Theon Greyjoy was in a foul mood. He'd been hoping to visit the brothel to let off some steam but instead Ned Stark had spotted him and insisted he joined Robb and Jon in cutting up the several carcasses in the stores in preparation for the royal visit.
"Yes my Lord," he obeyed at once, changing direction to the kitchen entrance. Ned chuckled to himself; his ward's sexual appetite was phenomenal. He arrived to find Jon and Robb shirtless and busy hacking away at what once had been a cow.
"Come on Greyjoy, grab a cleaver and get cutting," grinned Robb. "We saved the stomachs for you!" Jon joined in with his brother's laughter, they knew the Greyjoy all too well and in particular that being denied sex always got his back up, but he wouldn't dare refuse his Lord's command.
"Shut up," muttered Theon, removing his own shirt and falling into place besides the half-brothers.
"Who was it going to be today then, Roz or Lea?" teased Robb.
"I hope they don't get pre-booked with someone else before you get back," added Jon; despite the fact they were all close friends none of them could resist a pop at each other when the opportunity arose.
"Well if she does we all know it won't be with you," Theon shot back, "You might get mistaken for one of the girls,"
"Aw come on Theon that all you got?" Jon laughed, side-stepping to avoid a handful of what looked a lot like intestine coming his way.
"Roll on the royal visit," sighed Theon, "Then you'll see why they love me in that whore house,"
"Words are wind," smirked Robb.
"What, you think I won't be able to bed a nice southern girl with my well honed skills?"
"You better have a lot of faith in these skills you claim. You'll need it," panted Jon, wrestling a pig carcass to the chopping bench.
"I'll show you sooner than that I hope, when that Arryn girl gets here,"
"Oh please, you really need to stop thinking with your cock and that any female visitor we have has come purely to service it," said Robb.
"They haven't failed me yet," scoffed Theon. "Maybe I could share some tips with you, if I thought you had the balls to use them. And you Stark, had any other partners besides your hand?"
"That would be telling," Robb raised an eyebrow. "And a gentleman never tells," This comment incited jeers from the other two young men, their conversation continuing in the same manner as they skinned, butchered and stored all of the meat until Vayon Poole arrived to inspect their progress.
"Good work," he commented, surveying the bloody scene before him. "I've come to ask that you all get cleaned up and changed, Lady Alyssa Arryn will be arriving shortly, and her party's been spotted a few miles off,"
"We're about finished in here thanks Vayon, and in fact we'd better leave before Gage decides to serve fillet of Kraken for dinner," chuckled Robb, ignoring the sharp glare from Theon.
Alyssa Arryn was feeling sore and tired. Their trip to Winterfell had taken the best part of a week, and although they had made good time and managed to sleep in inns every night, she felt her body couldn't take another minute in the saddle as they approached the gates of Winterfell.
It was a welcome sight, for it signified warmth, rest and hopefully relaxation. She still felt she hadn't had adequate time to mourn for her uncle, and was still angry that she had been sent away before his funeral. She hadn't even considered that when she was hurriedly packing her things to move, though she was sure her aunt had her best interests at heart.
Mostly, she was looking forward to company from others her own age. That was something that had been lacking over the years with her aunt and young cousin, despite the fact she loved them dearly and found it almost painful to leave Robert.
The bay mare she was riding pricked her ears and picked up her pace as they approached, it was like she knew her journey was at an end and couldn't wait for a rubdown and come sweet hay. Alyssa sat up in the saddle and took in her surroundings as they entered through the south gate into the main courtyard, where a small group of people were gathered smiling at their arrival.
A man rushed forward to grab her horse, and gratefully Alyssa dropped the reins and took her feet out of the stirrups. Slowly, she dismounted and as her horse and belongings were led away, came face to face with the family she would be staying with, and her new home.
"Welcome Alyssa, I hope your journey has been pleasant," smiled Ned Stark, walking to meet her with an embrace. "I'm so sorry to hear about Jon, he was a good man and a good friend to myself and my house,"
"Thank you Lord Stark," she replied. "The journey was not bad, however I must admit I'm glad to be out of the saddle for the foreseeable future," Ned smiled and led her to the rest of his family. Alyssa recognised Lady Stark straight away and greeted her with a smile and a warm embrace, thanking her for her condolences. She recognised the Stark children as well, and my, how they'd changed! Robb was taller, more filled out and dare she say it very handsome. She stumbled hello and allowed him to kiss her hand.
Sansa was indeed very beautiful, looking more and more like the Queen she no doubt would be someday. She greeted each child in turn, marvelling at how much Arya and Bran had grown since she had last seen them and meeting the youngest, Rickon, for the first time.
"And this is my ward, Theon Greyjoy," Ned explained, coming to a man who appeared to be in his early twenties at the end of the line.
"Charmed," he smiled, grey eyes flashing. "I'll be happy to show you around sometime, when you've unpacked,"
"Thank you," replied Alyssa, thinking he was rather easy on the eye himself.
Introductions over, Sansa offered to show the new arrival to her room in the castle itself.
"You've grown up a lot since I last saw you, and that dress is lovely," complimented Alyssa. From what she remembered, Sansa had always preferred sewing and dressing up compared with her tomboy sister who couldn't get enough of weapons and getting dirty.
"Thank you," smiled Sansa, "Yours is too, it's a beautiful shade and I don't think I have seen that material before,"
"I think it originally came from one of the free cities, my uncle brought it back for me when he was last away," the older girl sighed. "Winterfell is lovely though," she added, quickly changing the subject. "For one, it's not as cold as I thought it would be,"
"That's because the castle is built over hot springs, ensuring we don't freeze," Sansa stated proudly. "Though at night it can get a little chilly, you wouldn't want to go to bed before your fire goes out,"
"Thanks for the warning,"
"Here's your room, I hope you like it. I added the flowers myself," the girl proudly indicated a vase of fresh wildflowers on the bedside table. The room was not large but adequate, dominated by a large bed covered in furs and blankets. There was a small fire place, a desk and chair, dressing table, couch and clothing chest. The walls were plain, save for one small tapestry and a couple of sconces.
"It's perfect," declared Alyssa, looking round at everything with a smile. "I'm sure I will be very comfortable here,"
"Good. Well, I should let you settle in but I'll see you at dinner later,"
"Yes, see you later, and thank you again for the flowers,"
Sansa left with a smile and Alyssa sat on the bed, looking about her. This was certainly grander than her old room at the Eyrie, where Robert's room had been very near to hers. The castle was a lot bigger, and she felt she had a lot more independence already. Feeling in a lighter mood, she began to unpack with the help of Marta, one of the many serving girls.
As the remainder of her belongings were put away, she was aware of a figure in the doorway, knocking softly. Theon was there stood casually against the frame, a casual expression upon his face.
"I see you have no further assistance packing, may I perhaps show you around?" he enquired as Alyssa stood and straightened her dress.
"That's very kind Theon, thank you," and turning to Marta said " Thank you for your help, I can manage from here," the young serving girl bobbed her head and left as Alyssa removed her cloak from atop the chest, draping it over her shoulders. She anticipated the air outside wouldn't be particularly warm, despite it not being freezing.
"After you," Theon indicated, stepping aside and holding the door for her. As she walked ahead, he allowed the mischievous grin he had been suppressing to spread over his face. Robb and Jon could fuck off; according to Theon seventy five percent of the work was simply having the attention of a pretty girl. The rest, going by previous experience, would be easy.
