Ch.1

The King in the North:
Winterfell

Nymeria

"Beyond the wall, legends have been proven fact, and as a result, the stories your wet nurse told you, may well be truth, princess" the Maester prattled on and on while Princess Nym played idly with a strand of hair. It had grown too long for her liking, but both Mother and her Septa forbade her from cutting it. /I'm old enough now,/ she thought, /I need to act a proper princess./

"Maester?" she said, sweetly, her voice possessing a singsong quality that everyone noticed besides herself.

"Yes, my princess?"

"The warrior princess, Nymeria? The one I was named for. Is she history, or legend?"

"Well, it depends which Kingdom of Westeros you're in, my princess. Here, in the North, most anything that is legend is history, being as we are so close to the wall. In Dorne, and the Iron Islands, the story of Princess Nymeria is history. Everywhere inland, the Kings will tell you she's a legend."

"Can I be a warrior, Maester? Or must I be Queen of the North like Mother and be a proper Lady?"

"The signs of your mother's pregnancy are of a prince, my princess. You may not need to take the Throne, should you not want to."

"If it's a girl?"

"Then you must be Queen."

After her lessons with the Maester, the princess made her way from the Library tower to seek out her Septa. Instead she stumbled upon her father.

"You Grace," she said, with a grin.

"My Princess," he returned, with a mock curtsey.

"Father have you seen the Septa? I can't find her anywhere."

"The Septa's taken ill, Nym. All the better, too. I need to speak with you. Where's your mother?"

"Oh, that's terrible. Will she be okay?" the Princess was truly concerned, she enjoyed her lessons with her Septa Lilleth nearly as much as her Lessons with Winterfell's master of arms, Ser Micheal.

Her father nodded "Just the heat of Summer. We haven't had a snow in two moon turns"

"Mother should be in her chambers. Or the Godswood." Nymeria told her father, but she was neither in her chambers, nor in the Godswood, but in the Crypts.

Nym nodded a greeting to the Kings of old, then to the Lords who came after Aegon's conquest. To Lord Eddard Stark, the last Lord of Winterfell, and then to King Robb, the King who rose against the Lions. After him, to King Rickon, the King who won back Winterfell, until she came to his son, her Grandfather: King Benjen, and there, kneeling before her goodfather, was Queen Nakeisha.

"Love, what has the dead to offer you while you await the moment to bring new life to the world?"

"Your Grace," the Queen smiled. "I wanted to pay my respects. I dreamed of King Benjen last night. I found it only fitting that I should visit him after he had visited me."

Then she saw Nymeria. "Shouldn't you be with the Septa, sweetling?"

"She's taken ill, Mother. Father wishes to speak with us."

"Is that so?" her mother smiled warmly again. "In that case we should retire to your solar, love. Or the Throne room?" The princess knew her mother was trying to understand how important the matter was.

"The solar will be fine, my Queen. Come, Nym, help your mother up the stairs."ste your document here...