AN: I've wanted to do an SI for a while now, but only now had enough of a plot, idea, characterisation to make it happen. Theon was my choice of character, because I seriously believe that he deserves better, and I think that it's my only possible way to properly interact with a decent portion of the important characters, apart from taking over one of the Stark kids, which makes that fact even harder.

And I seriously doubt that if I actually met Theon as he was, before Reek, I would have not much of an inclination to save him, apart from the fact that Ramsay is one of the more genuinely evil people in the show, and nobody deserves to have that much torture done to them.

Or I'm just pretty merciful to fictional characters that I haven't met in real life... But that'll change soon.

Options and Opportunities

Chapter I

The Siege of Pyke

To put it bluntly, I think that I'm starting to realize at what point I'd honestly dislike some of the characters, if I ever met them.

The only three people who actually were people that I had a pretty good feeling about trusting, were Asha, Dagmer and my mother. That was a short list, but then again, in the Iron Islands, you didn't really trust each other. Not proper, telling secrets, trust.

Then again... I was in Westeros, as Theon Greyjoy. I shouldn't trust anybody. This wasn't Earth, where most of the problems in Westeros were non-existent, or if they existed, they were suppressed massively... At least, in the West.

I had to be so fucking careful in this verse, especially with the Others, massive dragons, Varys, Cersei, and last, but not least, Littlefinger. My knowledge of canon, and their personalities was key, to surviving. They were just a bit too unpredictable for my tastes.

I wasn't much above average at wielding a sword, but I did have quite a bit of charisma to my name. Theon did have that spark... He was just too arrogant to make it properly work in his favour.

I was pretty good with a bow though. That was Theon talking though. Most of my martial experience is Theon's, since I had decided that whilst strength of arm was important, being an expert manipulator was way above it.

The amount of times that people got fucked over in this verse, because they weren't savvy enough, was to be frank, incredible... But not unexpected. On Earth, it was the same thing - but you didn't get the same amount of punishment for trusting the wrong people.

Also, the Greyjoy Rebellion was nearing its close... Which either meant that I would survive (if canon was feeling up to being canon), or I would die (eg. fanfic scenario where somebody important to Robert Baratheon died).

"Stags and wolves sighted at the Southern Gate, little Theon!" Dagmer interrupted my musings, urgency in his tone as he barged into the room. "Asha is already in her room, guarded by four guards, you should be safer in one room - hurry, boy!"

I nodded hurriedly, not finding the point to say any words, as we eventually arrived in front of our destination, and I was pushed into the room, Dagmer pressing a dagger into my hands. "In case any stags or wolves think that culling us, is a good idea."

And then the door closed before I could get a word in.

"He gave you a weapon too?" Asha piped up, from her position on her bed.

"Yep... A dagger." I replied, after settling myself on the desk in the corner of the room, taking a moment to cursorily glance around the room. A bookshelf was in the opposite corner to the desk, and a chest filled with what I assumed were her clothes at the end of the bed, were the main things apart from the bed and the desk that we could use as a barricade.

"You're thinking too hard, Theon... We'll be able to push them off." She tried to assure me, with a smirk that wavered.

"I'd prefer that what happened to Aegon and Rhaenys Targaryen, didn't happen to us." I replied, feeling a bit bad for how her expression fell. "Come on - help me barricade the door."

"Okay," she said, as we both moved to move her bookshelf, the sounds of shouting, and stone crumbling from the towers. We were in the farthest tower to the north, which hopefully made us less of a target.

After fifteen minutes, we had pushed nearly everything against the door, even stacking her chest and bookshelf on top of the bed and desk. We settled on the stone floor, shivering as a strong gale bashed against the tower.

I grabbed Asha's hand, trying to look as reassuring as possible. "Asha, if anybody comes up here, we've got to show them what we're born from."

"Ironborn," she said, squeezing back, confidence rising. "If any stupid wolves or stags come to find us, they'll find a kraken waiting for them!"

"What is dead, may never die," I stated, with a wide smile, feeling like laughing at the irony that the phrase is nearly as truthful as the Stark's 'winter is coming'... And around the same theme.

"But rises again, harder and stronger." Asha answered, with a grin herself.

We eventually managed to ignore the siege, only pausing when the shouting stopped, and clanking echoed. I slowly crept over to other side of the door, especially upon hearing unfamiliar accents, and voices.

What I suspected were soldiers, attempted to kick down the door, our barricades rattling at the attempt. I barely noticed Asha looking at me, with fear in her eyes.

I merely stood, gripping my dagger in reverse, noting my sister doing the same as me. Our hasty barricade collapsed and two soldiers crept into the room, swords at the ready.

I kicked the door forward, the door impacting the soldiers, a loud clank echoing as they fell. They shouted, Asha screamed, and I was merely acting, a splatter of blood on my cheek, before a punch slammed into my face, staggering me towards the wall.

I tried to get myself straight, but another kick sent me to the floor, followed with two other kicks for good measure.

"Stop hurting him!" Asha yelled, as she tried desperately to attack my attacker, before a slap echoed in my ear, the sound of a fist hitting her stomach.

"Stay down, squid whore!" The man retorted, and I felt my anger rise enormously.

"Get off her!" I shouted, as I managed to headbutt one of the men in the jaw, and biting his hand.

"Little fucker!" He roared, punching me with his other fist, following with a kick to my ribs when I fell to the ground next to Asha.

The man kicked my head, and I dropped to the ground, dazed, not even realizing that Asha had crawled over to me, and was clutching my hand.

"Stop the violence lads," a commanding voice rose, that rose the hairs on the back of my neck. "They'll get what's coming to them, the shits."

"Theon, I-i'm so sorry..." She whispered into my ear.

"Get up, stupid cunt." A man interrupted, and I rose unsteadily, relying on Asha for support. Blood leaked from my mouth, but I didn't wipe it away. Let them see that Theon Greyjoy had killed a soldier, when he was nine with only a dagger.

We slowly entered the outside courtyard, where Balon was kneeling, Robert Baratheon looked terrifying with steel armour, antler helmet, and a nasty-looking warhammer in his hand, and Eddard Stark had Ice on his back, with leather armour and furs around his neck. A storm had come too.

"Balon fucking Greyjoy." The King said, his voice as cold as ice. "Your rebellion killed Renly, my little sop of a brother. I loved him, even for all of the annoying shit that he said."

I felt myself freeze. What?

"My good friend, Ned Stark has captured all of your brothers, who have all met my hammer. The only thing restraining me from making your face into pasted red shit on the floor, is that same man with his damnable honour."

What...?

"I've decided that you're going to live, Balon." Robert said, as he pushed the Greyjoy lord's face up to look at him. "But I've confiscated your ships, and their designs for my brother, Stannis to own, and use. You'll have to rebuild on your own, unfortunately. Ned has also decided that I shouldn't leave your heirs here, and take the last of your children as heirs."

...What?!

"You better not fucking waste my mercy, Balon... I might decide that your children would look better with their heads off..."

And with that, the Greyjoy Rebellion ended, and I realized that I was in an alternate universe to canon, as Robert Baratheon walked away, my plans falling apart before they'd even started.

I... I was fucked, wasn't I?