"Gabrielle, girl, go help your mother with dinner!"

Gabrielle, who had been waiting anxiously outside the smithy for Jon's return, heaved a sigh of sadness as she stood and brushed the dust from her skirts. She turned back towards the smithy that eventually led to their home, her heart heavy with sorrow. She had known immediately after Jon had told her that he would go to his father first for permission, that the Lord Eddard Stark would deny them. He was probably on his way to the Wall now, as punishment for ever even thinking that they could be married –

"Gabrielle!"

Gabrielle turned around, one hand on the doorway leading to the smithy, her eyes searching the crowd for the person that had called her name. Her eyes eventually fell onto Jon struggling to reach her through the milling crowd and her face broke out into a grin at the sight of his beaming face. He had done it . . . his father had given him his permission!

Gabrielle picked up her skirts and ran to him, where they fell into each other's arms, embracing tightly. "Have you done it? Are we free to marry?" Jon nodded as they broke apart, her hands moving to smooth over his stubbled cheeks. He leaned into her touch and nodded.

"As soon as your father gives his permission, We are to go back to my father, where he will set the date! We're almost there, Gabrielle!" Gabrielle grinned and nodded as she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the smithy, where he father was working away at the bellows, forging a sword and shield for a new town guardsman. Manfred Pournell glanced behind him and upon setting eyes on the giddy Gabrielle and Jon, smiled warmly and stepped away from his bellows. Upon wiping his hands off with the rag tucked inside the belt of his pants, shook Jon's hand after bowing.

"My Lord Snow . . . what brings you here? How is Lord Stark?" Jon nodded.

"My father is well, but . . . he is not the reason I have come. You see, I have come . . ." Jon smiled at Gabrielle as he took her hand. "I have come to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage." Manfred Pournell nodded as he leaned back aganist the nearby wall.

"That's all good and well, my Lord Snow, but you see . . . Gabrielle is my only child. She is very dear to me and her mother. I'm just concerned over how she will be treated if she were marry you."

"My good ser, Gabrielle will be treated like a Queen! She will be Lady Snow, and well loved! She will be want for nothing and be given the finest gowns, jewels, everything her heart could desire!" Manfred nodded again.

"What about you, Lord Snow?" Jon grinned and chuckled as he took Gabrielle's hand and brought it to her lips, his gaze never wavering from hers.

"I love her. I would never hurt her. She will be the only woman to ever share my bed, and I promise that, that love will never waver!" Manfred smiled warmly at his daughter.

"Its all up to you, daughter. If you know his heart and if you truly want him, then you may marry him. All we want is your happiness." Gabrielle broke out into teary grin as she lunged at her father, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"Oh thank you, father! This is all I've ever wanted!" She cried, and Manfred hugged her tightly, not saying a word. Jon waited patiently until they broke apart, and then grinned as they broke apart and Gabrielle returned to her place beside him. Jon grasped her hand and after shooting goodbyes over their shoulders, the two ran from the smithy and up to the castle, once again to return to Ned Stark.

"You what!"

Ned Stark pressed his fingers to his temples, where he massaged them gently. Catelyn stood in front of him, her hands balled into fists at her sides and her face red with anger.

"Catelyn, he deserves –"

"He deserves nothing!" Catelyn shrilled at him. "A bastard son does not deserve a marriage, Ned! Especially to a girl of such beauty and breeding as Gabrielle Pournell! What if I wanted her for a marriage to Robb? Huh?" Ned turned his eyes onto his wife.

"You what?"

Catelyn's head rose in defiance. "You heard me, Ned. I had wanted the girl for Robb. It would make a good match. Robb needs a wife and Gabrielle is young, beautiful, nubile and no doubt fertile. Better to marry her away to Robb than an illegitimate bastard son." Ned's jaw hardened and his eyes flashed with anger.

"They love each other, Catelyn, and besides, I have already given him permission."

"Then revoke it!"

"And cause the ill will of one of my sons?" Ned asked her in disbelief. "I love my children, Catelyn, all of them, including the ones by you, and Jon! All of them deserve to be happy, and that includes Jon! If he is perfectly happy being married to Gabrielle, then by all means, I will allow it! Robb will choose a woman that he loves as his wife, and if he doesn't, then we will marry him off to a Lord's daughter. It is not the end of the world!" Catelyn gazed at him like she would like nothing more but to tear his throat out. Her anger must have wearied her, for eventually, she calmed down and put a hand to her head.

"Fine then . . . when is the wedding?"

"I don't know yet. Jon told me –"

He was interrupted by the pounding of feet on the marble floors of the castle, and the door to his study was thrown open, revealing Gabrielle and Jon on the threshold, broad grins on their faces that were immediately wiped away when they caught sight of Catelyn Stark standing above her sitting husband, both of them looking weary. Jon was the first to break the silence.

"Uh . . . should we come back?" Ned shook his head and stood, where he smiled warmly at Gabrielle.

"Nonsense! Come in, come in! You must be Gabrielle?" Gabrielle nodded and curtsied, her eyes downcast modestly to the floor. Catelyn scoffed in slight disgust as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked away. Ned shot her a warning look as he moved over to his son, where he gave him a one-armed hug like Benjen had done.

"I take it that her father has given his permission!" Jon and Gabrielle both nodded, and Ned grinned.

"Wonderful! Now all we have to do is prepare for a wedding!" Catelyn glared at him.

"Before or after the King and his court come?" Ned glared at her.

"Before, of course. I wouldn't dare greet the King and present my children without first presenting Jon and his new wife!" Catelyn's teeth gritted and Jon could tell she was getting angry again. "A week should be enough to prepare everything in time for the wedding, and then whilst they are spending the fallowing week to themselves, we can get Winterfell ready for the arrival of the King and his court." All three could tell that Catelyn abhorred this idea, but all knew that she dared not speak her displeasure over it while her husband was so for it. Eventually, a tight smile appeared on her face and she nodded.

"Sounds wonderful husband. I shall inform the maids and the noblemen of Winterfell right away!" Catelyn Stark swept from the room then without barely nodding a goodbye towards Jon and Gabrielle, and Ned rolled his eyes as he moved back to his desk.

"Don't mind her, she's just had a difficult day. Now, I daresay we must have some chambers readied for you, Lady Pournell, and some gowns made," Ned grinned then. "For it is indecent for the bride and groom to share the same bed before the wedding." Gabrielle blushed lightly and Jon laughed.

"We'll inform the maids father. And please . . . get back to us as soon as you can over the date of the wedding." Ned nodded and smiled warmly.

"Of course. Now go, have a good day and celebrate!" Jon and Gabrielle nodded and grinned as they moved from the room, hands clasped. Ned smiled a half smile and chuckled as he reached in his pocket and withdrew with a beautiful white shell cameo of a beautiful woman with long black hair, an exquisitely cut angular face, and the most beautiful brown eyes ever seen on a woman.

"He's growing up, Whylla. You'd be proud of him."