Game of Thrones: Wars and Hearts
First chapter of a new Game of Thrones modern AU, will hold three of my favourite pairings; Arya/Gendry, Bran/Meera and Rickon/Shireen. Other pairings include Robb/Jeyne Westerling, Sansa/Joffrey and Sansa/Willas. Word of warning, this story will contain some volumes of angst, if you don't like that sort of thing, best not to read as it gets pretty bad in some points. Other than that, enjoy :)
Just a note on ages for the important characters:
Robb, Jeyne W. and Margaery: 20
Sansa, Jeyne P. and Joffrey: 18
Arya: 16
Gendry: 23
Bran, Myrcella, Shireen and Jojen: 15
Meera and Willas: 22
Rickon and Tommen: 14
That should cover all the important ones, now onto the story.
Disclaimer: Game of Thrones belongs to George R.R. Martin.
Chapter 1
It was a quiet evening in Stark manor, a little too quiet for Arya Stark's tastes. Arya Stark was the sixteen year old daughter of Senator Eddard Stark, who like many of his family before him, lived in the family manor at Winterfell, the largest city in Westeros' northern regions. Arya was the third child of Eddard Stark and his wife Catelyn Stark nee Tully; although sometimes she introduced herself as Catelyn Tully-Stark. She was also the youngest daughter with an older sister, an older brother and two younger brothers. Unlike the rest of her siblings who had inherited their looks from their mother, Arya took after her father. Right now she was sitting at a small desk, doing her homework, thinking ruefully she should try and get a similar desk for her own room. Instead she was stuck, trying to focus on her homework while being distracted by thoughts about the video game she had been playing last night.
'I'm at the last level too, I just wanna play the game and finish it, but if I just leave this mom will flip.' She thought to herself; but it didn't stop her from being distracted.
Annoyed she pushed back the fringe of her light brown hair out of her grey eyes and tried, futilely to focus on her homework. On the other side of the room, her older sister eighteen year old Sansa Stark was seated in front of her vanity mirror, trying out new hairstyles and new looks with her make-up, taking after their mother Sansa was already rather beautiful, with long wavy red hair, blue eyes, pale skin and high cheek bones. Sansa was free as she had finished her homework hours ago, much to Arya's annoyance.
It was then the stillness of the night was shattered by the phone ringing. Sansa looked at Arya's reflection in her mirror.
"You get it." She said.
Arya scowled as she turned to her. "No way, I'm doing my homework, besides, you're nearer."
She pointed at the phone, lying on Sansa's bed, just behind Sansa.
Her sister shook her head. "No, you're not; you've been staring into space for like…half an hour. Unlike you, I'm occupied."
Arya rolled her eyes. "Of course you are, because trying to look like a clown is so important."
"Arya!" Sansa exclaimed, shocked at her sister's proclamation; it was true; unlike most girls Arya never wore make-up. Something Sansa couldn't understand, it would certainly help her sister draw more attention from boys.
To Sansa it just didn't seem right that, at sixteen, her sister was still single, never had a boyfriend, had never even been kissed, when all that happened to Sansa when she was fifteen.
Arya shook her head and gestured to the phone. "It'll be for you anyway, probably your asshole boyfriend, or your dumb friend with some stupid pointless gossip."
Sansa glared.
"Don't talk about Joffrey like that, you're just jealous and Jeyne isn't stupid."
Arya was about to reply when the phone stopped ringing, it had been answered.
Both girls stopped their arguing and listened; only one person could have answered the phone, their mother. Their older brother Robb was away at university, meanwhile their cousin Jon Snow had taken their youngest brother Rickon to football practice and their other younger brother, Bran was at his friend Jojen Reed's house, studying.
"Hello?" Their mother replied to the phone call; there was a moments silence, while the other person talked and then Catelyn spoke again. "Please, calm down, there's no need for…"
She stopped abruptly; presumably the other person had cut across her. Sansa and Arya shared a glance, they recognized their mother's tone of voice, it was one she reserved for people who were shouting on the phone. Finally, during an apparent lull in the shouting Catelyn spoke.
"There's no need for this, Walder, I'm sure we can work something out." She said, trying to reason with the man.
However it soon proved futile as Walder continued his tirade, finally, a long time later the phone call ended. Catelyn sighed as she put the phone down. It was then she realized her daughters standing there, watching her.
"Mum, did something happen?" Sansa asked, nervously.
Catelyn shook her head. "It's nothing to worry about just now girls. I will be telling everyone at dinner, so, until then."
They both nodded, knowing their mother wouldn't give anything else up. They turned and began to head back up the stairs when she called after them.
"No more fighting."
Both blushed, realizing they had been caught arguing and returned upstairs.
That night at dinner, the whole family were seated around the dinner table. Like Arya, their cousin Jon inherited the Stark features, brown hair and grey eyes, all the others took their hair and eye colour from their mother. Both Arya and Sansa are waiting tensely for their mother to say something about the phone call, finally she does.
"I got a phone call from Walder Frey today." She informs them. "It seems Robb has broken up with his daughter."
The effect of the revelation was like a ripple. Eddard Stark looked surprised at the news.
"Robb broke up with Roslin, why, she was such a nice girl."
Arya rolled her eyes, of course she was, when their parents were around, when they weren't Roslin looked down on the other family members with great disdain. She and Rickon never liked her and were both smirking at each other after hearing the news. Bran was surprised at the news, but not overly concerned, as far as he felt it was Robb's decision, they shouldn't be questioning it. Jon was indifferent, his mind on something else. Sansa however was worried, afraid even of retribution from the Frey's. She had heard rumours that they had strong ties to the mafia, what if they came after her family; she didn't want that to happen to them.
'What was Robb thinking?' She fretted, jumping slightly as the phone rang again.
This time it was Eddard who went to answer it.
He picked up the phone and Sansa watched as he spoke for a while. Worried it was more bad news she was surprised when her father returned, smiling.
"Well, it looks like we might be getting some answers." He stated. "That was Robb; he's coming home for the weekend…He wasn't to introduce us to his new girlfriend."
They were all surprised, then conversation turned to Robb coming home, they all seemed excited at seeing him again. Catelyn smiled widely, she was truly looking forward to seeing her eldest again, and it would be interesting to meet his new girlfriend, the girl he broke up with Roslin Frey for. Soon afterwards dinner was finished and the family went their separate ways. As they headed upstairs Sansa turned to Arya and saw she was still grinning.
"Aren't you worried?" She asked.
Arya shook her head. "What's to worry about, Robb's coming home, we'll get to see him again."
Sansa shook her head. "The Frey's; what if they want revenge, what if they…"
Arya rolled her eyes.
"Oh don't tell me you believe those ridiculous rumours." She scoffed. "That's all they are, there's nothing to worry about, let's just enjoy the fact that Robb's coming home."
With that she headed to her room, feeling happier than she had all evening, she could hardly wait for the weekend.
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.