Disclaimer: I don't own Game of Thrones, any of its characters or any future franchise.

Ned,

I hope this letter finds you in good health. I don't want to put more words than necessary. Father has fallen ill. Our master can't find any cure for him and with each passing day his health is worsening. I fear that we are going to lose him. Come home as soon as possible. I don't know where Brandon is but a month ago he wrote from Pentos that he planned on going to Bravos before returning home. I already sent raven to lord Manderly to send a message there. Hopefully, Brandon will come back before it's too late.

Lyanna

Jon Arryn made arrangement for his immediate departure after Ned told the old lord about the letter. Few guards who came to Eyrie with him prepared their horses and everything else. Next morning before he left with his party, Jon and Robert came to bid him goodbye. They wished him a safe and swift journey. It might be that their wish came true. Because though all his journey in sea, wind blew strong and the ship sailed without any problem from nature or pirates. After spending almost a fortnight in the sea, a welcoming sight greeted him in white harbor.

Years ago, Lord Rickard took Bran and Ned with him on a visit to White Harbor. The neat city took Ned's breath away but for some reason Bran took in the sights with a hint of amusement in his eyes. It was as if he had seen better but still appreciated the city none the less. Few days into their stay, his brother wanted to visit Manderly's shipyard. Their father thought nothing of it. However in dinner table, Lord Manderly couldn't praise Bran enough for his intelligence.

Usually Manderlys built ships on dry land and then pushed them in White Knife. His brother gave them a better plan for a shipyard. But he didn't do it for free. As price for his work, he demanded a ship of his own. Of course he had to haggle for the price but in the end, Lord Manderly agreed to shoulder half of the cost and Lord Rickard had to pay the other half.

When Ned neared the ship, he saw men busy with unloading crates from Winter Dew, his brother's ship, and loading them on carts. Bran himself was looking over the work. It's been years since Ned saw Bran. After their visit in White Harbor, Brandon convinced their father that only place that could teach him more would be the Citadel. A year after that and a year before Ned left for Eyrie for fostering, Brandon sailed for the Citadel on his ship's maiden voyage with a handful of guards and few boys he taught to read and write.

That night, two brothers talked about their time away from their home. Bran brought a bravosi healer with him when he learned that their maester was having hard time curing their father. He wasn't ready to take over as Lord Paramount, he said. Ned wondered why his brother would say that. From early childhood, he heard Northern Lords saying that Bran was a genius. Some of them even said that they were looking forward to his reign.

Next morning, they started their journey to Winterfell after breaking their fast. Bran was never one to waste time when moving from one place to another. Days before his ship docked at White Harbor, he sent raven to Lord Manderly, asking him to hire carriages and carts ahead of time. Since Ned and Bran needed to move fast, they and a handful of guards left White Harbor on the fastest horses Lord Manderly could spare. Winter Dew's captain, a Stormlander named Davos, was charged with the duty of bringing the cargo to Winterfell. After a week of hard riding, Winterfell finally came in their sight. An worried and tired Lyanna greeted them in castle's gateway.

What awaited them inside the castle made Bran look more helpless. Father was sick to the point of no recovery. Braavosi healer couldn't cure his illness. In the end, their father passed away after two days.

The funeral was a somber affair. Rickard Stark was cremated and his ash and bones were laid underneath his statue in the crypt.

"Ben, did Bran call you too?" Lyanna's voice braught Ned back to the present.

After the funeral, Brandon had locked himself in lord's solar. It was almost Hour of the Wolf. A maid had come to inform him that he was called in the solar. It looked like all younger Starks had been called too.

"Aye." Ben replied as he let out a yawn.

"Do you know what he wants to say?" Lya threw her question at Ned.

"I don't know." There are many things Bran might have to share with them. A year and a half ago, Bran left Citadel to go on a journey. Sometimes they got letters about what he saw in his journey. Knowing Bran, Ned was sure he wasn't there just for the sights.

"Let them in." Bran said from inside when the guard at solar's door announced their arrival.

A foreign smell invaded their sense when they entered the solar. They saw Bran drinking from a cup and the smell was coming from that cup.

"Bran, what are you drinking? It smells funny." Bran gave a tired smile at Lya's question.

"It's called coffee. I find it really helpful to keep me awake at night. You guys want some?" Lya rolled her eyes at the answer. It was just like their brother to stay awake at night to read book after book. Seeing how fast he read, their maester once said that Bran goes through books like a hot knife through butter. "I am sorry for calling you guys at this hour but I think it's best this way. Less ears to worry about."

"Is it that serious?" Ned knew his brother best among the Stark siblings. Being heir to the Lord Paramount of the North, Bran often said things to their vassal lords that made them look stupid. If he was being cautious of prying ears, then it was serious.

"It is." Bran let out a long sigh as he rubbed his temple. "I thought I will have more time. With father ruling for few years more, I will have the time to make all necessary preparation for the time I sit in this solar."

"Bran, we never thought about losing father this way. I oversaw the castle's ledger after you left for the Citadel. So I can say I understand your burden somewhat. Father may not be with us now but we are here. We will help you."

"Thanks Lya. I needed to hear that. And Ben," Ben looked opened his eyes as best as he could. "I am sorry to have you wake up and for not spending enough time with you last few days. Do you want to go back to sleep?"

"Aye." Ben looked like he would fall asleep right then and there. Bran called the guard inside and told him to take Ben to bed.

"You don't trust that guard, do you?" Ned thought it was odd that Bran called Ben to be brought to solar.

"He speaks in upper Weeping Water accent. I wouldn't be surprised if he turns out to be a Bolton spy."

"You think Lord Bolton is making a move against our house?"

"I believe they always wanted Winterfell and that's why Torrhen Stark bent the knee." Bran brought out a rolled parchment from drawer. "This is a marriage proposal between his son Roose and our Lya."

"What!? When did this letter come? What did father wrote back? Leech Lord's son is betrothed, isn't he? Why would father want to marry me off to hmmmmm!" Lya exploded in anger at the mention of her marriage. At Bran's signal Ned put his hand over her mouth to stop his shouting

"Father didn't even read this message." Lya calmed down a little hearing that. "Which is odd because I found it in this drawer but there wasn't any mention of this letter in his book."

"That can't be right." Lya said through. "Father always write down about important letters in his book."

"Which means someone put it here. If you think about it, I could've died at sea. Last few weeks my ship was attacked by pirates multiple times. Same could've happened to Ned on his way back. If Leech Lord managed to forge an affirmative reply by now, he can pressure us to go through the marriage. And Ben is just a boy. If he died from Spring Fever, no one would ask any question."

"What do you plan on doing?"

"Harvest festival is in two moons turns. Maester will write to our vassals to swear fealty to me then. If Lord Bolton doesn't bring this up then, I won't say anything."

"You won't do anything because he is one of the great lords of the North."

"No."d

"Does this mean my fostering is finished?"

"It is, Ned. I need you here in the North. I can't fulfil my vision for the future of this land without your help, all three of you. And if my future wife can be trusted, four of you."

"I forgot to ask you that. Did father tell you about your to eldest Tully girl?"

"Our maester did. Which reminds me." Bran focused his eyes from Lya to Ned. "Do you have any girl you like, Ned?"

"No."

"Are you sure no girl in the Vale caught your fancy? You look pretty flushed."

"That's because talking about this is embarrassing."

"Not so embarrassing when you will be busy with making nieces and nephews for us."

"What did you think about your betrothal?"

"Our vassals wouldn't like that a southron woman will become the Lady of Winterfell. Our culture is different than hers. So I was thinking that maybe it would be best if she lives here for a while before our marriage. The Lady of Winterfell should know all about our culture, people and land."

"I don't think Lord Tully will agree to your proposal."

"No sane father would. But there is no harm in asking. At most, he will send his brother the Blackfish with his daughter." Bran took a sip from his cup. His expression said that whatever this new drink was, tasted bitter. "Now that both me and Ned are here, you can invest as much of your time in sword lesson as you want."

"Really!? You won't marry me off to some noble lord?"

"Lya, you are my sister not a broodmare. I never planned to marry you off to someone to gain something. I know you would be terrible wife to most men. So I decided to let you pick your husband. As long as he is a good man and have no qualms with his children bearing Stark name, I have no problem."

"My children will take Stark name?"

"I remember you saying that you don't want to run your husband's castle but your own castle."

Note: I was influenced in writing this story after reading Grayjoy alla Breve. Hope you like my story.