Hi everyone! I am back with an update.
Apologies if I'm going a bit slow. This story will be like this for quite some time and will look as if canon is being used, but Winter is Coming, as the Starks say and that change is coming when being used for this story.
This chapter is friendship-based as Helen gets to know Jon and his siblings, quite a bit of Arya.


Chapter 7: Willful Wolves


Helen

Four days have passed since the welcoming feast, four days and Jon is still being aloof and has resisted her attempts to politely make him join the activities such as getting on with the other boys and people brought with them from the South.

Today, she and her sister were invited to join Lord Starks daughters in their lessons.

Sansa Stark, her thoughts on the girl are the first impressions but, the girl is very naive. Well, as naive as some girls can get. She is polite, courteous and kind-hearted. She thinks that Sansa will need some cleverness and heart made of stone to be Queen of Westeros.

"You are wonderful at this, Lady Sansa." She complimented and Sansa's eyes lit up. "I remember when I was a young girl that I hated it, every day I'd come here and stitch the most horrendous things." She added and Sansa and her two friends looked at her in disbelief.

"I don't believe that, Princess. I mean, you are so good at it." She eyed what she was stitching and smiled lightly.

It was a heart tree, the one that the First Men prayed to. She walked around the other day and saw Lord Stark sitting by it, he looked sad and deep in thought but she still remembers the tree and she thought about making it.
Arya, she noticed the younger girl roll her eyes at them. The child reminded her of Joffrey when she spoke about Jon the other day, he got annoyed and rolled his eyes.

Mordane, the Stark Septa turned from a smile to a frown when she turned to Arya, "Oh dear, Lady Arya, this will not do, no, this will not." Arya huffed and threw her embroidery to the ground, she looked and saw it was a wolf of some kind.

Jeyne Poole and Bethany Cassel giggled, she and Myrcella offered apologetic looks. Arya tried to run in embarrassment, Septa Mordane wouldn't let her, "Do not disrespect our guests, Arya, or else your mother will hear of it." She's had enough, hasn't the child had enough embarrassment.

"That is quite alright, Septa Mordane." She said sternly, smiling and handing Myrcella her embroidery, "I think my time here is nearing an end, I will take my leave for the day." She told them all and curtsied to Sansa, "I hope to speak at supper with you, Lady Sansa." Sansa nodded with a smile, "Now, Lady Arya, I wanted to see a bit more of Winterfell. I spent the last few days resting and would love a guide?" Arya grumbled a response, though, from a stare from Mordane, the young Stark changed her mood slightly.

She and Arya left and Sandor followed, grunting a goodbye to Ser Arys who was the attending knight to Myrcella. She reached over and took Arya's hand, going the opposite direction from where the younger girl was heading.
"What, I thought you wanted me to show you around?" She was asked and she chuckled, turning her head to her.

"I said what I needed to say to get you out, I can see you don't like needlework." She pointed and it took Arya a moment to realize and she grinned, "Now, let's go and watch these boys fight, I know you heard them the same as I did." Arya nodded in agreement, following them to the courtyard.

Together with her loyal protector, they walked their way over to the entrance and watched the boys practice playing with swords. Bran and Tommen were dressed in so much padding that they were missing every hit, she and Arya were laughing at the scene being played before their eyes.

The sound of footsteps was later heard, she turned and saw it was Jon and she smiled kindly and greeted him. "Good morning, Jon. How are you, today?" She asked and he hesitated on what to say, scratching his head slightly.

"I had come to watch, sorry to disturb you two. I heard your laugh." Arya giggled again, watching her little brother fall over.

Tommen is a sweet child, so happy and cheerful. She hopes to keep that part of him alive for life in the capital can either make someone powerful and others afraid of that power, she smiled lightly as her eyes scanned over to Joffrey who was speaking with her mother's Captain of the Guard, Vylar. He seemed to be bored, rolling his eyes at what was transpiring.

"Bran is beating him, does the Prince not know how to fight?" Arya asked and she shook her head with a frown, Jon hushed Arya and reprimanded her.

"Our mother feels like we'll get hurt, it took weeks to get me to convince her to let me train." Arya was surprised, almost as if it was impossible for a girl to learn how to fight in the South.

"You know how to swing swords?" She shook her head once more, Jon was curious and listening in as he watched Bran and Tommen fight.

"No, no swords. I do know how to use a bow, though. I hesitated on practicing in case of sending the message that Northerners don't like it." She was shy about it, no doubt Anguy will reprimand her for neglecting her training.

"You can train with me." She turned her head sharply in surprise, "I mean, I would be honored to help you. I do the same with Arya, here." Jon added and ruffled Arya's hair to which she waved his hand away.

She was baffled, and just a few days prior to this, the son of Lord Stark would be skittish to be around her or any other royal member. She was tongue tied for a moment before she smiled generously, nodding to Jon's offer.

"I would like that, Jon. Thank you." She whispered and he smiled with a nod.
The three continued to watch the two boys fight until the Master-at-Arms, Rodrik stopped it in victory for Bran.

"Well fought, Lord Bran. You as well, Prince Tommen." The compliment made both boys smile, "Would anyone like to go again? Prince Joffrey, Robb?" Robb smiled and nodded before entering the circle of men watching the practice.

Joffrey, on the other hand, was less interested.

"I think not. I grow tired of swatting away with play-swords." Her brother said with an air of superiority that she's grown accustomed to, some boys needed to feel this way to give themselves some confidence yet Joffrey isn't acting this way out of shyness, he is doing it to be rude. "I mean, we are acting like children," Theon shouted back that they are children.

"Are you afraid, my Prince?" Robb asked and she sighed humorously, men and their bluster at sword fighting.

"Oh, terrified, You are so much older than me!" Joffrey mocked and infuriated Robb who asked for live-steel, to which Ser Rodrik thankfully refused. She breathed a breath of relief.

Joffrey was never good at much, that crossbow of his and he knew how to charm others, mostly young maids and servant girls. He tries to fight like their father, or even their uncle Jaime but he was never able to have any patience, it usually ended up with him swinging the weapon around savagely.

"Princess?" She looked down on Arya who tugged at her dress, "I was wondering. If the royal banner is a crowned stag, then why does Joffrey share it with House Lannister?" That, that is a very difficult question to answer for her.

To put it plainly, her brother was and will always be favored by their mother. Of course, their mother loves her too, yet, Joffrey reminds the Queen of the son that would be heir to the Iron Throne, Henry Baratheon, the First of His Name and King of Westeros. In another life, that could have happened.

But it didn't, and her mother is always afraid for her second-born son.

That is where Joffrey takes favor with the Lannister side of things, he walks like a graceful lion, proud of both the Stag and Lion banner. So, one day he asked for them to merge into his personal standard, the lion and stag prancing towards one another in Lannister red and Baratheon gold.

"My brother has grown up feeling like he wasn't worth much to our father, he wants to prove himself and merging two great families and feeling big makes him feeling worthy, that is, if that makes any sense." No, it didn't, even she wears only one sigil and that is the crowned stag.

She'll dress in Lannister red, wear the lion necklace her mother made for her and wear it proudly, but, she is still a stag- A doe, the black-haired beauty of the South and Princess of Westeros.

"Are you jealous, Arya?" Jon asked Arya who huffed, "You want to merge your mother and our fathers standard?" That caused the three of them to laugh, especially Arya. She could see that Sandor also was smirking.

"A trout in a wolf's mouth? No, Old Gods no!" She turned back to the courtyard and saw her little brother looking right at her, he didn't look happy at all, that frown was proof of that as he made a grunting motion and left with Tommen following behind him and Vylar who was also looking at her, but not with frown and anger but lust and desire.

She pushed that thought aside and stayed with Jon and Arya for a time, playing and joined by Robb, Theon, Bran, Rickon and later after that, Myrcella and Tommen who were able to sneak away for a bit. Bran was a reader, just like Myrcella which led the two to speak about dragons, knights and the all so scary White Walkers of old.

Robb was charming as ever, promising to bring her a winter rose only for Theon to jump in and say that he will first. The last Greyjoy heir also apologized in private for the other night, she would have rather forgotten it but accepted Theon's apology nonetheless.

Tommen and Rickon played with the Stark wolves, Nymeria in particular became fond of her little brother. She was worried, these were wild animals and she was afraid for Tom, but Jon assured her that the wolves won't harm him, she took Jon's word and put trust in him to make that true.

It was fun, to act like a child for a little bit more before this visit would come to an end and she had to return to the life of a princess, looking for husbands and creating a new alliance.

Eventually, the night started to turn it and she was asked to come to her mother's room, something about a new dress she wanted her to try on.

Joffrey met her on her way there and stopped her, "Joffrey, what's the matter?" She asked and Joffrey just narrowed his eyes at her.

"Today, I saw you with that bastard, I saw you with him two days ago, too, and at the feast, you brought him in and had him drink and sing with father." She frowned, where was this going? What is Joffrey getting at?

"He has become a fast friend in these few days, brother, why do you disapprove? Is it because of his bastardy?" She asked him and he shook his head, "Is it because I am seeing him?" He looked at his feet, she smiled and caressed her little brother's cheek, "You worry that I won't have time for you, is that it? If so, then that just isn't true." His green eyes lit up a little bit, smiling lightly.

"Does that mean, that you will stop seeing him? Can you do that for me?" She frowned in disapproval at Joffrey which didn't affect him all too well.

"He is a friend, Joff. We don't get many of those, not in this lifetime." It hurt his feelings, which made her feel terrible. "I'll tell you what, for the next two days, I will spend all my time with you, the entire day. How does that sound?" She asked Joffrey who thought on it for a moment before smiling.

"Yes. I would like that. Thank you, Hela!" Her brother embraced her, she laughed and wrapped her arms around him and held him close for a moment before sending him to bed, it is around that time.

Now, how about that dress?


AN: Sorry for the late update, Grammarly uninstalled itself from the website so I had to install the website itself and do the spell check on there.

Junior VB, Thank you, and I hope so too.

LunaEvanna Longbottom, Indeed.

Guest01, Remember that scene, it will be a shift later on in the story.

Bartman, Cool name. And yes he is, when he isn't into his honor-mode.

Arianna La Fey, No comment on pairings, gotta keep you all guessing, hoping, it makes it more worthwhile to read. I have made plans on Jon's story, it will involve going South, but the question remains on if he'll stay in the South.

ZabuzasGirl, I will try but some things are happening that hinder my time to type out updates, but I will work on new chapters whenever I can.

Sparky She-Demon, No comment on pairings yet, still want friendships/interactions with other prospects first. But, if I choose Jon, then I swear it won't be cookie cut like some I have read has been.

Well. That seems to be all for now, I bid you all a good day and especially those suffering in these winter weathers of ours. Hail King Cerion signing off!