Age 5: The Arrival

It was mid afternoon when we arrived at Winterfell. There was a slight wind, and it was certainly a bit colder than it had been at Harrington Keep. I had always assumed that I lived in the far north, but now, I understood that Winterfell had rights to that title. Despite the fact that it was summer, there was still a slight chill in the air, and there wasn't a bug to be seen. However, nothing could take away from the splendor of the castle. It was huge, and people were constantly moving in and out of it. In anticipation of our arrival, fires were burning in almost all of the rooms, and smoke billowed out of the chimneys endlessly, creating a feeling of warmth and belonging. I knew that I would love it here.

The second we were through the gates, Lady Catelyn announced that we should get ready for supper. The girls began to walk away, and suddenly I realized that I didn't have a room. Shae, my handmaid, stood behind me, looking about awkwardly.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Lady Catelyn exclaimed jovially, "Isobel, let me show you to your room. It is right next to Arya's and Sansa's." Shae and I followed her up a flight of stairs and to my chambers. I opened the door, and smiled. It was even bigger than the room I had shared with my sister back home. Shae walked inside and immediately began heating water so that I could clean myself up before going down to dine with the Starks. I washed my face and put on one of my favorite dresses, before leaving the room. Suddenly, it occurred to me that I had no idea where the dining hall even was, never mind how to actually get there.

I looked around, frightened and suddenly regretting my rash decision to move out. Then, Arya came out of the room across from mine, dressed in the exact same dress as me. She started laughing, and soon I joined in, all former fears washed out of my mind.

"Come on, we r going to be late" Arya said once we had caught our breath. With that, we walked down the hallway and eventually found our selfs into a large room with a long table. Sansa, Bran, Robb, and two boys I didn't know we're already there, talking amongst themselves. Arya walked down and flopped into a seat next to her sister "Isobel, you can sit there next to Jon" she said. I wrinkled my eyebrows in confusion. Who was Jon? I wondered. Robb noticed my evident confusion, and chuckled softly.

"Sorry, nobody introduced you. Father said we were not allowed to bring Jon to your house, I don't know why. He is our brother," Robb gesticulated to the boy sitting next to him at the table, and the boy smiled. He looked almost exactly like Lord Stark. The resemblance was insane. I walked around the table and sat down next to Jon. Robb continued his introductions, acting the part of leader, "and this is Theon Greyjoy. He has lived with us for quite a while now." Theon, who had been staring at me since I had arrived, looked down at his plate quickly before glancing up again and speaking in a strong voice, almost as commanding as Robb's,

"Hi Isobel. I like your dress," I thanked him, gratefully, and Arya cried out indignantly, muttering that he had never complimented her on that dress before, and she was wearing the very same one. Then, the kids at the table instantly forgot about me and began chattering. I felt awkward. I remembered everything my mother had taught me about being a lady, but I had never really been around strange boys before, and I was confused about where they fit into the puzzle. They were clearly not acting like real ladies should, but then again, neither was Arya. The girl was talking loudly, and slurping at the water that had been set in front of her. Thankfully, it wasn't long before Lord Stark and Lady Catelyn walked into the hall.

"Children" Lord Eddard said by way of introduction, "I trust you have made Isobel feel at home? She is going to be staying with us for some time now, similar to Theon." Everyone's gaze turned away from Lord Stark and towards me, then to Theon in turn. I notice Theon's gaze linger on me, before he turns back to his plate. Lord Stark continued with his speech, "Isobel, if you didn't already know, I am Lord Eddard Stark, and this is Lady Catelyn "Tully" Stark. You will call us as such. I trust we will get along just fine. Now, let's eat!" Eddard exclaimed jovially, and our food was brought out in a short procession of neat, eager to please servants.

The rest of our supper went in relatively the same fashion, with the children talking amongst themselves (with the occasional comment in my direction) and their parents eating silently. Every once in a while, Lady Catelyn would inquire something of her children, and then her solemn silence would resume. Eventually, the torture session ended, and we were permitted to leave the table. I knew from the supper conversations that we were given leisure time now, until dusk, when we would say our prayers and ready ourselves to retire for the night. Bran, Jon, and Robb immediately leapt up from the confines of the table and ran out of the hall, closely followed by Arya, and she struggled to keep up with the boys. Sansa rolled her little eyes and stood up, smoothing out her skirts in a lady-like manner.

"I do believe I'm going to work on my needlework for a little bit," she said in a light, breathy way that at once sounded both well learned and prestigious. "Feel free to accompany me, Izzy, I can call you that, can't I? Anyhow, I will be in the study." With that, she skated out of the room. Looking around, on first thought I assumed I had been left alone, but upon further inspection, I realized that Theon had not followed the other boys outside. Instead, he was lingering by the doorway, staring at me with deep mysterious eyes. Being just five years old, I was intrigued by the boy in front of me, and I walked over to him slowly.

"Hello," I said nervously, looking down at my hands.

"Hi, I like your dress" he responded, equally as frightened. We both giggled awkwardly, and I reminded him that he had already told me that.

"I like your outfit too, though, it is much better than what my little brother wore." I told him, and his face lit up at the compliment.

"Perhaps you would like to accompany me on a walk around the gardens? They are very beautiful at this time of the year, and I would love to share it with someone" he spoke the words kindly, and the eloquence of it all entranced me. Acquiescing, I followed him out into the crisp air and towards the gardens. We walked silently for quite some time, and we fell into a companionable rhythm that I found enjoyable. Eventually, we came to a large oak tree that seemed to grow up out of nowhere amongst the delicate flowers and shrubbery. We sat down, and it was as though Theon had suddenly found his voice. He talked endlessly of his childhood, and everything he had been through. He opened up about the extreme fear he had felt when he first came here. When I expressed my concern, he reassured me, saying that his fears were unfounded.

Eventually, our time together was at an end. Throughout the entire praying session and in bed that night, Theon's face circled around in my mind. He was wonderful.