There he was, standing at the hearth, looking every bit as handsome as she remembered. Jon Snow, in his black attire with his long dark curls pulled back. His brown eyes smiled even though his lips did not, as she stared at him from across the room.
"Lady Careen, there you are. Why aren't you with the other guests? Your mother sent you with your brother to represent house Finn," Careen turned to smile at her lady's maid, Lily.
"You know I hate these sorts of spectacles, they have never held favor with me," Careen twisted her hands together as she tried to walk away, to anywhere but near Lord Snow.
"I understand my lady. Shall I tell Lord Liam you are ready to go?" Lily watched as Careen swiftly headed for the exit, the once paleness of her cheeks now a rosy pink. It was noticeable to the one person that had known Careen since they were children that she was more than smitten with the new Lord of Winterfell.
As Careen tried to make her getaway, she nearly knocked Sansa Stark over in the process. She took a few steps back in shock, giving her apologies to Lady Stark. "Forgive me, my lady. I did not see you there. My apologies for being so clumsy."
Sansa reached out, taking her trembling hand and gave her back a calming smile. "It's my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going. Have we met? I don't think I've ever seen you at Winterfell before?"
"No, my lady. The last time I was here was on your name day. I have not been back to Winterfell since. I am Careen Finn of House Finn of Grey Fork. Perhaps you know my brother, Lord Liam. He helped your brother, Lord Snow, reclaim Winterfell. I was there the day you came to ask for our Houses aid," Careen looked back over her shoulder to see Jon Snow glancing in her direction. She quickly turned back to Lady Sansa, trying to calm the blush that was creeping up her face.
"On my name day? How old were you? You don't look much older than me, my lady," Sansa began to walk and Careen took that as a sign to walk with her. They walked out of the Great Hall, out to the coolness of the late evening and towards the stables. Careen tightened her cloak around her, feeling the fur brush against the back of her neck.
"I'm 21 my lady, soon to be 22. My name day approaches but I am not one for celebration. I find more pleasure in my old books than in drawn out conversations," Careen immediately stopped, sensing she might have offended Sansa. To her surprise, Lady Stark laced her arm around hers as she let out a tiny giggle.
"You are too right. Too much talk has passed these days. Talk of war and of death and of the long winter. You have much in common with my brother. He is a man of action, long speeches and posturing are not his way. I have enjoyed this little chat, Lady Finn. I think we should continue it, soon," Sansa released her arm as the Stable Master opened the gates. Liam walked passed her and took their horses, looking very cross at his sister.
"Careen. Lady Stark, thank you for your hospitality. If House Finn or Grey Fork can be of serve to your noble house, please do not hesitate to ask," he mounted his horse and sneered at his little sister as he took the reins.
As she mounted her stallion, she heard Lord Snow call out to his sister. His voice carried across the courtyard like a low rumble of thunder. It quaked her to her bones and woke up parts of her that had been dormant for far too long. Lily gave her a grin as their horses began to gallop away. All she could hear as she followed behind her brother was the sound of his voice as it resonated through her body, taking over her senses and berating her with such desire she thought she'd pass out from it.
The cool night turned out to be a blessing. It soothed her overheated flesh, calmed the blush that had claimed her face and gave her some solace as she tried to break this spell that Lord Jon Snow had cast upon her.
Sansa turned to her brother, crossing her arms as if she were chastising him. "I'm not a child, Jon. I can walk about the courtyard at night without a chaperone."
Jon gave her back a sigh as he shook his head. "No, I think whoever may lay in wait for you, would have more than they can bargain for, Sansa. I was wondering who that girl was you walked out here with. Most of the ladies of the North have made me aware of their presence. She seemed... Different."
"She is. I think I may ride out to Grey Fork tomorrow and visit with her. We haven't properly thanked House Finn for their sacrifice. They did lose a son and a grandson to our cause," Sansa watched her brother's face, seeing just a twinkle of intrigue in his brown eyes.
"Why don't you do that. I have too much to do here to ride out there myself. Sansa, if you like you can ask her back here to Winterfell as your guest," Jon tossed the invitation out as he turned to go back to the Great Hall. Sansa's face broke out in a wide smile as she raced to catch up with him. This made her very happy, happier than she had been since taking Winterfell back from the Bolton's.
Jon had been moody, more so than usual and she hoped to find some way to snap him out of it. Melancholy seemed to be his constant companion these days, but she really couldn't blame him. He had been betrayed by his brothers of the Night's Watch, lost the woman he loved, had many of his friends slaughtered in the war and held their baby brother, Rickon, in his arms as he died from Ramsay Bolton's arrow.
No, they both had reason to never smile again, but their father often told them that a life that is worth living was worth dying for. She had to remember that and hold on to it every day for the dying seemed to be more than the living these days.
Careen brushed her horse down before heading back into the castle. Her thoughts turned to that ruggedly handsome face, those haunting brown eyes and that brief smile that light up the night. Her hand traveled down her steeds, long back, as the sound of his voice sent a warmth traveling down her body, causing an ache between her legs. She bit into her bottom lip as she closed her eyes, letting the sensation envelope her.
"Careen!" her mother called out to her, jolting her from her daydream.
"I'm almost done, mother," she gave her the horse a pat on the nose before laying the brush down. Her mother stood at the stable doors, glaring back at her youngest child.
"A lady does not act like this, Careen. You are too stubborn and too willful for your own good," her mother took her hand, pulling her inside. Her father wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the ground. He was still strong for a man his age and loved to dote on his only daughter.
"What did she do that was so wrong, Colleen? I stand by my word to her. She can pick her suitor just like her brother's choose their wives. I want my children to marry for love not for the honor of their house. You still think I'm wrong?" her father sat her back down on her feet and took his wife's hand.
"You aren't wrong, Seamus. If we had not run away together, our families would have married us off to strangers, but she's too old not to be wed and you know it. I don't want her to become the old maid of Grey Fork," Colleen stormed off, mumbling under her breath as she tossed her hands in the air.
Seamus kissed the top of his daughter's crimson head as he placed his arm around her shoulder. "Did you have a good time? I know going was a chore for you, but you have to get out of this dusty old castle and at least make friends. I'm too old for such things, so it was good you and Liam could go for House Finn. For the Stark's to take Winterfell back was important not only to the North, but Westeros. Go and get ready for bed. Tomorrow is another day, my little love."
Careen raced up the stairs, past the room that her eldest brother, Ronan, once resided. She stopped and placed a kiss on her fingers and blew it up towards the ceiling. Her brother and his son, Gabe, had fallen in the Battle of Winterfell. "May the old gods keep you brother, until we meet again."
The next to oldest of the Finn sons stepped out of his room with a flagon of wine in his hand. Careen took it from him, pushing him back inside to his bed and went about doing what she had done every night for the past few months. She took off Killian's shoes and sat by his side until he stopped saying his dead wife's name. She stroked his head, signing him the song their mother sang to them when they were but babies. "I swear to all the Gods that are listening, we will find the man that rape and killed your Sara."
As she left her brother's room, she saw her father standing across the hall. "You have a way with him. He only smiles for you, Careen. Now, off to bed."
"Careen loved her brother's, even Liam. She sat on her footstool, undoing her braids when she felt the tingles in her bones again. Her grandmother once told her, the Finn's were connected to the earth, the air and the water around them. The Godswood and promised her a child that could receive their message. She knew from the moment she saw Careen in her mother's arms, this was the God's promise in the flesh. It was true, Careen got an odd feeling before someone died, could sense a woman was with child and could feel the change in the weather in her bones. Her grandmother called her the Divine, but she thought little of it herself.
She knew she had a gift of sorts. She felt a sickness come over her the night that Sara was murdered. A darkness settled in her that cause her to weep the entire day. When her brother brought Sara's bloody, broken body back to Grey Fork, she knew right then what the Gods had given her wasn't a blessing but a curse.
Lily came in to stoke the fire in her bed chamber. As the amber light filled the room, Careen crawled in bed and hoped to dream of the brown eyes lord that had captured her heart.
"Wake up! She's here, Careen. Lady Stark is here. Wake... Up!" Lily shook her from her dreams of gentle falling snow and big brown eyes smiling back at her.
"I'm awake. Who's here? St-ark?" Careen jolted up in the bed, thinking it was Jon and not Sansa downstairs.
Lily helped her put on her black and red gown, braid her hair back in the usual fashion she wore it, before they both raced down the stairs. There in the foyer stood Sansa Stark, looking more Queenly than Cersei Lannister ever did.
"My lady, what brings you all the way out to the Forks?" Careen smoothed out her gown as she took the final few steps down the stairs.
"I told you I wanted to finish our talk from last night and to invite you to be my guest at Winterfell," Sansa jumped when Lady Colleen let out a tiny squeal of delight.
"It would be my honor, my lady. Can I bring my hand maiden, Lily, with me?" Careen had to force back the smile that was pushed rather hard on her lips.
"Of course. Take what you need and stay as long as you like, Lady Careen. I wish to get to know you better and thank your house for its service to my family," Sansa could tell Careen's mother was more than glad to see her daughter off to Winterfell.
"I'll only be a moment. Thank you for this invitation, I am most honored," Careen began to think of Killian and who would care for him in her absents. She sent Lily to pack their things as she raced to the kitchen to find the cook, Mrs. Gilliam.
Mrs. Gilliam promised to care for Killian and make sure he got put in bed every night. She promised Careen to take the wine and ale from him when he's had too much and keep him and Liam from fighting all the time. Careen felt good leaving her brooding brother's in her hands, but her heart would carry her worry all the way to Winterfell.
Sansa waited for her out by the horses. Ser Davos had accompanied her upon Jon's requested and the man struck Careen as a noble man with noble intentions
They loaded up a horse with a few things, thinking she would only stay a week at the most. She did not want to wear out the hospitality of the Stark's nor become an unwelcome guest. There was no doubt her mother would be sending either her brother, Liam, or her father out to check on her soon and they would bring her more gowns or finery her mother saw fit for a lady.
Sansa chatted to her about Winterfell, about growing up there and what Jon planned to do now that he was Lord. They made plans to go riding and Sansa couldn't wait to show her the Stark library. While not as impressive as the one in the capital, she was sure Careen would enjoy it none the less. When Sansa found out Careen had never learned to sew, she set right away to make sure she showed her that as soon as they unpacked her.
Ser Davos found a moment between their conversing to get a word in. "My lady, is there anything you would like to do while at Winterfell. Your brother Liam was telling me you were a skilled with a bow and are fairly good with throwing daggers. With three older brothers, I'd assume you'd have to take up a weapon sooner or later."
They ladies had a good laugh before Careen answered Ser Davos. "A northern lady learns to take up a weapon. My father said no Finn woman has ever needed a man to protect her and he wasn't going to let me be the first. I would like to train with a sword. Liam tells me a sword is a man's weapon, but with the right sword, I could learn."
"I see what I can do, my lady," Davos looked at her as if he had another question on his tongue. She rode up beside him, smiling back at him.
"Ask it," she said with a fading smile.
"Ask what?" Davos glanced at her briefly before looking back at Sansa.
"You wonder if the whispers about me are true. I know what the people of Winters Town say about me. I'm bewitched or some form of darkness. I assure you, Ser Davos, I am neither. I saw the Red Lady looking at me at the feast last night. I do not believe in her God, but I do sense something powerful in her. Perhaps when we get to Winterfell, Lady Melisandre can answer your questions," Careen nudged her horse, trotting out ahead of Davos and Sansa. She was used to the whispers and prayed the rumors had not reached Jon Snow and if they had that he didn't believe in them.
When they entered the gates of Winterfell, Careen wasn't prepared to see Jon sparing in the courtyard. They were trading blows with actual swords, each man swinging and Careen can only imagine what Jon's muscles must look like as they ripple underneath his leather. The man sparing with him becomes frustrated and shouts back at his lord. "You fight like a woman, Jon Snow."
Jon laughed, his head tossed back as his dark curls blew in the winter wind. "Woman? I won't tell the rest of the lads you let a woman kick your ass."
Sansa stopped her horse beside her brother, causing him to look up at Careen. "Forgive me, my lady."
She smiled back at him as he held his hand up to her, to help her down from her steed. She took it, feeling how strong and large it was. His fingers gently wrapped around her hand as his other hand took her waist. She slid from the stallion, fighting the urge to wrap her arms around his neck.
"Thank you, my lord," she whispered as a shiver rolled down her body. He nodded back to her before retrieving his sword. Careen looked back at him before she took her pack, seeing the grin on Davo's face. He lifted his eyebrows at her, making the pink blush turn into a scorching flame that threatened to devour her face.
She followed Sansa in, up to the East Wing and into her room. The room was larger than the one she had at Grey Fork and had a beautiful view of the courtyard below. Sansa gazed down the long hallway towards the Western Wing. The look of reserve and sadness covered her face as she stood in the doorway.
Careen placed her hand on Sansa's shoulder, making her jump. She began to shake as she crossed her arms over her body and walked back out towards the stairs in the Keep.
The rumors of what Ramsay Bolton had done to Lady Sansa had traveled all over the North. Nasty, vicious rumors that told of vile, distinguishing things that no person should have to suffer at the hands of another. Careen ran down the stairs to find Jon holding Sansa, the sibling bond reminding her of the one she shares with Killian.
"Sansa, I didn't mean to startle you," Careen stood there feeling completely awful as Jon soothed his sister's emotion wounds.
"Would you ladies like to join me for a ride?" Jon pulled back from Sansa, his eyes locked on her face. She nodded her head, then turned back to Careen.
"Yes?" the childlike look on Sansa's face made Careen chuckle slightly. Sansa took her hand and they walked out to the stables. Jon had their horses readied as they discussed where they should go. Careen wanted to see the Godswood of Winterfell and what better company to see it with than the Starks of Winterfell.
When Careen asked to see the Godswood tree, Jon and Sansa looked at each other. "For you my lady, anything."
Thank you for reading. Please continue to read and I would appreciate any review.