as if waiting for her to turn back.
The smirk was growing further across his lips as he realised he had the attention of the Stark girl once again; he simply raised his goblet in the air and tilted his head forward in a sign of acknowledgement. Ember gave an amused grin at the gesture as she gave a subtle nod in return, letting him know she understood.
Their exchange was interrupted as Wynn appeared, quite suddenly, behind Ember and leant down to whisper in her ear.
"Your Mother and the Queen wish to speak with you."
As soon as the words left Wynn's lips, Ember snapped her gaze to the head table at the other end of the hall. Her mother sat beside the Queen and caught her daughters gaze, giving a simple gesture in a silent beckoning.
"Thank you, Wynn," Ember said, watching as her Septa disappeared amongst the sea of people.
Letting out a long exasperated breath, Ember grabbed her goblet and took a large sip of the wine in an attempt to calm herself, slowly beginning to stand up from her seat while doing so.
"Whoa, whoa," Robb shouted after her.
Ember paused; her hand nervously gripped some of the fabric of her dress to ensure she didn't tread on it. "What?"
"Where are you off to?"
Ember quirked her head in the direction of the head table, her blue eyes catching the light as she did so. "I'm wanted elsewhere."
Robb turned to look at the table, a look of realisation crossing his face as he caught sight of their mother and the Queen. He stared at the table for a few more moments before turning back to his sister. He quirked an eyebrow. "Behave yourself."
Although it was a light-hearted remark, Ember knew there was a hint of seriousness in her brother's words. Sometimes she hated how well he knew her and that she would more than likely say something inappropriate in front of the Queen accidentally.
Ember only gave him an eye roll, provoking a laugh from the eldest Stark as she weaved her way through the crowd and towards where the Queen and her Mother awaited.
It was a slow and awkward walk up to the head table.
Ember had to weave between drunkards and bar maidens practically the whole time and stumbled at least twice on her way.
It was a weird sensation. As cramped and closed-in as she felt, Ember found herself enjoying the comfort that came with it all. The atmosphere was cheerful and she couldn't make out one sour face on her small journey to the other end of the hall. It was an odd sense of freedom as she could hide amongst the large guests, forgetting about her responsibilities if only for a short while.
A yelp fell from her lips as a drunken couple fell into her, lips pressed together as if they were smothering each other to death. The man let out a hearty laugh, mumbling a quick apology to the girl before refocusing on the lady he had clamped tightly to him.
It was only a few steps away from the table that Ember noticed Sansa had now stood up and was moving through the crowd towards her. She paused and waited for her sister, noticing that she looked surprisingly nervous.
"The Queen asked for you, as well?" Ember asked, smiling reassuringly as they continued to walk. Sansa seemed barely able to respond and only nodded at her sister. "Don't worry, Sans. I'm sure it will be fine."
Ember could understand her sister's nervousness; if she wished to be married to Joffrey then she would want the approval of the Queen. Otherwise her time in King's landing would be rather unpleasant to say the least. Ember on the other hand wasn't too worried about having the Queen's approval since she had nothing to prove and nothing to hide. If the Queen wanted to play one of her manipulative games then Ember was all for it.
Without saying a word, Sansa suddenly reached out and grabbed her sister's hand. For a moment, Ember was surprised; but she didn't think anymore of it before she gave her sisters hand a reassuring squeeze when they arrived in front of the Queen and their mother. The Queen was known to be merciless and Ember was sure that whatever she was to ask was more than just a 'friendly' talk.
"Hello, little doves." Cersei cooed as she smiled at the sisters.
She glanced over at Sansa, immediately noticing how she looked more of a Tully than a Stark. The dress she wore hugged her figure perfectly and she looked like she belonged in the South more than the North.
Her eyes eventually travelled over to Ember, cocking her head to the side as she examined the eldest daughter of the Stark House. She was less ordinary than she had first thought. She definitely looked like a Stark; a true Northern girl but Cersei couldn't help but think that Ember had the potential to thrive in the South.
Yet her true interest lay in the younger Stark girl that stood in front of her; the one that was to be wed to her little cub, Joffrey. "My, but you are beauties."
Catching her mother's eye, Ember noticed how her mother watched on anxiously. Ember had learnt over the years that if her mother were nervous, there was a reason to be so. Her back straightened sub-consciously as she edged a little closer to her younger sister.
"How old are you both?" Cersei asked. Her eyes took on a more cat-like appearance as she inquired, making her seem a little more threatening than she had before.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sansa gave her sister a pleading look, silently asking her to answer first. Ember caught on immediately and smiled politely at the Queen.
"Sixteen, Your Grace," Ember answered. The anxiety radiating from both her mother and her sister was starting to make her feel uneasy and she had to resist the urge to shift on the spot. Ember was never one to become nervous under such silly circumstances but the rigid and tense attitude from her family was starting to concern her more and more.
"How about you, dear?" Cersei turned her gaze to Sansa, who was looking down at the floor. Sansa's gaze immediately snapped up upon hearing the Queen address her.
"Thirteen, Your Grace." Sansa answered, seeming more comfortable with the situation now that she had spoken. Ember couldn't help the small grin that tugged at the edges of her lips, she knew that Sansa would get along with the Queen; the two were more alike than people would first assume. Deep down, Ember knew that Sansa was going to do well in Kings Landing.
"You're tall," The Queen observed, glancing over Sansa now that she had gained the younger sisters attention. "Still growing?"
"I think so, Your Grace."
"And have you bled yet?"
Sansa's smile dropped immediately, her stomach clenching in apprehension. Cat smiled pitifully at Sansa, knowing fully well that Sansa had not reached that stage of womanhood quite yet. Ember often reminded Sansa and Arya that it isn't something that they should be looking forward to because it was 'just a bloody mess', but Sansa was still awaiting the day it would finally happen.
But the hopeful look on Cersei's face when she asked the question, made Sansa feel incredibly guilty that it had not happened to her yet. What if the Queen now thought she was unsuitable for Joffrey? Did this mess up her chances of marrying him? Now more nervous than when she had arrived, Sansa lost her words again and could only reply with a hesitant shake of her head, all her confidence suddenly disappearing.
At the negative response, Cersei's expression turned stoic and her lips pressed into a thin line. It wasn't the answer she was hoping for. She was only thirteen; it was bound to come along soon. She turned back to Ember, who had remained quiet and patient as the Queen questioned her sister.
"And what about you, dove? Have you bled?"
Ember hesitated, perturbed by the question but slowly nodded. "Yes, Your Grace."
"Ah." Her expression had lightened and Sansa looked enviously at her sister. "Your dress, did you make it?"
"No, Your Grace." A grin crossed the older Stark girls face as she turned to her sister, noticing the sour expression that now clouded her face at the lack of attention. "But Sansa made hers."
At the mention of her name, Sansa brightened when the Queen's attention came back to her.
"Did you?" When Sansa nodded eagerly, Cersei found herself endeared at the girl's enthusiasm and allowed herself to smile back. "Such talent. You must make something for me."
Sansa bowed her head gratefully before taking her leave from the conversation. Ember remained still for a moment, unsure of what to do as the Queen held her gaze for a few seconds longer. Realising there was nothing more to say, Ember bowed her own head and made her way from the table.
It could have gone worse. Ember reminded herself as she let out a heavy sigh. What did it matter whether we had bled or not? What difference does it make?
Obviously the Queen was prodding for whether or not the girls were ready to bear children yet, but Ember was certainly not producing anything for at least a few more years. But as she sat back down beside her brother, she decided that she wouldn't think anymore of the conversation. It probably meant nothing and she was analysing it too much.
"How'd it go?" Robb asked almost immediately.
"As well as you could expect," Ember chuckled, noticing that her goblet was missing from where she had left it. "What did you do with my cup?"
"What're you talking about?"
"Give it back, Robb."
"I don't have your cup!"
"Fine." Ember shrugged, darting out her hand and stealing the cup from her brother's grasp. Robb let out a noise of protest but Ember simply kept her brothers gaze as she pressed the lip of the cup to her lips, gulping down a good sip-full of the sweet wine. She let out a sigh of satisfaction as she placed it back onto the table in front of him.
"Thanks for that." She chuckled once again when Robb gave her a playful glare, drinking down the remains that were left before slamming it back down onto the table.
"What did s-"
Robb was cut off from his sentence as a shriek echoed around the great hall. Both Ember and Robb turned their heads towards the source of the shriek, eyes wide when they saw Sansa sat beside one of her friends with a large spot of food slapped against her cheek and on the upper part of her dress.
"Arya!"
Everyone in the hall suddenly began to let out loud gasps of laughter, highly amused at how Arya Stark had thrown a spoonful of food at her older sister. Robb began to laugh from beside Ember and Ember could only stare at the scene with her mouth agape, a smirk tugging at the edges of her lips. She knew that Arya was bound to find herself some sort of entertainment during the night because she was easily bored by these affairs, but throwing food? That was actually a new one.
"It's not funny!" Sansa protested as her friend reached for a cloth and began to gently clean away the food that was still on Sansa's cheek, muttering reassuring words to her as Sansa began to get more and more worked up about it. Joffrey was only across the table and her cheeks flamed at the idea of him laughing at the scene.
Robb pushed on Embers arm lightly as he continued to laugh, his head turning up to the head table where he met his mothers stern gaze. Cat widened her eyes in a silent message before nudging her head in the direction of Arya, who was scooping up more food to throw.
Robb's face sobered as he turned to Ember who was still staring amusedly at the scene.
"Whose turn is it?" Robb asked, a chuckle choking between his words as he tried to regain his composure. Ember glanced over at her brother, raising an eyebrow as she saw him struggling to keep a straight face.
"Mine, I'm guessing."
Robb gave her a thankful smile, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. "Thanks Em. I owe you one."
"You owe me more than one." She grumbled as she pushed herself up from the table once more and moved over to where Arya crouched near a large plate of food. The laughter had yet to die down and a few rumbling chuckles could be heard echoing around the walls of the Feast Hall.
Ember stood behind her sister, crossing her arms expectantly as Arya continued to load her ammo. Although she knew that Arya was going to get an earful from their mother the following morning, Ember was definitely impressed at the sheer courage her younger sister had. Not many young children would have the guts to pull such an act in front of such important company. Yet Arya didn't seem to care or just didn't pay any attention to it.
It was a few moments later that Arya seemed to have noticed her sister's presence and dropped her spoon slowly onto the loaded plate, looking carefully over her shoulder to see Ember staring down at her.
"Come on, you," Ember slapped her arm playfully, shaking her head when Arya started to grumble, immediately knowing that she had been caught in the act. "Time for bed."
Looking over at her mother, Ember rolled her eyes when Cat gave her a grateful smile. Although the break in her responsibilities had been short and blissful, she didn't really mind having to look after her siblings and help her parents in keeping her younger siblings in order when required.
Ember kept her hands tightly on Arya's shoulders as she steered the young girl through the crowd and towards the large doors that lead outside, making sure that the shorter of the two didn't make an escape attempt to duck under her and hide amongst the large crowd in the hall.
"You have to admit," Arya spoke, glancing over her shoulder and looking proudly up at Ember. "That was pretty funny." The mischievous glint in her eye said it all; she did not regret doing that whatsoever.
Letting out a chuckle at her little sister, Ember patted her shoulder reassuringly as they finally made it outside, the bitter cold biting gently at the two girls exposed cheeks. It was a lot colder outside and both Stark girls found themselves missing the warmth that the hall had provided.
"Yes, Arya, it was hilarious."
Putting Arya to bed was easier than Ember had expected.
Obviously, Arya had protested but Ember had heard the excuses many times before. She got credit for trying though. Arya was still very adamant on the way to her room that it wasn't even her fault and that if the company they had invited was more interesting and had a better sense of humour that she wouldn't have been forced to take the desperate measures.
The two had spoken for a short while, Ember reassuring Arya that the prank was wonderful and that she would try and talk to Sansa about it. Ember left with a kiss to Arya's forehead, hearing the younger girl tell Nymeria to be quiet as she slipped out of the door.
She began to make her way back to the feast, feeling a sense of relaxation start to run throughout her body. Few lanterns were lit and hung upon the cobble walls, casting a yellow glimmer across the wall and floor as the faint cheers and sounds came from the Great Hall.
As she neared the great hall, she heard the soft whinnies of the horses from the stables she was surprised that Jon couldn't be found anywhere in the secluded area. Frowning slightly, Ember cocked her head to the side in an attempt to get a better view within the stables. Yet Jon was still nowhere to be seen. She had expected him to either be training near the stables or to be tending to the horses; it had always been something he enjoyed doing. But she couldn't see him anywhere.
Maybe he'd gone back to his room for the night? She frowned; that wasn't like him. He was like most of the Stark children; night dwellers.
Ember was about to walk back into the hall when she came to a stop, her eyes fixating on the steed that stood outside the stables. He wasn't in one of the stalls and was just loosely tied up to a nearby post, as if tied up in a rush. Embers eyes widened when she saw the familiar equipment piled up near the post of the horse.
That was Uncle Benjens' horse.
Ember reached out a hand to gently stroke its nose. Shouldn't he be at the Wall? It wasn't often she got to see her Uncle but when she did, it was some of the best times of her childhood. He always managed to keep a smile on everyone's face whenever he visited and the Stark children often got excited when they heard he was coming to Winterfell.
The stories he would tell were always so fascinating and Catelyn would often chastise him for filling her children's minds with such fairytales. Being at the Wall meant family came second and at first, it was hard for Benjen. Family was a very important aspect to him and to suddenly cut them out of his life at the drop of a sword; it had been difficult to say the least.
Glancing around the immediate area, Ember let out a huff when she could see no one nearby. The night just seemed to be getting weirder and weirder the longer it lasted.
"What are you doing here, boy?" She murmured to the horse, smiling fondly at the low huff it made in response.
"Do you often speak to horses?"
Letting out a yelp of surprise, Ember spun around, her hand immediately dropping to her side.
Involuntarily, Ember's eyes widened at the tall figure that was emerging from beside one of the posts outside the great hall.
His dark hair was pushed out of his eyes, messy from the numerous times he had run his hand through it during the night. He had his arms crossed as he walked closer to her, regarding her kindly.
"I-I don't make a habit of it," Ember rambled, under the intense stare of the Griffin boy. He was a lot taller than she had first thought. "Do you often sneak up on others?" Her tone was chastising yet teasing and by the light chuckle that Ethan let out, she knew he had picked up on it.
"I don't make a habit of it." He showed her a genuine smile and Ember could feel her heart begin to beat a little faster against her ribs. He was only a few metres away now and she could clearly see his facial features.
Wow.
Ember hadn't had much experience with boys that weren't her brothers or relatives, and she was honestly unsure on what to do. She wanted to ask Robb for help, since he was her older brother and she often asked him for advice, but she knew he would immediately become suspicious and say she shouldn't be interested in boys and would likely keep an eye on her after that.
And she didn't want that.
She was used to her brothers' protective nature and she found it endearing that he cared so much, but at other times she wished that he would accept the fact that one day she was going to find an interest in boys.
Of course, Ember was sixteen and most girls her age would be married by now but living up in Winterfell and being very family-orientated Ember rarely had the chance to think about marriage among other things. And sixteen was still young, despite all the other marriages she had heard of about girls her own age. But it was sweet that her father and brothers were worried about them and she understood.
"What are you doing out here? You should be enjoying the feast." Ember spoke softly, placing her hand back upon her uncle's horse, absentmindedly beginning to stroke him again.
Ethan huffed and turned back to look at the doors of the hall. The loud bouts of laughter could be heard even behind the shut doors and the faint smell of wine and meat mingled with the frosty air around them. Shaking his head, Ethan took in a deep breath of air.
"Needed some fresh air. You would not believe the noise in there."
Ember let out a laugh, facing the Griffin boy with a big grin. "Oh, believe me. I would." She was more than used to screaming and shouting, considering the amount of time she would spend with her siblings throughout the day.
Ethan regarded her for a moment, his eyes narrowing carefully as he studied her. "What about you? Why aren't you in there?"
He had been sat with his companion, Joffrey when the food incident had taken place. But through the chaos that followed, he had noticed Ember from across the room suddenly rise from her seat and begin to leave the hall. She had only been gone for five minutes before his mind suddenly wound back to her and found himself wondering where she had disappeared off to. Joffrey began to get annoyed, trying to pull Ethan's attention back to what he was saying yet Ethan was preoccupied with other matters. Where had she disappeared off to?
The Stark girl thought carefully about her answer, not wanting to spill any information to the boy about her sister's antics. "I had some business to deal with."
"Ah, your sister?"
Ember froze for a moment, her hand pausing on the horses' forehead. That was unexpected. She hadn't expected him to notice that it was Arya that had caused all the chaos and thought he would be more preoccupied with keeping Joffrey quiet. But she simply nodded, studying Ethan curiously.
"She seems like a trouble maker." Ethan chuckled, coming closer to the Stark girl as he leant against a post near her. He had often heard the stories of the Northern girls, of how they held this beauty that you could not find in the South. His best friend and Prince, Joffrey, had often waved it off as women all appearing the same, that one girl was not more special than the next and they were all inferior. Yet Ethan had always been intrigued by the mystery that the Northern girls held, about the stories his brothers would tell him when they returned from their adventures of Westeros.
With all of Joffrey's negative remarks, Ethan's expectations had lowered by the time he arrived at the gates of Winterfell. Ember was unlike most the girls you would find in the South, her eyes were like glass and regarded him with an intense curiosity. He cleared his throat as he felt his stomach begin to warm, an odd sensation spreading throughout him as he continued to study her face.
"She can be. It often depends on the mood she's in. I just hope the Royals don't get too upset about it all." Ember sighed, shaking her head at the thought of what the Royals probably now thought of her sister. Not that Arya would care; she had made it perfectly clear that she did not and would have no problem saying that directly to their faces.
"Frankly, I think they found it quite entertaining." He smiled as Ember turned to look at him. "I know I did."
Ember dropped her hand from the horse once again, completely turning to the Griffin boy. "Well, it's nice to know someone did." Her tone was light and Ethan found himself cocking his head curiously.
There was a moment of silence between the two teenagers, both of them regarding the other with contained curiosity. They were both glad to have finally broken the ice and both found it surprising how easily they were able to speak to one another. Each of them knew that they had been waiting for the right moment to spark a conversation and it was surprisingly lucky that Arya acted up when she did as it allowed the two the perfect moment to be alone.
"Hell, where are my manners? I'm Ethan, Ethan Griffin. It's a pleasure to meet you, My Lady."
Embers eyebrows shot up at the courtesy that he was showing, a subtle smirk gently pulling at the corners of her lips.
Seven Hells. He's polite too.
It was a pleasant surprise that Ember was not going to complain about, it was tough to find a noble boy that wasn't a pig and only thought with his downstairs. To be shown courtesy and to be called by a title was both a surprise and a compliment.
She was expecting him to want to shake her hand as he extended his own, but a small noise of surprise escaped her lips as he pressed his lips lightly against her knuckles, keeping her gaze the entire time.
Yes...definitely polite.
The intensity between the stare only grew the longer the boy kept his lips to her knuckles. Her stomach churned excitedly and she found herself thankful that the cold air had already tinted her cheeks a pale pink, hoping that the small blush that began to rush to her cheeks wasn't as noticeable to the young man before her.
Not wanting to appear startled, Ember awkwardly cleared her throat and tried to smile confidently down at Ethan. But Ethan caught onto her surprise and Ember could feel the smile of his lips against her skin.
"Ember Stark. It's a pleasure, Lord Ethan."
Releasing Embers hand, Ethan simply bowed, his eyes catching in the moonlight once again, the amber igniting like a fire and causing Ember to observe the subtler colours that clouded the boys eyes. "The pleasure is all mine."
It was twenty minutes later that Ember re-emerged back into the Hall with a completely giddy expression across her face.
For that twenty minutes both Ethan and Ember had exchanged casual conversation and Ethan even dropped in some subtle flirting when he could. It was only when Ember realised that she had best return before her brothers and parents became suspicious of her disappearance that the two stopped. Even though it was a brief meeting, the two came away with even more intrigue than before. If the feast had not been so important, Ember would have gladly not returned and spent more of the night asking questions that she had been wanting to ask since he arrived. Yet, she had to return; it wouldn't look good if two of the Stark children suddenly disappeared, it would appear as if the hosts were neglecting their guests and Ember wanted those that came to get a real sense of the hospitality that the Northerners had to offer.
Ember grinned to herself at the clear memory of Ethan kissing her hand. It had been a small gesture but had left quite an impact on the Stark girl. She had not been expecting it at all but it was most certainly a welcome and pleasant surprise.
Ethan had decided to retire for the night once he realised that the Stark girl had to return and had promised that he would speak to her the following morning. It was a promise he intended to keep.
The music and cheering intensified as Ember opened the large wooden doors and she'd barely managed to make it a few feet in before a pair of arms wrapped around her.
"Ember, dear. It's great to see you."
"Uncle Benjen!" Ember smiled, returning the hug and burying her face into his shoulder.
He pulled back and gave her a once over, "My, you've grown."
"So have you." Ember pointed out. "I'll need stilts soon."
Benjen let out a loud laugh and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, leading her towards the table he was situated at where she remained for the rest of the night.
Well, I hope you enjoyed! Thank you for reading :)
I'm not even going to deny that getting back into writing this feels amazing. I've honestly missed it a lot, and now I actually have some free time to work on it. Honestly, for ages I've been trying to figure out plot and characters and the AMOUNT OF TIMES, i have almost considered getting rid of Ethan is almost comical but I just couldn't get rid of my son.
Also, I just wanted to thank you all for the continued support on this, I still get follows, favourites and reviews and they honestly mean so much to me and I appreciate every single one. And, lol, sorry for not uploading in ages and disappearing off the face of the Earth, but hey, life right?
If you want to leave a review with some (constructive) feedback or thoughts, feel free, I'd love to hear from you guys!
Thank you once again!
- Emma