This is my first GoT fanfic! I hope you enjoy reading the adventures of Carlyn Tarth, the only sister of the wonderful Brienne of Tarth. In the TV show, it never actually said when Brienne was born so in this fic she is born in 276 AC and hence would be 22 in the events of the first season (but in the books, she was born in 280 AL). Carlyn is four years younger than Brienne and hence would be 18 at the same time. There isn't much on Brienne's history so I'll be using some information from the books and some I made up to fit with the TV show. Also, this is going to be multi-POV but each chapter is going to only focus on one character for simplicity's sake. Please review and don't be afraid to criticise!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Game of Thrones or ASOISAF franchise. All rights belong to GRRM and DB & DBW.

281 AC- Shortly before the assault on Dragonstone

'My lord, if I may take a few moments of your time?'

Selwyn Tarth looked down at the young boy. Pale faced and short, it was little wonder why the Lord Walder Frey had asked-no, pleaded- Selwyn to take his grandson as a squire merely five years ago. Not wanting the Freys to have a feud with his leige lords, the Baratheons, the Lord of Evenfall had obliged. Besides, he had been needing a squire for some time- ever since his heir was born, he needed to be with his family. Like now.

Alyson's screams could still be heard in the beach. Selwyn couldn't stand to be there with her; he never enjoyed seeing her in pain and he knew he should be next to her, comforting her, telling her it would be alright, but the pain was too dreadful to bear. Childbirth was dreadful, he was glad he never had to bear such a thing.

'Of course, Tom,' Maybe whatever Tom Frey had to say would take his mind off his wife for even just a moment: the beach was always Selywn's solace, even as a boy, but even the comforting sand beneath his toes and the waves slowing down as if to greet him never helped him the last two times Alyson had given birth.

'Lord Baratheon is planning to take Dragonstone with the Targaryens still on it, and he has sent a message to all the lords in the Stormlands to send ships for the cause.' It was no doubt which Baratheon the boy was talking about for Robert was king and Renly was but a little boy.

'Send word to Lord Stannis that provide no more than four ships. The Seven know how many good ships have been destroyed by pirates that we do not have nearly enough.' Besides, he thought, it is cruel to murder mere children for the mistakes of their father and brother. He dare not say that out loud for anyone could have heard him and would call it treason to King Robert. Tom nodded and sprinted to Maester Percival's chambers.

Time ticked by. Minutes? Hours? The lord did not know. All he knew was that the sea was gentle that day- the day his third child would be born. His heir, Galladon, was seven and already had offers from other households in the Stormlands and the Reach for fostering or betrothals yet Alsyon has declined them all. I want my son close to me and I will only think about his adulthood when he is old enough, she had said the third time an offer came. Selwyn dared not question her again. Brienne, on the other hand, was four and hated anything lady-like but had to endure it for her mother. Both had the blue eyes of the Tarths and yellow hair of the Estermonts. He had known, from the time his betrothal had been announced to the Lady Alyson Estermont, that his wife was stubborn and very much motherly- having two younger siblings and one older brother along with countless younger cousins as well. The child that would be born to Lord Selwyn and Lady Alyson today would be named Braydon if it was a boy or Carlyn if it was a girl. No doubt Alyson's choices. She had, after all, chosen Galladon and Brienne as well; Selwyn did not mind. The marriage was only for political reasons and he wanted to her to feel at home in the small isle of Tarth.

He was too engrossed in his thoughts that he did not even hear Brienne's feet in the sand until she wrapped her little arms around his middle. She was tall for her age: nearly as tall as Gall.

'Daddy! Mummy had a girl! I have a little sister now! Come, do you not want to see her?'she pulled him from the seashore back to the Evenfall Hall where baby Carlyn had just been born...

289 AC

The eight years that followed Carlyn's birth would haunt Selwyn forever. When she was a year old, his heir and only son had drowned in the sea. Alsyon never allowed her children to play in the sea so Selwyn had built a pool so that could learn to swim like every Tarth before them did if not in the sea. Brienne had quickly got the hang of it, but Gall hated swimming. He takes after me, Sel. Ha! Selwyn could still hear her laughter. It was by chance that Gall was collecting seashells in the beach with his maid and the poor girl had dozed off. She had waken up to the heir of Evenfall Hall screaming and paddling frantically as water entered his lungs. He was far from the shore. The maid had yelled for help but it was too late.

Alyson had been struck with grief the mostl He loved her, but there was nothing he could do. and had suffered from multiple miscarriages and still births before giving him twin daughters, Alysanne and Arianne. All three of them had died during the next winter from a flu. That had been in 284 AC. Now five years later, Selwyn himself had death all over him. But he had to do everything he could for his own surviving children.

Brienne, his new heir, and Carlyn.

His elder daughter was two and ten, and was more like a boy than a girl. She was easily taller than every guy her age but was not what one would call pretty. Sure, she had the beautiful sapphire blue eyes of Tarths but all her other features were distorted. Selwyn didn't care, she was his daughter. But the others did. Furthermore, they hated that she could ride a horse better than any knight and could fight reasonably well. Brienne even taught her sister so now Carlyn could ride a horse without a saddle too but they didn't care: Carlyn was cute at the age of eight with the same bright eyes and the typical dark blonde hair of Selwyn's ancestors. The Seven know how beautiful she would turn out to be.

Soon and sure enough, tales flew to every corner of the Stormlands about Selwyn Tarth's daughters. One pretty, the other ugly. The Lord of Tarth hated them and could not bear to think what would happen if his children found out. He was worried every night, but he didn't need to. It was one night after supper that he was roaming the halls of Evenfall, when he heard two pairs of voices from Brienne's chambers.

'...those rumours?'

'Don't you dare fret, darling sister. I do not care for them and neither should you.'

'But they were calling you ugly!'

'Look at me. Don't you think I'm ugly?'

'No, you're my older sister. I love you. I could never think of you as ugly, and it is I who have to be jealous of you. You are Father's eldest child, you can fight better than me, you can sing better than me, you get Evenfall. If I want a castle or fort of my own, I'll have to marry a lord. I don't want to marry- no more than you do!'

'Lyn, you are only eight. Surely, in time you will want to marry-'

'But you don't!'

'Enough of this. Let's talk about something more pleasant than that. Do you want to hear a song?'

'Yes, Brie. Starry Night,'

'Okay. Starry starry night, Paint your palette blue and grey, Look out on a summer's day, With eyes that see the darkness in my soul, Shadows on the hill, Sketch the trees and daffodils, Catch the breeze and winter chills-'

Selwyn closed his eyes for the rest of the song. Brienne might have a man's build, but she got her mother's beautiful singing voice. It had been years since he had heard that song for it had been Alyson's favourite and he could not bear to listen to it after she had died. But it was different when Brienne sung it.

Once the song was done, he heard a brief exchange of 'I love you's between his daughters. 'I love you both,' he whispered into the darkness where no one heard him, smiled, and left back to his own chambers.

Well, that's the first chapter done! Yay! Don't forget to review this story and the song Brienne sang is actually Vincent originally by Don McLean, but listen to the covers by Ellie Goulding and Ed Sheeran too.