You sat bundled up under your thick cloak and looked up at the gate of Winterfell. It once again belonged to the Starks and you were more than happy. Growing up you were close to the family as your father was sworn to them. Frequent visits had you growing close to all the Stark children. Particularly Sansa as the both of you were proper ladies in every sense of the word. You knew how to sew, how to sit, talk, and act. Manners were deeply ingrained into the person you were. And so you got along best with the eldest Stark girl even if she was a few years younger than you.
Many nights found the two of you talking about what your soulmate would be like. You both envisioned a perfect night, with beautiful hair, shining eyes that could see into the very depths of you, and who had more honor than even Ned Stark. It was a wonderful dream, one that hadn't happened for either of you yet, but there was still hope. You knew that one day you would meet him and everything would stop looking so dull, stop having so little flavor. As soon as you met him colors would be more vibrant, you would fully be able to taste everything that came in contact with your tongue, and songs that had sounded nice before would become the sweetest melodies.
A small smile graced your lips as you rode past the front gate. It had been so long since you were last here and you could honestly say you missed it. A stable hand came over and helped you down from your horse careful not to smudge or ruin your dress in anyway. You offered him a kind thank you before heading inside. Looking around you tried to find Sansa wanting to speak to her before retiring to your room. It had been a tiring journey and you wanted to rest before enjoying the festivities of the evening. As soon as you spotted her you began to make your way toward her.
Except before you could reach her you accidentally bumped into someone else. "Oh I'm sorry ser I wasn't watching were I was going. I really should pay more attention." You smiled up at the man apologetically. But when your eyes locked with his something happened. A small buzz loomed under the edge of your skin and everything seemed brighter. The dull grey of the castle didn't seem so dull, the man's hair was the most vibrant red you had ever seen and his eyes were the most mesmerizing thing you had ever seen. It was clear, as clear as the smirk on his face that the man in front of you was your soulmate. "Just don't let it happen again eh?" He gave you a wink and went on his way.
You joined Sansa like you had been planning, but not without glancing back at the man. "Y/N, it's so good to see you. How have you been?" Sansa smiled at you and gave you a friendly hug. Even her red hair seemed more vibrant than it ever had before. "Much better now that my best friend is home where she belongs, but can I ask you something?" Sansa nodded her head indicating you could. "Who is that? I bumped into him earlier, but I didn't catch his name." You pointed toward the ginger giant.
Sansa looked to where you were pointing. "That's Jon's friend Tormund. He and his group of wildlings helped in the battle." That answer was enough to make your face lose color. You had been raised to believe wildlings were savages, they would kill and rape the first chance they got and yet one was supposed to be your soulmate. It had to be a joke, the gods couldn't really be that cruel could they? Sansa noticed the look on your face and placed a hand on your arm. "Is everything alright?" she asked. You nodded your head. "Just tired. I think I'll head to my room for a bit. I'll see you at the feast." You bid her farewell and made your way down the hall to your room.
After a lot of thinking you managed to get some rest. Of course your dreams were filled with Tormund. Sometimes they were happy dreams of the two of you getting married, having children. Others were nightmares as you watched him kill your family so that he could take you and become Lord of your lands. You woke with a start. "Alright that's it. Just talk to him." It was the only way you were going to settle things. If he was to be your soulmate, which he was then you needed to talk.
Finding Tormund wasn't hard to do. He was loud and boisterous and his red hair made him stick out. He was completely different from you. Where he was loud, you were quiet. He was crude and you were a lady. He had a sword and you had needles. You weren't sure how things were supposed to work between you, but you would try. With a deep breath to gather your courage you made your way up to him. "Hello Tormund. I didn't get the chance to introduce myself earlier. I'm Lady Y/N." You gave him your sweetest smile.
The ginger giant grinned and looked you up and down. "I figured ya were a lady, lass. The dress gave ya away. You seem like such a tiny sweet little thing." Your face grew warm as he looked you over like you were some delicious meal her was about to devour. And strangely enough where you thought you would be disgusted you actually found it enjoyable. Maybe it was because he was your soulmate, but you wanted him to always look at you that way. "I made it myself." You looked down at the dress with pride. "I was wondering if you would join me for a walk." Tormund raised a brow, but agreed nonetheless.
The next few days were spent getting to know each other. He would tell you wild stories about fighting beyond the wall, giants, and wargs. He even told you the story about him fucking a bear which you didn't believe and made sure to tell him so. Either way he always managed to make you laugh and while you would think you would feel even a margin of fear in his presence you didn't. Tormund was your complete opposite in every way imaginable, yet he always made you feel safe and happy. In return for his stories you would tell your own of playing princess and dragons, always having a knight in shining armor to save you, of learning to sew, lessons about the kingdom and so forth.
Standing on the ramparts you looked out over Winterfell. Tormund was next to you, but he wasn't watching the hustle and bustle of the castle. He was watching you. "Never woulda thought my soulmate would be a perfect little lady from the south." The first time he had said you were from the south, you had corrected him, but now you just went along with it. "I never thought my soulmate would be a wildling from north of the wall, but here we are." You turned and looked up at him. With a grin he leaned down and kissed you. "I couldn't be happier with the way things turned out lass."
You scratched his beard and smiled. "Neither could I."