A/N: Hello everyone! I decided to write Ironborn since I have a certain fondness of the Greyjoy family, and I didn't think we saw enough of them on the show. The main focus will have two storylines: Theon's and Yara's. Robb and Sansa will be featured as important characters with a little bit of Jon Snow thrown in - and eventually, maybe some Ramsay Snow ;-) I hope you enjoy the story! Let me know if you have any comments :-)
"This isn't right, you know. We should not be prisoners like this", Theon Greyjoy said to his sister as they were standing in the great courtyard in the center of Winterfell. Today was the day that Ned Stark would leave for King's Landing as he had been summoned by his friend and King, Robert Baratheon. Theon looked at this man who had been something like a surrogate father to him for almost ten years, and he could not decide if he loved him or hated him for what he had done to him.
The courtyard looked its best today as it was a great day for the ruler of Winterfell, even if he did not interpret it that way. He had no desire to go to King's Landing as he was a northerner to the bone, caring little for political matters. All the soldiers had lined up in formation to hail their leader with the Stark family standing at the front.
The Greyjoy siblings however knew to step back as the Stark children approached their father to say their goodbyes.
"He has done more for us than Father ever did", Yara Greyjoy replied, leaning in closer to her little brother without taking her eyes off Ned and his children. Theon looked at her and stepped in front of her.
"Are you serious?", he asked in disbelief. "We are Ironborn", he continued, more subdued, "What is dead may never die", he almost whispered and Yara's lips moved too as she looked her brother in the eye.
"Move, Theon", she said and pulled him back in line. Needless to say, Yara was the clever one. And the protective one. She knew that – Theon didn't.
"I will not spend my life bowing to a Lord that is not mine", he continued, and Yara was starting to feel annoyed. She looked at him again, seeing his pale face and blondish half-curly hair. He had a slim figure and was not very handsome. Yet he was family.
"What is your clever plan then?", she asked as she watched Catelyn Stark approach her husband and kiss him tenderly on his chin. She was a strong woman, dressed in a deep blue dress. The colour suited her. Yara looked at herself. She was not dressed up but looked more like a common soldier.
Well, maybe not a common soldier. She rested her hand on her sword and felt strong in her armour even if the Stark crest was on it, and not the Greyjoy. She had been rewarded with the best armour in the North when Ned Stark had come to learn of her fighting skills. She had participated in a tournament alongside Robb, Jon Snow, her brother and several others and had come in second after Robb.
"I don't know. Take Winterfell. Make Winterfell ours", Theon suggested, but his thoughtlessness was shining through.
"Make it ours?", Yara asked as she narrowed her eyes and watched Ned Stark on his horse. He was sitting tall and mighty with that friendly smile of his. She almost chuckled, but not for Theon to see. Ned Stark was a good man, and she knew very well that he had treated both her and Theon well for wards. He had not needed to be nice to them. He could have just thrown them in the dungeon to rot or have made them slaves for all to see, but he had not. Instead he had treated them with respect as long as they were respectful to him too. Yara was a defiant girl, but not a stupid one. She had accepted her fate when her father more or less willingly had given up both her and Theon.
"Yes, and then return to Father. He will be proud", Theon said with newfound excitement in his voice. "Ned is leaving now, maybe now is the time", he continued which brought Yara out of her contemplating thoughts.
"Don't be a fool, Theon. We both endured Father, we never loved him, you know that. And it was mutual, I can assure you of that. He gave us away, which means we are dead to him", Yara answered in a cold voice as she cast another look at the Stark children. The youngest daughter, Arya, and the second youngest son, Bran, were accompanying their father.
"That could have been us. You, me and father", Theon said bitterly, ignoring his sister's words.
"It isn't, Theon, and it will never be. And besides, you don't have Bran's brains", Yara chuckled and caressed the handle of her sword. Theon looked straight at her with a dumb expression. She knew that face well.
"Oh, really? And you don't have Sansa's beauty or ladylikeness".
"I thought you had been here long enough to know the difference between the daughters", Yara answered with a bigger grin. She pointed: "That is Arya".
"I know that, but you are exactly like her. Like Arya", Theon tried his best to defend himself.
"She is nothing like me", Yara corrected him and faced him again. "She is a foolish girl, toying around with her wooden sword. I am to command the fleet of Pyke one day, while she lies dead in the gutter in King's Landing". There was fire in her eyes as she talked about the fleet. She knew she was born to rule. The only question was what she was going to rule.
"So you do want to return to Pyke?", Theon said with a surprised look as the trumpets sounded, marking Ned Stark's departure. He looked at his sister who was both taller and broader than he was. She was a fierce creature - not particularly beautiful but with a few hidden feminine and pretty features underneath the armour.
"Of course. I know we are Ironborn, and I know where we belong, but I don't think that slaughtering the people we grew up with is the right way", she answered.
"But that is what we do. You know that we are ironborn. We are not subjects, we are not slaves. We do not plow the field or toil in the mine. We take what is ours! You see, Yara, we take what is ours", Theon repeated his father's words. Yara knew them well.
"Yes, we take what is ours. How will Winterfell ever be ours? We have no claim to it. Do you really want to start another war? You do remember what happened last time, right?", Yara said, growing increasingly tired of her brother. Theon looked confused.
"Father lost us. When he made a foolish attempt for power, we were removed from our home. What will happen this time?", she explained and took a look around her. Though they were standing near the crowd, no one seemed to take any notice of their conversation. The Greyjoy siblings were not standing with the common citizens however. Ned Stark had endorsed their heritage, acknowledging their status and always placing them just below his own children. Yara knew that that was the act of a kind-hearted and just man.
"We will restore the Ironborn's claim, get more land and more power. We can be everything that Father ever desired, and we can help him get it", Theon kept on fantasizing.
"That will never happen, and you know it", Yara replied and shot Theon a grave look.
"I know why you don't want to leave Winterfell", Theon then said, knowing he had lost the argument. "There. Your prince in wolf's fur", he said, pointing at Robb who was standing, grinning next to his half-brother Jon and his sister Sansa. Sansa, wearing a dark green dress under her cloak, did not smile. She had been taught that it was not appropriate for a lady to smile.
"Robb? Are you out of your mind?", Yara answered, choking her frustration. "We have to say our farewells too", she continued and pushed Theon in the back before he could say anything else.
"I don't", he protested but Yara had a firm grip.
The Greyjoys approached Ned, who was ready to leave alongside Arya and Bran.
"Theon, Yara", Ned said and bowed his head.
"Safe trip, my Lord", Theon said mechanically.
"Will try, Theon", Ned answered. Yara knew that it bothered her brother that Ned used his first name instead of using his title, Lord of the Iron Islands.
"Ned", Yara said with a nod, well aware that she was using his first name now.
"Take care of my boys, will you?", Ned said with a smile, acknowledging her combat skills.
"I will, sir", she replied and bowed her head. Their conversation from last night still echoed inside her head.
"Why does he always smile to you and not to me?", Theon then asked as Ned rode away. The citizens of Winterfell were all cheering for him.
"Stupid crowd", Theon said, mostly to himself. He closed his eyes and shook his head.
"Don't, Theon, just don't", Yara urged him and sighed.
Hours later, Theon seemed to have changed his mind, as he was getting his horse ready with Robb and Jon. They were standing in the courtyard, enjoying their time away from politics, rulers and responsibilities.
"Let's hunt for some meat", Jon said as his dark curls bounced on top of his head.
"I know what kind of meat I want", Theon said with a smirk. Robb glanced at Jon and laughed.
"What is her name?". Robb's smiles were always half shy, half stunning. Theon looked surprised as he was hit by embarrassment.
"Her name? Wenches don't need names for what I am using them for", he said, trying to regain his pride. Robb looked at Jon, but Theon did not notice. "You know her – Ros". That caught Jon's interest, and he looked at Theon with that serious face with those sad puppy eyes of his. The one that every woman fell for.
"Ros?", Jon whispered and Theon knew why. Jon didn't know that Theon knew of course.
"Yes, the redhead from the brothel", Theon continued and made a disgusting facial expression, clearly picturing himself with Ros while watching Jon closely. Theon knew that Jon was intrigued by Ros. Maybe he was even in love with her. But when he had paid for her, he had fled instead of enjoying her. Theon did not know why but he had paid Ros extra to reveal this secret about Jon.
"Oh, those breasts. And that red hair… She asked me to take her home to the Iron Islands", Theon continued.
"To the Iron Islands? When?", Robb then asked with a hint of distrust. Theon noticed this, and for once he let his brain do the talking.
"I am not going back", he grinned and exposed an imprudent smile. "Are you worried I will leave you?", he continued, batting his eyelashes like a coy woman. Robb looked a bit confused.
"Of course not, Theon, you are like my brother", he then said and put his hand on Theon's shoulder, "I know you have my back". The words made Theon wince, but he said nothing.
"Let's go then, so we can get some animal meat before my meat tonight. Oh, Ros, you willing whore", Theon finally said, shrugging off the awkwardness.
"Hey, don't talk that way about women. I have a mother and two sisters, and no one should speak of them like that", Robb said with royal authority.
"Of course not, my lord", Theon said begrudgingly. He hated the power Robb had over him due to his birth and name.
"I would never dream of talking about Yara like that", Robb continued while readying his horse. The snow was falling lightly now, but they barely noticed. No northerners did. Snow was a large part of their everyday.
Robb smiled as he mentioned Yara. Jon chuckled too. Theon looked miserable.
"That is because Yara is barely a girl", Theon grinned but the others did not follow suit. "I mean, Yara is a fighter, not a lady", Theon continued. An indulgent smile appeared on Robb's lips.
"She is quite the fighter", he said.
"But we like those kinds of ladies here. Just like my sister", Jon said and smiled.
"Lady Sansa?", Theon said, wondering. Jon chuckled the way you do with small children.
"No", he said, "Arya, that little brat". It was no secret that Jon and Arya were the siblings that loved each other the most. "But I would love to see Sansa with a sword". Robb laughed – not at her, though.
"She has other wonderful qualities", Theon said, a bit too quickly maybe. They looked at him and he looked confused.
"She does", Jon said with a dreamy expression.
"Hey, stop talking about my sister", Robb said, looking first at Jon, giving him a shove and then at Theon, who immediately looked away.
"Let's ride", Robb then said. Theon nodded but kept an eye on Jon. He wanted to know what he was thinking about Sansa…