Thank you so much for the favorites, the following and the reviews.
DinomyteHero: Thank you, but I can't answer to you question. You need to read the story to know.
Guest: Yeah, Jojen is a nice guy and Arya would love to leave in the Neck, free and wild.
Evaline101: I'm updating, but I'm a slow writer. :(
I hope you enjoy the next chapter. Please, review. I need to know if you are enjoying or not.
Kisses.
Winter, marriages and knights
The days in Winterfell were cold. "I was used to the mild weather of King's Landing.", thought Arya, dressing her wolf fur coat, "But I'm a direwolf, a Stark. I shouldn't feel cold." Her days were filled with the certain activities like sewing (terribly for Septa Mordane's despair), secretly sword practicing with her Neddle, talking with her brothers Bran and Rickon about random subjects, answering to Theon's comments, wandering through Winterfell and reading. Anyway, Arya was bored. She could pretend she was from the smallfolk, but they know her. Without Sansa, Arya was the lady Stark of Winterfell (besides Lady Catelyn of course) and she needed to be lady-like. "Like in King's Landing."
"This is more tedious than I thought.", sighed Arya to herself.
The snow fell more heavily and Winter Town was full of people.
"Winter is coming.", said Catelyn to her daughter, "The people come to Winter Town trying to save their lifes. This summer was very long. Too long. Now it's ending."
"You sound like Father.", said Arya.
"But it's true.", said Catelyn, "You should've stayed in Red Keep."
Arya rolled her eyes.
"But I'm here.", said she, "But not for long."
x-x
"Probably I'm going to marry with Alys Karstark.", said Robb during dinner. Lady Alys Karstark was sitting close to her father, who was next to Ned Stark. For some unknown reason to Robb, Alys was going to spend a week in Winterfell. When Lord Ned returned from King's Landing, Lord Karstark was already in Winterfell; he said that he needed to speak to Lord Stark, but why bring his daughter?
"If you aren't interested, I've got to say that I am.", smirked Theon.
Robb drank the wine that was in his cup in one gulp and showed a shy smile to his friend.
"I hope your interest in Alys disappear when we get engaged.", said Robb.
"Of course.", said Theon.
Alys was a beautiful young girl. She has dark brown wavy hair woven into a simple braid. She has a long solemn face and a smile of a coltish girl and her eyes...she has the most beautiful, piercing eyes, they're blue but also grey. But she, very skinny, wearing the simple grey woolen grown with details in dark blue, she looked like a taller version of Arya.
On that day, Arya was forced by Lady Catelyn to spruce up. She put on her most beautiful and less dirty dress; it was of gray linen with a wool dark grey cover. She was beautiful. "Arya became a beautiful young lady in the South."
At the beginning of the dinner, when Arya entered the Great Hall, Robb smiled and said:
"You are very pretty, like a lady should be."
"I'm no lady.", growled the she-wolf. "Yeah, still wild, but different..."
"A boy has become a girl.", joked Theon. Arya got angry and pushed Theon, who didn't fall and continued to laugh. Fortunately, Mother didn't see the scene, "Is it all that you can?", asked Theon, smirking. Arya stared at Theon intensely, thinking. Then she smiled and said, very sassy:
"You don't want to see all I can do."
Theon didn't laugh. But Robb did.
"Okay, sis. Let's eat, shall we?"
"Yeah, I should go to Arya and apologize.", said Theon, hurting his own pride. Arya was across the long table next to Bran and Rickon, "Maybe tomorrow. Today I gonna to chat with Lady Alys."
"What about Ros? Did you stop chatting with her?"
"We paused.", answered Theon, "But don't worry, my good friend Robb. I won't do anything wrong with Alys. Only talk."
"Yeah, right..."
x-x
On the next day, Lady Catelyn was shocked with Ned's idea of taking Bran to King's Landing.
"Bran always wanted to became a knight.", said Ned, "Last night he begged to be send to the Red Keep. He and Rickon."
"He's only a boy.", said Cat.
"He's ten! I had two opportunities to take him to Red Keep and I didn't, because you begged not to."
"Please, Ned, no! He would be alone! At least, you could send him to Riverrun. Be a square to Brynden Tully.", said Catelyn.
"In Red Keep, we aren't alone. We never are.", said Ned, taking the delicate hands of his wife, "He would be with Sansa. And then with Arya, when she returns of her stage here. And you."
"I need to be here.", said Catelyn, "Must always have a Stark in Winterfell."
"Yes. But there's Robb.", said Ned, "Soon, Robb is going to marry and have his own family. He's ready to be Lord of Winterfell."
"Marry with Alys Karstark?"
"Maybe."
"He's too young.", said Catelyn, "My brother Edmure has twice of Robb's age and he's single and he even doesn't know how to rule over himself. When my father dies, it's going to be caos."
"And do you want to send Bran to that caos?", asked Ned, glancing his wife.
"I don't know.", sighed Catelyn, "He could marry one of the Frey girls. The Frey of the Crossing are becoming dangerously powerful."
Suddenly, someone knocks the door.
"Come in.", ordered Ned. It was Maester Luwin.
"M'lord, it is a raven from Moat Cailin.", said Maester Luwin, giving a thick paper made from green plants with the sigil of House Reed in wax holding the rustic scroll. Lord Ned read and then turned to his wife, showing a big smile.
"Lord Howland Reed is coming to visit Winterfell."
