Queen of the North
Chapter One
"And which of you was a marksman at ten?" Lord Eddard Stark asked firmly as he looked down at his two sons who were trying to teach his second youngest child to shoot. The lessons had not been going well as Bran, to put it lightly was not a natural with a bow.
"I think you will find father." A clear voice spoke out as an arrow hit one of the targets right in the centre. "That I was."
Everyone turned, or in the case of lord and lady Stark looked down to see the eldest child and eldest girl of the Stark Family, Lyanna Stark standing there, a bow in her arms. Her long dark hair pulled up into a tight knot, not a single hair out of place, her grey eyes shinned with merriment as she walked over to where her brothers were standing.
Ned smiled sadly down at his daughter, Lya was the spitting image of her namesake, it was difficult sometimes for Ned to even look at her. She looked just as his dear sister had looked when she had reached the age of one and nine.
Her personality however was where his daughter and his sister truly differed. His dear sister was a soft spoken and a gentle soul, his daughter was anything but, loud and strong, willing to speak her mind on any important matters.
Ned could almost feel his lovely wife's heavy frown. She made it clear at every opportunity that she did not approve of her eldest child's wild antics, such as insisting that she was present for any and all executions and joining in on her brother's sparring matches.
Lady Catelyn Stark did also not approve of the fact that not only did her daughter refuse to be married but that her father did not give his approval to any of the fine matches that she had provide for her. At the end of the day a lady's father had the final say and Lord Eddard Stark was not in a hurry to see Lyanna married off.
"What are you teaching the boy? You do want him to actually hit the target, right?" Lyanna asked with a smirk. Jon rolled his eyes and Robb scowled.
Lyanna's smirk grew as she noticed Robb scowling at her, she couldn't help herself any time Robb got annoyed made her feel like she just had to annoy him more, she just loved to irritate him, it probably went back to when they were children and Lyanna found herself growing more attached to Jon than she did to Robb, not to mention that fact that she always sat in on their lessons with the Maester and acted like she would be heir of Winterfell one day, which if Lyanna had anything to say about it she would.
"Here pretty boy, make yourself useful and hold this." Lyanna said as she shoved her bow, rather unceremoniously into Robb's arms, Robb's scowl deepened as Lyanna knelt down to Bran's height.
Lyanna leaned forward and whispered something into Bran's ear and then stood back up. Bran looked up at his eldest sibling and gave her a smile and a nod. Lyanna returned the smile and the nod and moved out of Bran's way.
Bran breathed deep and drew back his arrow, letting out the breath he fired and the arrow his the target dead in the centre.
"How did you do that!?" A new voice shouted out and everyone turned to see the fifth oldest Stark child, Arya standing there with her own bow. "I can never make a shot that good."
"Trade secret, I have to really like you to teach you my tricks. It's why you suck with a bow Robb, and get rid of that scowl if you're not careful your face will get stuck like that and you have enough problems as it is." Lyanna remarked with a laugh.
If looks could kill then the one Robb was sending his sister would have killed her and buried her in the crypt under Winterfell.
Lyanna tussled Bran's hair and walked off. Arya and Bran ran off after her with Jon following them, Robb sighed heavily and started to pick up all the arrows.
Ned shook his head amused, Catelyn glared at her husband. "I do wish you wouldn't encourage her. I allowed the girl to attend lessons with Robb and your bastard on the agreement that she would also take lessons with Septa Mordane and yet I don't think I have even seen Lya near the woman."
"Lya knows her own mind." Was the only response she got from her husband.
Catelyn was not happy. "Regardless you are raising her expectations, she honestly thinks that one day she will rule Winterfell and if you don't do something about that now then it will only hurt her more later, also I do wish you would tell her to stop associating herself with your bastard and actually work on her relationship with Robb, the two of them can barley spend two minutes together without having an argument." Catelyn was going to go on but she stopped when she noticed how her husband seemed to be studying his hands with great interest. "Ned, what is it?"
Ned sighed heavily before turning to face his wife. "I am thinking of declaring Lyanna my heir."
To say Catelyn was shocked would be an understatement, her mouth dropped open and her face went pale. "You are joking of course, tell me that you are joking, please!"
Ned sighed heavily. "Cat, I don't understand the problem. It's not like I am suggesting I make Jon my heir, Lyanna is our daughter I don't understand the problem."
Catelyn breathed deep. "Ned, our daughter is just that, our daughter. The old houses would never accept a female warden of the north nor would they accept a lady as heir to Winterfell, and regardless what of Robb? Heir of Winterfell and the warden of the north it is what he has been promised to be his whole life!" Catelyn took a deep breath to calm her temper and to stop herself from saying something that she would regret. "There are so many good matches we could make for Lya, I truly believe she could make a great lady and I don't want her to waste her life following silly and childish dreams that will never come true!"
Before Ned could responded the sound of someone clearing their throat drew their attention. Ser Rodrick stood there, looking awkward for interrupting a personal moment. "Forgive me my lord, my lady but there is an urgent matter which requires the attention of Lord Stark, a deserter from the Wall."
"I see." Said Ned with a nod of his head. "I shall be with you in a moment Ser Rodrick."
"Yes, my lord." And with that Ser Rodrick turned and walked back into the castle.
Ned moved to follow him, only stopping to whisper to his wife. "We shall discuss this more when I return." And with that he was gone.
Catelyn sighed heavily and rubbed at her eyes, it couldn't just be simple no, the gods had given her a child who seemed to want to be more a man than a woman.
Cat decided not to dwell on it and simply followed her husband back into the castle, they were going to talk about it latter and like most things involving Lya it would most likely not stay quiet.
End of Chapter One