A/N For anyone that has read this story before I have gone through and corrected some verbiage and corrected grammatical errors. I am sure there are some that I have missed but I am much happier with how this story reads now :) For those of you that have Favorited/Followed and commented on this story thank you! Many of the A/N I had in other chapters will no longer be there since I went through and updated the chapters. But please know I appreciate all of my readers! :)

XOXO

Really241

Chapter 1

Mia rode through the front gates of Winterfell on her strong black horse flanked by 6 escorts; 2 in front of her, 1 on either side of her, and 2 behind her. It had been 10 years since she had been here. She often found herself wondering how her friends would look, if they still enjoyed the same things as before, or if everything would be completely different. Either way Winterfell would be a vast improvement from living with her step mother. Mia remembers when she first met Elena, it was an unreasonably warm day in the north and her father sat her and her older brother Alexander down in the library and told them he was going to remarry. Though he loved their mother with every fiber in his being even after she had already been dead for 5 years they needed a mother. They needed someone who would be tender, loving, and had a soft touch. Elena turned out to be none of those things. From the minute she stepped into the courtyard in her red dress, lion necklace dangling from her neck, blonde hair pulled neatly back into a half chignon while the rest cascaded down her back in waves with green eyes devoid of any emotion, Mia knew she would be trouble. Of course she tolerated them and behaved as she loved them when their father was around but when he was away in another kingdom or was not around she was horrible to them. Her brother Alex had tried to protect her as much as he could after their father died 6 years ago but he was sent away to be a ward of Jon Arryn in the south less than a year after their father passed, so the responsibility had fallen solely on her grandparents. The woman was so cold that she even sent her own flesh and blood to be a ward of Jon Arryn 2 years ago, Aiden was only 7 at the time. Elena Lannister was the type of mother that nightmares were made of. She knows Elena would have sent her away earlier if she could but her grandparents had protected her for as long as they possibly could; now she was being sent back to a place that held many great memories for her in order to as Elena put it "perform her familial duties". She knew that Elena was sending her away for what she thought was a punishment but Mia knew that having to spend one more minute with Elena would have been more than she could bear. Mia sighed heavily, in times like this she missed her father so.

Ned stark looked at the daughter of one of his closest friends and realized that she had grown into a striking young woman. She pulled her horse to a stop with a tug of the reigns and quickly and gracefully dismounted the large steed. Ned took a quick glance at his eldest son to the right of him and could tell from the smile on his face that he was pleased.

She walked up to Ned and Catelyn and smiled warmly at them a smile that Ned noticed didn't quite meet her eyes. "Hello Star" he said as he scooped her up into a hug squeezing her tightly.

"Put her down Ned you are embarrassing her" Catelyn said while laughing at the spectacle in front of her. She knew her husband always had a soft spot for the young beauty ever since she was a tiny babe. Mia laughed as Ned set her back on the ground

"Uncle Ned you, father, Alex and grandfather are the only four in the world that ever call me that – will you ever tire of that childish nickname?" She said as she shook her head.

Ned laughed and pretended to think for a quick moment putting his hand to his chin. "No I think not, I will call you Star until you are old and gray" he said as he kissed the girl on her forehead.

"Ned don't be selfish move over so the rest of us can have a turn" Catelyn said as she shooed her husband out of the way taking the young girl into a warm embrace. Upon releasing her Catelyn took her face into her hands and tucked a lone unruly raven colored lock of hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead. "It has been far too long since we have seen you young lady"

"Far too long!" Sansa remarked making herself known as she stepped from besides her brother enveloping her friend into a fierce bear hug still holding on to her hand. Pulling her past Robb and towards the youngest Starks. "Mia this is Arya, Brandon and the one behind mothers skirt is Rickon."

Mia gave a little wave and smile at Rickon who quickly ducked behind his mother's skirt. Mia turned and curtsied gracefully to Arya and Brandon. "Arya you were only 2 the last time I visited so we have to get to know each other."

Arya rolled her eyes "Great another perfect lady in Winterfell"

"Arya!" Catelyn scolded as Robb and Ned both attempted to stifle their laughter. Mia raised her eyebrow and looked at Sansa.

"Sans - What stories have you been telling her? Clearly we have two different recollections of our childhood as I distinctly remember Aunt Cat calling us everything but ladies when I would come to visit, I will tell you the real stories later" she said with a wink in Aryas direction. Arya cracked a smile, maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all she thought to herself.

Bran looked straight at Mia "You are very pretty, please call me Bran Lady Lockhart" he said. Mia smiled at Bran

"You are very charming, I will make you a deal. I will call you Bran if you call me Mia" she said as she bent down to kiss his cheek.

Bran blushed a deep red and nodded his head "Okay Mia."

"Settle down there you little romeo" Robb said with one hand on his sword head and a raised eyebrow as he tried his best not to smile. Mia turned her attention to the eldest Stark releasing Sansa's hand and clasping her hands in front of her taking a few steps towards Robb.

"Jealousy doesn't suit you Stark."

"Good because I'm not jealous Lockhart." he said as he cocked his head to the side before breaking out into a lopsided smile.

Mia smiled wide in response. They had been great friends as children and often would run the grounds of Winterfell like wild little wolves when she and her family would visit. Those were some of her best memories as a child. Robb turned and offered Mia his arm. Mia slid her arm though his as he led her inside Winterfell. Sansa started to walk briskly behind them to catch up but was stopped by her mother.

"Let them get reacquainted with each other Sansa, Mia isn't going anywhere any time soon" she said as she smiled at her daughter.

"I am glad you are here Mia." Robb said as he pulled her arm further into his.

"Well to be honest Stark... the choices were you, or a Southerner and I would rather die a slow, cold, and painful death than marry a Southerner." Mia said as a smile crept across her face.

Robb erupted into a fit of laughter "Wonderful to see that you kept your sense of humor Lockhart."

Instead of heading up to where her quarters would be Robb lead her to the hall.

Mia eyed him suspiciously "Where are you taking me Stark?"

"I have a surprise for you." he said his Tully blue eyes gleaming. Mia scrunched up her face. "The last time you said you had a surprise for me I was 7 years old you told me to close my eyes and then you promptly pushed me in the mud. My boot caught the seam of my dress and put a whole in it, I fell straight onto my bottom and you ruined my brand new dress that my father bought me."

Robb struggled to keep his composure. "Yes I remember, but let's not forget why I pushed you into the mud, you and Sansa had hidden the new sword that father had purchased me...the problem is you hid it so well that neither of you could find it. I didn't find that sword for 5 full moons after you left!"

This time it was Mia who erupted into laughter. "Okay Stark let us call a truce! Now take me to your surprise, don't you make me regret this! And if you should mess up my dress I swear to the Gods you will be replacing it"

Rob looked at Mia with an unmistakable twinkle in his eyes, he took her hands in his raising them to his lips kissing the top, as he lowered them from his lips he rubbed small circles with his thumbs around the spot where his lips touched her skin. "Your wish is my command" he bowed to her quickly and then opened the doors to the great hall.

Mia's eyes opened wide in disbelief. They immediately filled with tears as she looked from Robb, to her surprise back to Robb and back to her surprise again. She lost all of her composure as she let out a chocked scream, picked up her skirt and ran full speed towards the best sight she has seen in many moons, her older brother Alex and her baby brother Aiden. Jumping directly into Alex's arms wrapping her arms around his neck he wrapped his arms around her petite waist lifting his sister into the air twirling her around.

"Oh how I have missed you Star"

"Not more than I have missed you brother." Mia managed to say in-between her tears.

When Alex put her back on the ground she removed her arms only to kneel in front of Aiden wrapping her little brother into a fierce bear hug.

"Aiden my how you have grown, I have missed you terribly little brother!"

"I have missed you the most Mimi!" Aiden exclaimed as he threw his arms around his sister's neck once more.

"How long are you staying? You both must tell me about your time with Jon Arryn what have you learned? Alex have you improved your swordsmanship? Aiden have you learned to hit the bullseye yet? You must tell me everything!" Mia exclaimed at once. She was like a child on their names day.

Robb was still leaning in the doorway as he watched Mia reunite with her brothers. The smile on her face let him know this is the best thing he could have ever done for her.

Catelyn and Ned walked into the doorway and smiled as they watch the Lockhart children all together once more.

"I am proud of you son" Ned said to his son as he put an approving hand on his shoulder.

"This is exactly what she needed. Look at how happy she is." His mother replied.

At that very moment Mia bolted back to Robb stopping right in front of him. Staring at him silently debating what she was going to say. Robb stood up straight as Mia seemingly had an inner struggle with herself as to what she was going to do next. Without any further hesitation she closed the distance between their heights by hopping into the air, Robb caught her midair and wrapped his hands around her waist bringing her close to him while she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You have no idea how much this act of kindness and generosity means to me Robb Stark" Mia whispered into his ear. "Thank you!"