The Winter Wolf
I posted this fast for the super fast review! Thank you so much, so here you go, HermioneandMarcus.
It took her several days, but Alyssa got used to having Bronn and Gendry around her. Ramsay didn't really care for the two men, but Alyssa actually felt around her sworn-swords, who insisted on calling her "Queen" instead of "Lady", yet they both refered to her husband as "Lord" Ramsay. She could sense a strong sense of loyalty in both of them, and immediately, it had caused Alyssa to like them both. She couldn't help it. They followed Alyssa everywhere, it was kind of entertaining for her to see Ramsay a little aggrivated over having protection outside of his father and himself.
Alyssa didn't really know where she was going, she was pretty much just wandering around Winterfell with no destination in mind. She went around a corner and saw a small boy by the study door. Alyssa slowed her walk as she neared the boy, he seemed familiar. She knew that color of blonde hair anywhere, at least she believed she did. The poor boy seemed extremely terrified.
"Ryon?" Alyssa frowned as she got closer to the frightened boy, Bronn and Gendry were right behind her.
Ryon Forrester, the youngest of Lady Elissa Forrester's children, turned to face her, his fear left his eyes as he hugged his arms tightly around the skirt of Alyssa's dress, "Lady Alyssa!"
"Is your mother here?" Alyssa knelt down so that she was level with the small Forrester.
Ryon looked as though he was going to cry as he shook his head, "No."
Concern filled Alyssa as he attention went to the guard beside Ryon. Not a Forrester man, but a Whitehill man stood beside the boy. Alyssa narrowed her eyes at Ryon, "Are you here with Lord Whitehill?" It didn't make any sense why the Whitehills would have Ryon Forrester. Though both Houses were Northerners, the Forresters and Whitehills were enemies for countless generations. When Ryon nodded, Alyssa wondered what else the Whitehills were up to without the Starks to interfere.
Alyssa straightened herself and grabbed Ryon's hand. The Whitehill man made a sound, but Bronn made a clicking sound with his tongue, his voice was as threatening as he looked, "I wouldn't even think about it, if I were you."
As she entered the study that once belonged to her father, she loudly cleared her throat, interrupting the fat Lord Whitehill, "Why isn't Ryon back at Ironrath with his family?"
"He's the ward of Lord Whitehill, my Lady," Roose replied, looking up at her from the desk.
"What else of the Forresters do the Whitehills have?" Alyssa demanded angrily. She saw Ramsay stand through the corner of her eye, he looked a bit nervous.
"They have half of the Ironwood trees and Gryff Whitehill is stationed at Ironrath to ensure they don't cause any trouble," Roose's blue eyes went to Ryon. He seemed to sense Alyssa's anger, because he looked back up at her with a smile, "What do you believe would fix this? You are the Queen of the North, after all."
"Give Ryon and the Ironwood back to the Forresters," Alyssa told Roose in a demanding tone. Her grey eyes glared at Lord Whitehill, "All of the Ironwood. And get Gryff Whitehill out of Ironrath. He'll push the Forresters until they snap. You want the North to be as it was, then don't cause the Forresters and the Whitehills to fight."
"You cannot expect Lord Bol-" Lord Whitehill started.
"Of course," Roose nodded. "I shall deliver the boy myself, and I will order Gryff Whitehill out of Ironrath as well. I'm sure that the Forresters will be happy to have everything returned to them."
"You're listening to a wo-" Lord Whitehill started again, his fat face was bright red.
"I'm listening to our Queen," Roose's eyes flashed at Lord Whitehill. He looked back at Alyssa and breathed out, "Lord Whitehill will return home and wait for Gryff to join him there."
"It's that simple?" Alyssa raised an eyebrow at her father by law.
"Yes," Roose's smile seemed forced.
"Will you have Lady Forrester write me when you get Ryon there? I would love to hear from her," Alyssa asked.
"I will be sure that she adds news of the boy, the Ironwood, and Ironrath in her letter," Roose nodded.
"Thank you, my Lord," Alyssa smiled, and then she looked down at Ryon. "Would you like to see Shadow before you go home to Ironrath with Lord Bolton?"
Ryon nodded and kept ahold of her, his face was hidden in her skirt as Ramsay followed behind them with Gendry and Bronn. The small boy held onto her tightly all the way to the courtyard, until the huge direwolf came into view. Like Alyssa always felt in Shadow's company, Ryon finally relaxed and brightened up a little as he moved over to the horse-sized wolf in stunning awe. Once Ryon was by Shadow, Ramsay moved to her side.
"When Ryon was given to the Whitehills, it was before the North knew you were still alive, and the Forresters were threating to revolt," Ramsay told her quietly.
"Now the North knows differently, Ryon can go home," Alyssa didn't take her eyes off of the youngest Forrester. She loved the Forresters as though they were her own family, the only place Ryon belonged was at Lady Elissa's side.
"If you're this way with the Forresters, I can only imagine how you were with your own family," Ramsay sounded as though he was smiling.
"If I could have, I would have happily given my own life to save them all," it was the truth.
She watched as Ryon played with Shadow, the Whitehills left Winterfell first, but the boy seemed to be nervous still. Alyssa was guessing it was because he was homesick, he was a couple years younger than Rickon had been. At least Ryon was playing, that was always a good thing. Alyssa refused to let the small boy out of her sight, wondering if this was how it felt to be a guard, or a sworn-sword. She was kind of surprised that Ramsay remained at her side in the courtyard, she was sure that he was bored. It took about two hours, but Roose Bolton had a small handful of men with him when they were ready to take Ryon Forrester back to Ironrath.
"Tell your mother that I send my love," Alyssa gave Ryon a tight hug.
"I will," Ryon nodded.
"I will be sure Lady Elissa writes you the moment we arrive at Ironrath," Roose promised Alyssa, then his eyes went to his son, "You'll have company within the week. Two squires ride to serve you as does three of Walder Frey's boys as wards of the Boltons."
Alyssa felt her body tense up, Freys... she prayed that they all were the younger ones. Not involved with what had happened to her mother, brother, and sister by law. She pushed her thoughts out of her head as she watched Roose ride out of Winterfell with Ryon. She prayed that she had helped the Forresters even a little bit. That family had the closeness of the Starks, it was a closeness Alyssa wouldn't ever get to have again.
I love the Forrester family in the game GOT, as you all may be able to tell already :) I wanted to have Alyssa do something as Queen of the North, so I figured she could help the Forresters. The Whitehills are Bolton bannermen, so that tells you why Lord Whitehill was at Winterfell with Ryon Forrester. I figured it would be good character developement for her. Would love Feedback, as always :)