Hey everyone! So this is my first Game of Thrones story. A
friendship story, with an OC of mine, daughter and first born of Jon and Lysa Arryn, based in the fourth season.
I'll stick with the fact that the son is called Robert but he gets called Robin as a nickname. Also I'm sticking to the ages from the show.
It's the first time I've wrote anything for Game of Thrones, so if you do review, which I hope you do, please be nice and no flames!
The auburn haired girl finally put down her book about the Targaryen's and their dragons. She had heard the gates open and all the commotion about having visitors hours ago but she remained seated in her room. The violet eyed house being far more interesting to her, and besides she knew that Robin would be over to see her soon. He always came to drag her to his room for a story, Septa Kail always offered to read Robin a story, but he preferred his sisters. Through the window, she could see the sun setting and everyone would start to settle down ready for the night. This night Septa Kail arrived at her door to take the young girl to her brothers room. The two walked in an easy silence and then they reached Robin's door, offered their good nights to each other.
"Now, remember. Bright and early, be up to break your fast with your brother and then we'll go straight to sewing."
"Yes Septa." Hollisa said politely. Hollisa found it amusing that it took this isolation her mother had brought upon them for Hollisa and Septa Kail to get on; but she was glad of it. Septa Kail, in many ways, had become a great friend and guardian to the girl. "Bright and Early. Good night Septa."
"Good night child."
Hollisa closed the door behind her and went over to her brother. Robin was sat on his bed, smiling as his sister came closer and sat on the bed with him, crossing her legs beneath the skirt of her dress.
"What story would you like tonight?" She smiled, sometimes her stories were just that. A figment of their imagination and others it was history, sometimes they would combine the two, and this was always best for the young boy.
"Ser Robert."
Hollisa smiled. 'Ser Robert' was a character of many stories she had come up with for her brother. 'Ser Robert' also went by 'Ser Robin' and he was a great knight who flew around Westros on a great big, blue dragon. He would fight away the monsters and save the damsel in distress.
"Okay, so one day Ser Robert was in a tavern. He was resting, having just come back to his homeland from adventures at sea. Ser Robert had let Saphir fly about and catch his own dinner, Robert was keeping to himself and enjoying a mug full of cold ale when he heard the bar aid speak to a few of the men. They spoke of..."
"...A damsel. She had long red hair which is kept in a loose braid." He spoke, eyeing his sister's hair.
"And the damsel was locked away in a huge tower, for outside the tower there were monsters posted right outside the gate to make sure she did not escape. Well, when Ser Robert heard this...he smiled into his mug. This was exactly the kind of thing that would get him back into the swing of things at home. He had a good nights rest and before the sun even awoke, Ser Robert was awar on Saphir. They had heard that it was a huge, white tower. The tower was like ivory and had dark purple brick on the roof. Along the way they had discovered..-"
"The damsel was named Holly and her friend, who also had red hair, was kept locked away in the tower with her. The friend was called Sansa."
"Sansa?" Hollisa asked, she was confused. Where had he got that name from, she was sure..."Isn't that name Aunt Cat's oldest daughter?"
Robin nodded."She's here. She came with Uncle Petyr."
"Is that what all the commotion was about before? Petyr and Sansa?"
"Yes, she's very pretty isn't she? Oh, you didn't see her did you?" Robin said a snide little voice.
That was one of the few things that annoyed Hollisa about her brother. He could go from a sweet little boy to a taunting brat in seconds. Mother had always favoured Robin over her, but Hollisa had always thought it was because their father favoured Hollisa over Robin. A sad smile broke over Hollisa's features as she thought about her father. Oh, how she still missed him. She could remember a time before Robin was even born, her father had taken her to Winterfell. He had thought it only right that she met her cousins and they stayed with Stark's for only nine days, for that's all the king would allow.
As they arrived, Jon Arryn picked out different points of Winterfell and explained what each was to his daughter. As they entered the gates of Winterfell, he could see the Starks lined up to greet their guests. Jon Arryn smiled and nodded at Lord Stark who grinned at the sight of seeing Hollisa ride in front of her father on his horse, instead of the in the litter behind. Although Jon Arryn had always been a gentle man, it was true that it had not been his wife, Lysa that had tamed him, but his daughter, Hollisa. From the second he had set eyes on his daughter, Jon Arryn had fallen in love with his little girl. Jon got off the horse and helped Hollisa down as well.
"Papa! I could have jumped down!" The tiny girl giggled.
"Ladies don't jump from their horses, now do they? They don't, do they, sweet child?"
"What if it's not their horse?" She asked, to anyone else it would have been an innocent question; however her father caught the cheeky sparkle in her eyes.
Lord Stark barked a heavy laugh, which caught six year old Hollisa off guard and she hid behind her father's legs.
"Come now, sweetling. This is your family. You want to meet them, don't you?"
Hollisa nodded, still hiding behind her father. Lord Stark crouched down to eye level with the nervous child, smiling at Arryn smiled as he looked between the man he had once loved as his own child and his daughter. He was aging now, but he still looked upon the two and saw nought but his own children.
"Hello there. I'm Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, most people call me Ned. What's your name?" he asked in a soft voice, holding his hand out for the girl.
The red headed six year old stepped forward and shook his hand. "I'm Hollisa Arryn. Papa said he used to look after you and King Robert."
"He did. Your father was like a father to me and the king, the best we could ask for."
"I know right? He's the best!" Hollisa grinned.
Ned grinned, she was certainly a likeable little girl. "Would you like to meet everyone else Hollisa?"
Hollisa nodded with a grin that matched Ned's; and Jon Arryn watched as Ned took the young girl's hand. They took no more then two steps before they stopped again. Hollisa looked up at the women who held a young one on her hip, her mouth a gape slightly as she looked upon her aunt.
"Hollisa, this is your aunt Catelynn."
Catelynn also bent down to Hollisa's level, smiling warmly at her little niece. It had been so long since The Starks had seen Jon and Lysa, of course the news of their little girl had reached their ears, as well as the horrible news of several miscarriages and a few still borns, but when they had heard the wonderful news that Lysa had given birth to a little girl, they gave thanks to the old Gods and new. Hollisa was the typical Tully girl with her beautiful auburn hair and fair face. Catelynn shifted the infant slightly and shook Hollisa's hand.
"Good day to you child,"
"Good day aunt Cat...I mean...I'm sorry!"
"It's alright, you may call me Cat." The woman smiled at the blustering child.
"Who's the baby?"
"This is you little cousin, this is Sansa."
"Hello Sansa." Hollisa said gingerly, taking hold of the infants hand gently and shaking it which caused little Sansa to giggle.
As Cat stood, Ned walked Hollisa further down the line, to where three boys stood. The first of the boys shared the same auburn hair as Hollisa and Cat. Ned began to speak, and the boy proudly spoke his father.
"I'm Robert Stark, I was named after the King. He and father were friends when they were little." The boy grinned looking at his father. "You can call me Robb though."
"Nice to meet you Robb, I'm Hollisa."
The boy next to Robb spoke up, interupting her as she spoke. "Hollisa? It's a bit of a mouthful isn't it?"
As Cat was about to scold the young boy, Jon and Ned grinned as they heard Robb beat his mother to it. "Don't be rude! She's our guest!" And Hollisa rudely ask 'Who are you?'
"I'm Theon Greyjoy."
"Pleasure, I'm sure." Hollisa said stiffly which even earn a tiny grin from her aunt Cat.
Finally she moved down to the last boy.
"I'm Jon Snow."
"Hollisa Arryn."
The two shook hands. "May I call you Holly?"
"Of course!" She grinned brightly, turning to her father and running to him. As Holly was still holding hands with Jon Snow, she dragged him over too which gained a chuckle from Robb and Theon as they watched Jon stumble after her. " My papa calls me Holly too, don't you father?"
"Yes, I do sweet one." Jon Arryn said, bending down and kissing her on the head. "Rob, Theon and Jon are all round about the same age as you. Why don't you go play, and we will see you later?"
Ned grinned at the four, as Theon demanded they play hide and seek and said he would even be it first. He went over to the stable door and began to count down from fifty. Robb ran off straight away and Jon began to pull Holly in another direction as well, tugging at her arm as she stopped.
"Can I spend some time with you and Sansa later? Please Aunt Cat!"
"39...38...37...36..."
"Of course little one, now go!"
"31...30...29...28...27..."
Holly grinned and turned back to Jon who pulled her away telling her about some hiding spots they could use. Ned and Jon Arryn turned from the giggling children and walked away as Cat stood with Sansa and watched the two run until she could see nor them or their shadows, and no longer hear their footsteps or laughing voices before she turned and followed her husband.
Holly walked around the corridor as she heard voices in the hall, she followed the voices to a door cracked open, she knew she shouldn't listen at door, not after the last time; but she couldn't help it. Holly had been looking for Sansa, eager to see her cousin whom she hadn't seen in years.
"Go on, enjoy them!" Holly identifyed that as her mother's voice. "How do you like them?"
"They're delicious," Holly took a second before she realised this was Sansa. "Where did you get the lemons? You can't grow them up here."
Holly smiled, ever the inquistive one. Even as an infant all those years ago, Sansa had wanted to see what everything was. Her key words at the time had been how, why, where and who? Holly could see that nothing had changed.
"Petyr brought three crates of them all the way from Kings Landing. He knew you liked lemon cakes."
"You're so kind, as he Lord Baelish."
"He really cares for you, think where you'd be without him. In clutches and trial for murder."
There was a small silence before Holly heard Sansa speak. "Yes, I'm very lucky."
"He feels responsible for you."
"Oh, I know he does, and I'm so gratefu-.."
"Why?! Why does he feel responsible for you?"
"...Well..I...I'm half Tully so...your family.."
"Not your mother?"
"No."
Holly was tense behind the door. She had heard that tone many times from her mother, and hoped for Sansa's sake that her mother would calm down.
"That's what you wanted to say." Lysa accused.
"No, he loves you Aunt Lysa, he's married to you."
"Your mother never loved him you know. Cat always went for the sweetest thing, the most obvious thing. Your uncle Brandon, handsome, arrogant, cruel uncle Brandon. He almost killed Petyr in a duel, but your mother loved him anyway. And now Petyr is risking his life to save you!The daughter of the woman who didn't love him, no more then those whores in his brothel. Has he told you about them?"
"No." Sansa replied quietly.
"He hasn't told you about the vile things they do with their bodies? The vile things they let HIM do with their bodies?"
"No, never."
Holly could heard fear in Sansa's voice, it was clear her little cousin was close to tears. And it took all of Holly not to rush in there.
"Are you pregnant?"
"What? No, I told you. Lord Tyrion never touched me!"
"I wasn't asking about Tyrion! What have you let Petyr do with your body?"
"Aunt Lysa! No, I never!"
"Your young, pretty, little body."
"Nothing, I'm a virgin!"
"Don't lie to me!"
"You're hurting me."
"I'll know if you lie."
"I'm a virgin I swear it! He loves you Aunt Lysa. All he say is I'm a stupid..." Finally Sansa's voice broke, and she began to to weep as she spoke to her aunt Lysa, tears running down her cheeks. "..I'm a stupid little girl with stupid dreams who never learns, and I'm a terrible liar so I should always tell the truth...and I swear to you, that he's never touched me! Not one touch, not ever!"
"Shhhhshhhhshhhh. It's alright. You'll be alright. You'll be a widow soon. They'll execute that dwarf for murdering the king and you'll be free to marry Robin. You'll be the lady of the veil."
Yea, and now that Robb's gone, Sansa is heir to Winterfell. If Sansa and Robin marry, he'll be Lord of Winterfell. Hollisa thought, maybe that was her mother's plan. She wanted Robin to be Lord of Winterfell, but what else? Holly thought long and hard, she knew her mother well. And whilst Winterfell was beautiful to Holly as it had been to her father, she wasn't sure her mother felt the same way. There's got to be something else. Littlefinger wouldn't have been so harsh with me just for listening at key holes when he does the very same thing!
Holly was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard her mother say, "It's getting late now Sansa, you remember the way back to your room, do you not?"
"Yes, aunt Lysa."
Holly quickly hid, she couldn't let Sansa see her yet, not when they were so close to her mother. Holly peeped round the corner and saw Sansa walk down the hall. For a second she thought Sansa was about to turn back around so Holly quickly hid behind the corner again just for a hand to gently grasp her neck.
Sansa weeped into her aunts dress as the woman began to comfort her. It almost scared Sansa how her aunt had gone from telling her stories about her mother to how angry she had become and back to the nice aunt. Lysa rubbed Sansa's shoulder, and when Sansa had calmed down she took the chair across from her niece. Lysa pushed the plate of cakes closer to her niece, taking one for herself and smiled at Sansa before sinking her teeth in to the cake. Sansa gave her aunt a small smile in return. Sansa could only stomach one more cake before she stopped and could do nothing more then stare at plate in front of her.
"It's getting late now Sansa, you remember the way back to your room, do you not?"
Sansa stood and smoothed down her dress, "Yes, aunt Lysa."
Aunt Lysa remained where she sat and turned her cheek to Sansa to kiss. Sansa kissed her aunt's cheek, and as she walked closer to the door, she was sure she heard footsteps. Stepping out into the hall, she was greeted with silence. There was no one there. They'd probably be gone now, they were just passing. Sansa proceeded to her room, and after a few seconds she was sure she was being watched; but when she turned back to look there was no one there.
"Listening at key holes again, are we?"
"Little finger.."
"Ah, ah ah..." He very slightly tightened the grip around her neck. "I should tell your mother."
"No, please."
"Why?"
"Please...I'd heard you arrived in the company of a young woman, no taller then I and only a few years my junior. Please...please uncle Petyr!" Normally Holly refused to call him that, and it was only times like this that she would use the endearment with him. "Please...I was just curious!"
"You think I don't know your game Holly? That you're only sweet with me when it's useful?" Petyr whispered in her ear, she could feel his breath on her skin and it made her feel dirty. "Well, here's a lesson for you. Never be too obvious and never get caught. Don't act too sweet all at once, or you'll be caught out."
Petyr pulled away from Holly and took his hand from her neck.
"Now, I won't tell your mother, but you owe me. Run along, Holly." Holly didn't need to be told twice, and quickly gathered her skirts and walked away from Petyr. "She's in the small room at the left from the back stairs."
Unsure of why Little Finger had told her where to go, Holly nodded in his direction before making her way to Sansa.
It didn't take long for Holly to find the room that Little Finger had told her about. And when she was faced with it, she was suddenly scared, she wasn't sure what to say or do with Sansa, her cousin had only been a year old the last time Holly had set eyes on her. Nothing would be done if she didn't knock and that's what Holly did, she gave the door the quietest knock she could, and by some miracle the younger auburn haired girl still heard it as she called through the door.
"Yes? Aunt Lysa? Robin?"
Holly mustered all the courage she had and opened Sansa's door which hadn't been locked yet. She closed the door behind her, she walked closer to Sansa who stared at her.
"Who are you?"
"Hello Sansa, I'm your cousin."
"My...my cousin? Why didn't you greet us when I first arrived?"
"My mother isn't too fond of my company. I remind her too much of my father, although everyone says I'm all Tully." Holly smiled. "I'm Hollisa, but you can call me Holly."
"Hollisa? You're the one Jon talks about."
"Talks about?" Holly blushed, "Well...I...I spend some time with..."
"Oh?" Sansa grinned cheekily at Holly, "Really? And what..."
"Hey! I was six! He and Robb were the best friends I could ask for! And as for that Theon! Even as a child...he urgh!"
Sansa grinned, "Something we agree on. I never really liked Theon."
"I don't blame you."
Sansa sat down on the bed and motioned for Holly to come closer. Holly copied Sansa and sat on her bed, still smiling from the memories running through her head.
"Uncle Ned was so friendly, and Aunt Cat...I'm sorry, you know? What happened to Robb and Aunt Cat, I'm so sorry."
"Thank you...wait, you called her 'Aunt Cat'?"
"Yea...why?"
"I've only every heard King Robert and my father call her that before."
"Guess I was lucky then. How is Jon?"
"I thought you were only six?"
"We were, but my father and uncle Ned allowed us to corospond through letters, sometimes if I was lucky I'd get one from Robb as well."
"Jon is part of the Night's watch."
"Wow...so what happened to the squid?"
Sansa chuckled. "I'm not sure...I..."
Sansa cut off as they heard footsteps running about and voices, Holly recongonised one as Septa Kail and announced it was probably time she left. Sansa had realised that Lysa had not mentioned her daughter for a reason, so she as hugged Holly who promised she would come back to see Sansa soon, her young cousin promised she would not say a word about seeing Holly.
So I probably got a good number of things wrong! Please don't be mad!
Review please but no flames!
