Okay, so I had a couple reviews that said basically either 'explain' or 'I'm confused'. So, pairings:
Jon/Daenerys
Arya/Gendry
Robb/Talisa
Ned/Catelyn
Obara Sand/Benjen
Myrcella/Trystane
Robin & Tommen friendship
Robin & Rickon friendship
Theon/Sansa (originally, she paid the Iron Price for his cock and claim. And as he remembers and repents, and feels intense remorse, she is delighted to have a vicious Kraken at her back. With his acceptance, he is loyal to All that Touches Winter)
Meera/Bran
Shireen/Rickon
Wolfsguard: Aegon, Jon, Gendry, Trystane, Robb, Ned, Theon and several others (including Smalljon Umber) form the ranging half of the Wolfsguard, who travel to enact the King's Justice and to ensure certain projects are undertaken, such as building or fixing rodes. Dacey Mormont, Meera Reed, Arya, Sansa, Myrcella, Talisa, Daenerys and a few others form the stationary half of the Wolfsguard, along with the household guard, they protect Winterfell and stand as the Stark in Winterfell's honor guard.
Desert Lion: This term will come up if it hasn't already. Myrcella remembers the pain that her grandfather caused, and unlike Tommen, she cannot ascend the throne. So, she gives Dorne the Lannister cunning with her own bastards by Trystane. She hopes her children will not have to do the task she'll end up setting them, but she knows they'll do it well.
House Words: As my Theon/Sansa chapter demonstrates, you can twist words around. I've implied that before returning, they had a big meeting. This is where the words things is suggested instead of a code that could be broken.
'Where did we go wrong?' The Lady of Winterfell wonders, watching her daughters in the practice yard. Sansa beams as her long knives flash, Arya laughing as Robb, Jon Snow and Theon Greyjoy watch carefully. Bran perches on Theon's shoulders, his climbing habit having changed from buildings to people, while Rickon clings to Robb.
Catelyn would be glad if Bran climbing Greyjoy and Rickon refusing to let her hold him were the most of her concerns. As it is, her daughters have proudly taken to calling themselves the 'She-wolves of Winterfell', egged on by Greyjoy and Snow and even Robb. Robb who has been insisting for the last three moons that his bastard brother will be a far greater lord than he ever could be.
It infuriates Cat, that her children have decided Snow, and Greyjoy, and even her nephew are to be followed. Bran trails Greyjoy everywhere, Rickon has taken up a correspondence with his cousin, and Robb and Snow have always been joined at the hip. Unfortunately, the Lady of Winterfell has no idea her eldest daughter has called a meeting.
Ned brings her to the solar with solemn eyes, and she is greeted by her laughing, happy children. Whose stares turn icy when they light upon her. Hurt and confused, Cat opens her mouth, closing it when Robb rises and greets his father affectionately. He turns from his mother, as do his siblings, each in their turn.
It is Sansa who frowns at them and calls to the door guard
"Find Jon and Theon, bring them here." With a bow, the man does so, bringing both boys from the training yard. Greyjoy's brows knit, and he asks uneasily
"Have you called a Wolfsmoot?" Sansa's lips pinch, Arya slouches, Bran scowls and Rickon's clear blue eyes focus on Robb. Who sighs and gestures for them to be seated before beginning
"Father, I-" Sansa clears her throat and Arya glares at her older brother, who winces and backtracks
"We have decided that I am not the best one to be Lord of Winterfell. Jon is." Ned blinks, and Sansa says before Cat or anyone else can talk
"Regardless of succession, we want him legitimized, and if Mother will not treat him as our brother, we want her to return to Riverrun." Jon's eyes are wide, and Theon starts chuckling, freezing when Sansa snaps
"Theon!" Sheepishly, the Ironborn lordling lowers his eyes.
Catelyn opens her mouth to protest, eyes prickling when Bran says with quiet evenness
"When the White Winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives. We're not risking Jon." Cat runs from the room, sobbing through Ned's quiet words telling her that the children have given her three moons to treat Jon and Theon as theirs, or they will ensure she leaves
'How are they so fond of those-?'
Catelyn never finishes the thought. She returns to watching the practice yard, in time to see Sansa cross swords with Theon, taking him to the ground and snarling her claim of victory in his face, hair blazing over his heaving chest. She never knows her daughter announced she'd paid the Iron Price for his cock and claim.
At the next Wolfsmoot, Catelyn is devastated when her own children demand either her removal from her place as Lady of Winterfell or Winterfell itself. They dismiss her once the demands are made, Arya petitioning Jon for 'a good blacksmith' and Sansa to foster children of other houses. Robb lobbied for a 'new Maester' and Theon for a 'Wolfsguard' to investigate banditry. Jon looked at his father with a sigh, and after Ned's hesitant nod, began giving out orders.
"Sansa, Arya, you'll be the Starks in Winterfell, arranging the fostering. Theon, Robb and I will ride out to investigate the bandits and to find a blacksmith, Maester and a few more members of the house guard." The children all nodded, so he continued
"Rickon and Bran will continue training under Rodrik, and when I get back, we will revisit my being legitimized."
It infuriates Cat, that Ned isn't trying to stop the children. She rides to Riverrun at the next dawn, hurting and angry. Her father and Edmure receive her warmly, and when told of what has transpired, Edmure rides to Winterfell, alarmed. Hoster makes the journey, curious more then anything.
They and their men are greeted with easy courtesy, and notice quickly that much of the old guard is training the young ones. Sansa, dressed in a neatly stitched long grey tunic, meets them in the yard. Her long Tully hair is yoked by a leather thong, and her eyes are blue as winter, clear and cold. Arya slinks up, Stark eyes intent, her own hair braided back in a style fit for King's Landing. Both wear swords on their hips, slim rapiers that fit their frames.
They exude power, these 'She-Wolves of Winterfell'. Hoster isn't sure how his daughter birthed these girls, one with a golden Kraken hanging from her neck, the other gripping her sword with the ease of a person who knows their weapon.
Edmure is uneasy, and shoots his father a disbelieving look when Hoster nods at their explanation for running their mother from her home. In the time they both are there, several Westerosi young lords and ladies come to foster at Winterfell. Samwell Tarly, who will be a Maester, for instance, was one of the few Southerners. Most were Northern.
Hoster sees what his granddaughters intend, to play a long, deep game. Sees Sansa greet her Kraken with unveiled delight, and Arya eyes the blacksmith keenly. By the time his granddaughters are done, he knows, their family will be the most respected in Westeros. That impression is only heightened when Jon Snow, and his grandson Robb call their family together for a Wolfsmoot.
Curious, the Tully men ask admittance, and are stunned when Robb turns to his brother and respectfully asks him, Greyjoy side eyeing them both. Shaking his head, Snow replies
"They can observe, if that's their wish."
The Wolfsmoot, it turns out, is boring. Jon gives a status report to his father, short and blunt, Sansa reminds them that her marriage draws upon them, Arya comments that they'll need a new maidens' cloak. Bran and Rickon enthusiastically report their progress in their studies and which of the fostered ones they're befriending.
Snow reminds his siblings with unexpected gentleness that their mother is missing, and only after he sighs and remarks
"Gods be good, but I never really knew my mother. You're throwing away the best chance you have." Does Greyjoy point out
"It's foolish to just send her away, with no rhyme or reason, and it's your wedding, Sansa." She frowns at him severely, expression easing only when he took her hand. Edmure is almost green with envy, at the way Sansa quiets and looks at the Kraken adoringly. Not that his niece is doing the looking, Heavens no, but that Greyjoy inspired in her that much love and adoration.
Sighing, Edmure and his father return to Riverrun, bringing with them a report that Cat despises. Her children are doing well without her, Snow is a good lord, or will be, and he and Greyjoy are the biggest advocates for her return. Sansa was to marry, Edmure and Hoster both wisely leaving out that it was to Theon.
When she received a raven from Winterfell, Cat thought- hoped- it was a letter begging for her return. What she got was far different.
Mother
As much as I dislike writing to you, my darling betrothed has insisted I try. My beloved brother has also insisted. In the face of insistence from two men I love- and who love me- I needs must write to you.
I am announcing my marriage, Mother. I paid the Iron Price for Theon's body, as Father did his life. That means we are to marry. Once, here in front of the Heart Tree, and once more, on Pyke, once we have retaken my Kraken's Seastone Chair.
Jon has gotten a promise from the rest of us to behave towards you. He thinks we have need of a Mother who would harm the pack.
As my Fathers' words say, Winter is Coming. We do not need to be Tully to put family first. We will marry before the Heart Tree in three moons from this date.
Don't even think of insulting my brother wolf or my Kraken mate. Robb has promised to remove you to your chambers if you try.
Sansa Stark,
She-Wolf of Winterfell, the elder
The next raven was from Robb, and was far grimmer.
Mother,
By now you have received Sansa's raven. I'm about to go Ranging with Jon, Theon, Gendry and Trystane, so I will keep this short.
We will permit no harm to our pack. Theon. Me. Jon. Sansa. Arya. Bran. Rickon. Father may side with you if he believes it best, but we will not allow even him to permit harm to our pack. We're wolves.
Don't forget it, Trout.
Robb
Catelyn spent her nights sobbing for a sennight. Her children had turned on her! For something every woman would do. Ned had never sent him away, and now they were intent on making him the Lord of Winterfell!
Resolute, Cat packed and returned to Winterfell. She was greeted by Snow in a white tunic with a grey Direwolf, a Dornish girl at his right, and another pale faced, black haired boy standing solemnly beside him.
"Lady Catelyn. Welcome back to Winterfell. My Lord Father is in his solar, and my siblings are on a hunt, except for Rickon, who is in the hot springs with his cousin." The stoic words do little to alleviate Cat's ire, but it gives her the chance to settle in.
It aches and burns that she is in her husband's seat only because his bastard has insisted his siblings try to repair their relationship with her. Rickon thaws first, and only because Cat has praised his work in the arms yard, where Robb and Jon drill him on the sword, Theon on the bow and Osha, his and Robin's shared nurse, on the spear.
Trystane Martell eyes their interactions oddly, but is quickly distracted by fellow fosterling Myrcella Baratheon, who he's teaching to wield a spear. Samwell Tarly, also eyes them, but quietly advises Cat on how to get in her children's good graces. She can't even be angry when he mentions that 'Jon' suggested he do so. Not when his constant, gentle words are what guide her children back to her.
She will never have a good relationship with them, if she ever did, she knows after Sansa's wedding. The stubborn girl had shot down her mothers' attempts at getting her to marry before the Seven, insisting
"I'm only asking Theon for two ceremonies, and I promised him one in front of the Drowned God." Cat had seethed over that for days, especially after she overheard Greyjoy comment that he'd have been fine with three, but Sansa dismissed it with
"Those are my mothers' Gods, not mine. The Old and Drowned are my Gods."
Catelyn had struggled to accept that Arya would marry a blacksmith, and that Robb doted on a healer from Volantis, that Rickon had been thrilled to receive Princess Shireen, while Bran had greeted Meera Reed like a lost dream come true.
Once Cat settled, Jon's 'sworn brother' Aede, and his sister Dany quietly reminded the Starks about legitimizing Jon, who rolled his eyes at the next Wolfsmoot.
Which Cat had been surprised to attend. Her children had pursed their lips and even Ned sighed, but Jon reminded them
"She's a Stark too." Gendry, the blacksmith Bull, had fidgeted, Talisa dryly chuckled, Shireen had shared a look with Meera, Theon snickered while Dany smiled.
Catelyn listened intently as Robb and Talisa gave their reports, Bran, Rickon, Shireen, Meera and Sansa reporting on the success of the fosterlings. Jon listened carefully, Dany stroking his hand carefully on the table. Theon, the current captain of the Wolfsguard, gave a full report of his mens' movements since the last Wolfsmoot.