The Rise Of A Dynasty
Winterfell – 295 A.C
One week later…
Robb knocked on the door to his Father's Solar.
"Come in" said the voice of Ned through the door.
Robb opened the door and walked inside.
As he shut the door behind him he saw his Father sat at the desk with Lady Maege Mormont sat down opposite him while a now 14 year old, long dark brown haired Lyra Mormont was stood next to her.
He slowly walked towards them glancing between his Father and the Mormonts.
"You asked to see me Father?" said Robb questioningly.
Ned nodded.
"I did Son… I trust you remember Lyra Mormont?" said Ned.
Robb glanced at Lyra Mormont and nodded.
"I do Father" said Robb sounding a little confused.
Lyra Mormont flashed a cheeky smile at him.
Ned looked at Maege Mormont and nodded.
"Robb… myself and Lady Mormont have been talking, and we are in the same mind that a betrothal between you and Lyra Mormont would be an excellent match for House Stark and House Mormont" said Ned sternly.
Robb felt stunned and turned to Lyra Mormont who managed a small smile.
"Father?" said Robb.
Ned sighed.
"The wedding will not take place for a few years yet, not until you are both 17… but I would like for you to use this tournament as a way to spend time with Lady Mormont here, and she will be staying here at Winterfell for a year once the tournament concludes" said Ned.
Robb glanced between Ned and Lyra Mormont for several seconds before slowly nodding.
"I will do so Father" said Robb.
Ned managed a small smile.
"Good… the two of you may go… and should you see Edric tell him I wish to speak to him" said Ned.
"I will Father" said Robb.
He turned to Lyra Mormont who walked over to him.
"My Lady" said Robb dutifully.
Lyra Mormont took his arm and allowed him to lead her out of the Solar.
Robb turned to her as they walked along the hallway.
"So… are you like your Mother and your Older Sisters?" said Robb questioningly.
Lyra Mormont looked at him with a pointed look.
"Am I like my Mother and Older Sisters?" said Lyra Mormont sternly.
Robb nodded.
"What I meant was… do you like to fight, with a sword?" said Robb.
Lyra Mormont smirked.
"Are you offering yourself as a challenge?" said Lyra Mormont.
Robb chuckled.
"And what if I said yes?" said Robb cheekily.
Lyra Mormont punched his arm.
"Then I would say bring it" said Lyra Mormont.
Robb laughed.
"Well… now I know where to take you?" said Robb.
Lyra Mormont chuckled as they carried on walking along the hallway and through the castle.
When they emerged into the courtyard they spotted Edric, Beric and Arya training along with Oswell Whent, Edwin Glover, Martyn Glover, Rodrik Forrester and Asher Forrester.
Robb and Lyra walked up to them as Edric blocked a strike from Asher Forrester and spun away from him.
"Edric… Father wants to see you in his Solar" said Robb.
Edric turned to face him and nodded.
He stabbed his training sword into the ground and walked towards the castle.
Robb walked towards the sword and pulled it out of the ground.
He looked at Lyra Mormont who smirked.
He handed the training sword to her and she twirled it around in her left hand before Robb walked over to the weapons rack.
As Robb got another sword from the rack he heard chuckles from around the courtyard.
"Try not to lose to her Stark" said Asher Forrester.
He was the second Son of Lord Gregor Forrester and was 13 years of age with short sandy brown hair.
"You would not want to get your ass handed to you by a girl" said Martyn Glover.
Martyn Glover was now 11 years old with medium length black hair and a growing stocky build.
Lyra Mormont growled.
"I'll put the both of you in the dirt next" growled Lyra Mormont causing the two boys to laugh even more.
Robb smirked before stalking towards her.
It became obvious from the moment he crossed blades with her that she certainly had talent with a blade.
It took him several minutes before he finally managed to catch her sword wrist disarming her.
Lyra Mormont growled as she felt his sword pressing into her stomach.
Robb smirked before lowering his sword and kneeling down to pick up her fallen sword.
Suddenly without warning he felt a boot connect with his chest knocking him back to the dirt as roars of laughter erupted around the courtyard.
He looked up at Lyra Mormont who was looking down at him with a triumphant smirk on her face.
"Should have kept your eye on me Stark" said Lyra Mormont cheekily as she bent down and picked her sword up.
Robb chuckled and stood up walking to the side as Lyra Mormont turned to look at Asher Forrester and Martyn Glover.
"Come on then Boys" said Lyra Mormont cheekily.
Robb chuckled as he watched her knock the wind out of both boys before knocking them to the floor one after the other.
"Serves you right for running your mouth Asher" said Rodrik Forrester mockingly.
He was the eldest Son and Heir of Lord Gregor Forrester at 17 years of age standing at around 6'0 tall with short wavy dark brown hair.
"Fuck off" muttered Asher Forrester as he slowly got to his feet.
Edwin Glover smirked and turned to Robb as Lyra gave each boy a couple of smacks on the back with her sword.
Edwin Glover was the oldest Son of Robbett Glover. He was roughly the same age as Robb at 14 years of age with medium length black hair tied behind his head.
"And you have to marry that wild thing… you better hope you can keep up with her when the time comes" said Edwin Glover teasingly.
Robb sarcastically laughed and punched the Glover boy in the arm.
Meanwhile…
Edric knocked on the door to Ned's Solar.
"Come in" said Ned from behind the door.
Edric opened the door and walked inside.
Once inside he spotted Ned waiting for him at the desk.
"Edric… sit down" said Ned.
Edric walked over to the desk and sat down opposite him.
Ned opened one of the drawers on his desk and pulled an unsealed raven scroll out placing it on the desk.
"Your Father wrote to us just yesterday… he is asking for you to return to Starfall" said Ned.
Edric felt stunned and slightly saddened at the same time.
"When do I have to leave then?" said Edric.
"Myself and your Aunt will escort you to Starfall after we have escorted Jon and Lady Margaery to Highgarden after the conclusion of the tournament" said Ned.
Edric nodded.
"Okay… can I go now?" said Edric.
Ned sighed and nodded.
"Go on then" said Ned solemnly.
Edric nodded and stood up before leaving the room.
Later that night…
Ashara looked out at the hall from her seat at the head table as their Guests took their seats ready for the feast.
She and Ned were sat in the middle of the head table which had been extended with a table at each end.
Beric, Arya, Lyarra, Elia and Brandon were sat next to her on the right hand side of the table while Jon, Margaery, Robb, Lyra Mormont, Edric, Theon and Benjen were sat next to Ned on the left hand side of the table.
Ashara turned to face Ned as he let out a heavy sigh.
"You are still feeling down because of what Edric said to you earlier?" said Ashara solemnly.
Ned sighed.
"He barely said anything when I told him he was to return to Starfall" said Ned flatly.
Ashara placed her hand on his leg.
"Maybe it is because he does not know what to say to you… he could have either been relieved that he will see his parents and his Brother again… or he could be disappointed that he cannot stay here for longer" said Ashara.
Ned sighed.
"I just wish he had said something" said Ned.
Ashara squeezed his leg.
"Then talk to him… do not just sit and brood about it, talk to him… he is your Nephew after all" said Ashara softly.
Ned smiled and nodded.
"Then talk to him with me" said Ned softly.
Ashara smiled and quickly kissed him.
"Of course" said Ashara.
Ned smiled before the two turned to face their Guests again as the cooks and servants placed platters of a large variety of food on the tables.
Once the cooks and servants had left the hall Ned stood up and gestured for Jon and Margaery to stand up.
The other Guests turned to face the head table as Jon and Margaery stood up.
"My Lords and Ladies… welcome to Winterfell for our grand feast and tourney in celebration of my eldest Son Jon's very recent betrothal… to Lady Margaery of the House Tyrell" said Ned proudly as he gazed over to Jon and Margaery.
There were a few moments of silence before applause and comments erupted from around the great hall.
"The Boy certainly has good eyes!" shouted Harrion Karstark.
"Plucked a Rose he has!" shouted Smalljon Umber as Jon and Margaery took their seats once again.
"He will be keeping her warm every night!" shouted Dacey Mormont.
Margaery blushed and managed a small smile at some of the comments.
Jon smirked and clapped his hand on her waist.
"I told you they knew how to have a good time" said Jon chuckling.
Margaery turned to him and gave him a quick kiss causing even more jeers to erupt from around the great hall.
"I admit… they are growing on me" said Margaery as Ned called for quiet once more.
Ned turned to Robb and nodded.
Robb turned to face Lyra Mormont standing up and helping her to her feet.
"I am also announcing the recent betrothal of my second Son Robb to Lyra of the House Mormont, they will be wed once they have both turned 17 in three years time, after which they will be named as the Lord and Lady of Moat Cailin" said Ned proudly.
Robb looked down at Lyra and smirked as the Northerners cheered and applauded the recently announced betrothal with an even louder noise than was made for Jon and Margaery.
The two sat down as Ned called for quiet once more.
"Now feast and get drunk in my honour… and we will celebrate this news properly over the next few days with a two day tournament… and more feasts of course" said Ned.
The other Northerners cheered and raised their mugs and glasses as Ned sat down to start the feast.
Jon turned to Margaery as he cut into a piece of his boar.
"The dancing will come after… and I know many of the Lords will be wanting a dance from you" said Jon.
Margaery sipped her wine and smirked.
"Then I hope you are good at sharing… for the sake of being polite at least" said Margaery cheekily.
Jon chuckled.
"Oh I doubt jealousy will cross my mind if you are simply dancing with them" said Jon.
Margaery smirked.
"Good… because I do not like jealous men" said Margaery cheekily.
Jon smirked and carried on eating his food.
Meanwhile a little further down the table Robb was laughing slightly at a joke that Lyra Mormont had just told him before he turned serious for a moment.
"You know… when Mother and Father leave for Highgarden with Jon and Margaery, I will be the acting Lord Of Winterfell in their absence, and they will be gone for at least two or three moons, Father wants me to practice being lord of a castle" said Robb.
Lyra Mormont chuckled.
"So we will have the run of this Castle… along with whom?" said Lyra Mormont raising her eyebrow.
Robb smiled.
"Only Theon, Beric, Lyarra and Arya… Elia and Brandon are going with Mother and Father along with Edric," said Robb.
"Being the acting Lord Of Winterfell will take up quite a bit of your time… I hope you will spare some time for me" said Lyra Mormont.
Robb chuckled.
"More than you think" said Robb cheekily.
Lyra Mormont smirked at him.
"I hope you will" said Lyra Mormont as they continued the feast.
The rest of the conversation at the table was mild for the rest of the feast before Ned stood up with his mug of ale and ordered some of the tables to be moved to create space for a dance floor as several bards made their way into the hall.
"The time for feasting is over… now I bid you to dance and get drunk on my ale and wine" said Ned.
Several of the other Northerners gave a small cheer and toasted each other before a handful of them got to their feet making their way onto the dance floor.
Jon and Margaery stood up and walked hand in hand around the table to the dance floor followed by Ned and Ashara and Benjen and Lyarra.
Margaery locked eyes with Jon as he took her in his arms.
"This is more like it" said Margaery voice laden with approval as the bards started to play some music for the dancers.
Jon smirked.
"Feasts in the North are more about drinking and eating together than they are about dancing, but we still add a bit of dancing at our feasts from time to time" said Jon.
"And tourneys… are they not what they appear to be in the North?" said Margaery.
Jon spun her around.
"Far from what you are used to… we do things differently up here" said Jon.
"Tell me then… what do you Northerners do different from us Southerners?" said Margaery questioningly.
Jon chuckled.
"Many things" said Jon.
"Like what?" said Margaery.
Jon swapped hands as they carried on dancing.
"Well, for starters… I doubt I will ever understand why you Southerners use executioners to deal with prisoners and criminals" said Jon.
"Because you do it yourselves, you like getting your hands dirty so to speak, why get them dirty?" said Margaery quickly.
"Our way is the old way… the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword" said Jon.
"That means blood on your hands… why have it there when someone else can do it for you?" said Margaery questioningly.
Jon sighed.
"If you are brave enough to sentence someone to die… then you should be brave enough to carry out the sentence yourself, or maybe the sentenced man does not deserve his fate" said Jon sternly.
Margaery smiled and nodded.
"You in the North do not seem to hold a high opinion of some of us in the South" said Margaery.
"That is a double bladed sword… there are those of you in the South who hold us Northerners in low regard… because we care not for your silly games of courtship and this so called Game Of Thrones" said Jon.
Margaery gave him a pointed look.
"Those silly games as you call them are the grounds of what some Houses are built upon… including my own, we are where we are today because of those games" said Margaery.
"Like I said… we have no time for games like that up here… up here we live to survive, to protect the smallfolk on our lands, especially during the Winter, some of you Southerners care not for the smallfolk that reside on your lands, you would rather see them without homes or food to feed themselves if it meant keeping coin in your pockets and food in your larders" said Jon.
Margaery sighed.
"I hate to admit it… but you are right about that" said Margaery.
"I am not saying all you Southerners are like that… but there are those of you who could afford to share your wealth and power to make life a little more comfortable for your smallfolk" said Jon.
Margaery smiled and kissed him.
"I must say… you are full of surprises Jon, full of surprises" said Margaery cheekily.
Jon chuckled as the song came to a close.
He leaned into her ear.
"Now what should I do… have another dance with you, or leave you to the growing line of men seeking a dance from you" whispered Jon slightly shifting his head towards where Smalljon Umber, Torrhen Karstark and Karl Cerwyn were stood holding drinks and looking at the two as they talked.
Margaery glanced at them and smirked.
"Perhaps you should leave me for a little while… there are other girls to dance with tonight" said Margaery cheekily.
Jon kissed her before stepping away from her.
"Just do not over indulge on the wine" said Jon jokingly.
Margaery laughed before smiling as Karl Cerwyn made his way over to her.
Jon chuckled as Karl Cerwyn took Margaery's hand and kissed her knuckles before dancing with her.
Jon was watching the two dance when he felt a hand clap down on his right shoulder.
He turned around to see Robb stood behind him with his hand wrapped around Lyra Mormonts waist.
"Your Rose left you?" said Robb cheekily.
Jon chuckled.
"She can dance with whomever she likes… she is still my intended" said Jon.
"And yet you are standing there alone while other men dance with your intended" said Robb cheekily.
Jon smirked and punched him in the arm.
"Then I should borrow Lady Mormont for a dance, if she does not mind" said Jon cheekily.
Lyra Mormont smirked as he held his hand out to her.
"Why not" said Lyra Mormont taking his hand.
She looked back at Robb and winked at him as Jon steered her onto the dance floor.
Robb chuckled before walking back to the head table to get a drink.
Lyra Mormont looked up at Jon with a smirk as they danced.
"When do you leave for Highgarden then?" said Lyra Mormont.
"In a week… Father wants me to take Ethan Forrester with me, says he is to be my Squire" said Jon.
"A Squire… what does he think you need a Squire for?" said Lyra Mormont.
Jon shrugged his shoulders.
"Said he had one when he was around my age, as did my Uncle Brandon… and technically Theon is my Father's Squire now" said Jon.
"And what does he expect you to do with your Squire?" said Lyra Mormont.
"Not sure, teach him how to be a man I suppose, train him and such" said Jon.
"Then I hope you do a good job" said Lyra Mormont cheekily.
Jon chuckled.
"And to think… your intended will be the acting Lord Of Winterfell while we are gone, takes up a lot of a man's time that does" said Jon.
Lyra Mormont shrugged her shoulders.
"He said he would make time for me… so I am not worried" said Lyra Mormont passively.
Jon smirked as the two continued dancing.
At the end of the song Jon bowed his head to her before making his way back to the head table to get another drink.
He carried on drinking keeping his gaze on Margaery chuckling and smirking as he watched her dance with several Northerners for the next half hour.
He spotted her making her way towards him after she had finished dancing with Daryn Manderly as he poured himself another glass of wine.
Jon poured her a glass of wine.
"Taking a break from dancing with my future Vassal Lords?" said Jon cheekily as he handed the glass of wine to her.
Margaery chuckled and took a sip of wine.
"Fortunately for you… I am, sit with me, we will go back to dancing in a little while" said Margaery.
Jon shrugged his shoulders and took her hand.
He led her around the head table so they could sit down in their seats.
Margaery took his hand as he sipped his wine.
"How long are you going to stay at Highgarden for?" said Margaery.
Jon turned to her and smiled.
"A year maybe… but I was rather hoping you would accompany me somewhere else once we have been at Highgarden for a few moons" said Jon.
Margaery raised her eyebrow at him.
"And where would I be accompanying you Jon?" said Margaery.
Jon smirked.
"Now now… that is a surprise" said Jon.
Margaery squeezed his hand and kissed him.
"Care to share it?" said Margaery in a slightly flirty voice.
Jon chuckled and placed his hand on her thigh before slowly moving it up to her hips.
Margaery smirked at him before he swiftly removed his hand.
"No… you will wait to find out what it is?" said Jon.
Margaery sighed.
"Fine… but it better be worth all of this secrecy" said Margaery.
Jon chuckled.
"Believe me, it will" said Jon.
The two stayed there drinking their wine.
The feast carried on for the next three hours before the hall started to empty as the Northerners headed back to the campsites to rest up for the start of the tourney tomorrow.
The next day…
Ned stood up from his seat in the private viewing area of the stands as the contestants for the wrestling made their way into the makeshift arena in front of him.
Margaery turned to Jon with a slightly curious look on her face as Ned gave his opening speech to the contestants so they could begin the wrestling.
"And this is a common thing for tourneys in the North?" said Margaery.
Jon smirked.
"What better test of strength is there than beating someone to the ground with fist and foot?" said Jon.
Margaery raised her eyebrow at him.
"Just watch… you might find it enjoyable" said Jon placing his arm around her shoulders as Ned finished his speech.
"I do not doubt it" said Margaery as she turned to face the arena.
Ned clapped his hands to start the wrestling before taking his seat and watching as he rested his chin on his right hand.
Jon chuckled as he watched the She-Bear Maege Mormont move over to Mors Umber and knock him to the ground with a square punch to his right eye.
Margaery looked a little shocked at the sight.
"My God" said Margaery in slight shock.
Jon pulled her into him.
"This is the North… the strong come out on top every time, and these things are always rather amusing" said Jon amusedly as Hugo Wull's eldest, short brown haired, 6'4 tall, 22 year old Son Thor grabbed a Karstark Guard and Alysanne Mormont by the backs of their heads before crashing them together.
Margaery placed her hand on his chest.
"I did not say it is not amusing… though I can think of a few Southerners who might be convinced you Northerners are slightly barbaric should they watch this" said Margaery cheekily.
Jon snorted.
"I would love to see some of those Southerners wrestle… one punch would knock most of them down" said Jon cheekily.
Margaery chuckled as they continued watching the wrestling.
Jon and Margaery heard a chuckle come from Robb fifteen minutes later as Maege Mormont came out on top in the wrestling after knocking Thor Wull to the ground landing a swift boot to his leg.
The two turned to Robb as Jon chuckled.
"You better watch your back around the She-Bear Robb… make sure you do not get too hands on with her Daughter just yet" said Jon cheekily.
Margaery slapped his chest as Lyra Mormont chuckled.
"You heard him Robb… you best not climb into my bed until we are wed, or you might find yourself on the end of my Mother's mace" said Lyra Mormont amusedly.
Robb smirked and lowered his hand to her rear pinching it.
"Shut it Lyra" said Robb jokingly.
Lyra Mormont smirked as Ned congratulated Maege Mormont as the victor.
Jon turned to Margaery giving her a quick kiss before standing up.
"Be back soon… got a few people to beat up first" said Jon jokingly.
Margaery smirked.
Jon walked past them heading towards the steps of the stands where the changing tent was located.
Lyra Mormont clapped Robb on the shoulder before standing up.
"Watch and learn Stark… its time you saw a proper fight" said Lyra Mormont cheekily.
Robb chuckled and turned to face the arena as Lyra Mormont followed Jon out of the stands.
It took over half an hour for all of the contestants for the first round of the melee to make their way into the arena including Jon, Lyra Mormont, Daryn Manderly and Jonothor Karstark along with a dozen or more Soldiers, Lords and Heirs from the various Northern houses.
Jon drew his longsword gripping it firmly in both hands as Ned announced the start of the melee revealing that the winner would make it into the final round tomorrow and compete for a prize of 150 Gold Dragons.
Margaery turned to Ashara with a slightly puzzled face as Ned finished his speech.
"These prizes for the tourney competitions are not very much" said Margaery slightly puzzled.
Ashara smiled and turned to her.
"Coin is not as important as other things in the North… food and warmth mean more to us than Coin, especially when Winter comes" said Ashara.
"More to us… but you are from Dorne are you not?" said Margaery testily.
Ashara smiled and placed her hand on top of Margaery's.
"This has been my home for eighteen years… when you are here long enough you tend to count yourself as one of them" said Ashara.
Margaery smiled.
"I suppose I should get used to this… this will be my home one day, and I would be rather interested to learn more about this place, for this is still a strange land to me" said Margaery.
Ashara smiled and squeezed her hand.
"Come and join me for drinks in Lord Starks Solar after the melee… I can help teach you a few things about the North" said Ashara softly.
Margaery smiled.
"Thank you Lady Stark… I would certainly like to join you for drinks" said Margaery.
Ashara patted her hand as the two turned back to watch the melee.
Margaery smirked as Jon suddenly managed to catch Lyra Mormonts sword hand at the wrist with his free hand twisting it to the side before tripping her up.
Jon kicked Lyra Mormont's short sword from her hand and pointed his longsword down at her neck.
Lyra Mormont growled before Jon smirked and removed his sword before crossing the arena to engage a House Bolton Guard in combat.
Margaery smirked as she watched Jon fight his way through most of the other combatants along with Jonothor Karstark until the two were the only ones left.
Jon panted slightly and wiped the sweat off his forehead before turning to Jonothor Karstark and twirling his sword.
It was Jon who made the first strike with a fierce two handed sidewards swing which Jonothor Karstark was forced to parry feeling himself being pressed back slightly under the onslaught of Jon's ferocious strikes.
It took Jonothor Karstark a good few minutes before he was able to force Jon onto the defensive for a few minutes.
The battle raged on for a good few minutes before Jon skilfully disarmed Jonothor Karstark and knocked him to the ground.
The crowd cheered as Jon held his sword against Jonothor Karstarks chest who could only nod in defeat.
Margaery stood up applauding him as he turned to face her and winked before walking back to tent to remove his armour.
By the time Jon and Lyra Mormont returned to the stands having removed their armour the contestants for the second melee were taking up their positions in the arena including Greatjon Umber and Rickard Karstark.
Margaery placed her hand on his arm once the melee started.
"You fought well My Lord… I hope you can achieve victory in the final melee tomorrow" said Margaery sweetly.
Jon chuckled and gently stroked her arm as they watched the melee.
"I am sure I will My Lady" said Jon.
Margaery smiled and leaned against him slightly.
The two watched the remaining three melees applauding the winners, Greatjon Umber, Dacey Mormont and Gregor Forrester.
Once the fourth melee had concluded Ned stood up and announced that the tournament would conclude the next day and that the feast would begin in six hours.
Margaery turned Jon as they stood up.
"I will see you later tonight My Lord… I have somewhere I need to be right now" said Margaery curtsying.
Jon placed his arm around her waist and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"I will meet you at your chambers before the feast My Lady" said Jon.
He bowed his head to her before walking along the stands with Robb and Lyra Mormont.
As they walked out of the stands Jon spotted the Forrester's walking back towards the campsite and started to catch up with them.
"Lord Forrester" said Jon.
The Forrester's turned to face them and bowed their heads respectfully.
"Lord Stark" said Gregor Forrester.
Jon nodded and turned his gaze to Ethan Forrester who was stood next to his Mother.
Ethan Forrester was 8 years old with short dark brown black hair dressed in a dark brown tunic and breeches with a dark green cloak fastened around his shoulders.
"And this is your Son Ethan?" said Jon sternly.
Gregor Forrester nodded and turned to Ethan Forrester before beckoning him forward.
"A good lad my Son is… he will serve you well" said Gregor Forrester gruffly.
Jon nodded.
"I am sure he will… and he can start right now, come on" said Jon gesturing for Ethan to accompany him with his head.
Ethan Forrester looked up at his Father who nodded.
"You are Lord Stark's Squire now… you obey him from now on, and he will turn you from a boy to a man" said Gregor Forrester.
Ethan Forrester nodded before walking over to Jon.
Jon led him away from the direction of the campsite towards the gate slowly catching up to Robb and Lyra Mormont.
Jon turned to him as they approached the gate.
"Do you have a sword boy?" said Jon sternly.
Ethan Forrester looked up at him and nervously shook his head.
"No My Lord" said Ethan Forrester nervously.
Jon sighed.
"That will not do, come" said Jon.
Ethan Forrester slowly nodded and followed Jon through the gates.
They walked into the courtyard where Oswell Whent and Ser Rodrik were getting ready to start training Beric and Arya.
Jon led Ethan over to them.
"Put him through the paces Ser Oswell… I will join you shortly" said Jon.
"Yes Lord Stark" said Oswell Whent bowing his head before walking back to the sword rack and picking a short sword and shield up.
Ethan Forrester turned to Jon who nodded.
"Go on… we will make a fighter out of you in no time" said Jon sternly.
Ethan Forrester walked over to Oswell Whent and took the sword and shield from him.
Jon turned around and walked towards the entrance to the main keep.
He walked through the castle up to his chambers.
Once inside he opened one of the old chests retrieving his old short sword and a whetstone.
He unsheathed the sword and sat down on his bed to sharpen the sword.
Forty minutes later…
Jon walked back into the courtyard where Ethan Forrester was training with Arya who was battering her sword against his shield which kept dropping to his waist height with every few strikes.
Jon waited until Arya jabbed Ethan Forrester in the stomach knocking him down causing him to drop his sword and shield before walking over to them.
"Ethan" said Jon.
Ethan Forrester looked at him before standing up.
Jon beckoned him over with his hand.
Ethan Forrester walked over to him taking notice of the sword in Jon's hand.
Jon nodded and handed it to him.
"This belonged to me when I was your age… take it" said Jon.
Ethan Forrester took the sword and unsheathed it looking at the blade with fondness.
He looked at it for a few moments before sheathing it and handing it back to Jon.
"Thank you My Lord" said Ethan Forrester bowing his head.
Jon nodded and walked over to Ser Rodrik handing the short sword to him and taking a training sword in return.
Jon twirled the sword and walked back to Ethan Forrester who picked his sword and shield up.
Jon had him training for nearly an hour and a half before finally relenting on the young boy and taking him back to his tent.
As Jon led Ethan Forrester into the tent Lord Gregor Forrester looked up at them.
"Do you need him for the rest of the day Lord Stark?" said Gregor Forrester.
Jon shook his head.
"No My Lord… but I want him in the courtyard after the conclusion of the tournament tomorrow for more training" said Jon as Ethan Forrester walked over to where his Mother Elissa Forrester nee Branfield was organizing clothes for the feast.
Gregor Forrester nodded.
"He will be there Lord Stark" said Gregor Forrester proudly.
Jon nodded.
"Good… I shall take my leave now" said Jon.
He placed Ethan Forrester's short sword on the makeshift table before leaving the tent.
He left the campsite and walked back to the castle.
Meanwhile…
Margaery leaned back in her chair and sipped her wine as Ashara placed a small bowl of candied plums on the table.
Ashara poured herself some wine and looked straight at Margaery.
"Now… what do you wish to know about the North?" said Ashara.
Margaery sipped her wine before helping herself to a sweet.
"Okay… why do people keep telling me that ruling a Northern House will be far different to ruling a Southern House, surely they cannot be that different" said Margaery.
"They are very different… in many ways, Southern Houses do not face the hardships we face, they do not have to worry about having enough food to make it through long winters, we do not have the vast amount of coin that most Southern Houses have, so we must make do with what we have… something your Aunt never learned during her time in the North" said Ashara solemnly.
Margaery sighed.
"My Mother does not like to speak about her Sister… all I know about her is that she is now a Concubine to a wealthy Lord in Lys… and that she has not seen Jorah Mormont for over a year" said Margaery.
Ashara sighed.
"Jorah Mormont was a good man… but he made grave mistakes and now he is paying for them, as is she… is that why your Mother disapproves of your choice?" said Ashara testily.
Margaery looked at her in surprise.
"My Children and I have no secrets, nor do they have any with their Father… why do you think we are accompanying you back to Highgarden?" said Ashara.
Margaery nodded after a few moments.
"Yes… she is worried that I will experience something similar, that I will regret the betrothal because the North is not as wealthy as Highgarden… that I will be removing myself from a life of wealth and entering into a life of hardship, she does not think such a life will suit me" said Margaery.
"And what do you think?" said Ashara testily as she sipped her wine.
Margaery remained silent for a few moments glancing down at her lap as she rubbed her hands and fingers together before looking back at Ashara.
"A life of hardship does not worry me, the person who I will share that life with is a person I care about… but I doubt my Family would be willing to agree to this betrothal if they knew I cared for Jon, they have ambitions to see our family on the Iron Throne… ambitions that are not easily forgotten" said Margaery.
"They are adamant that you should marry Prince Edric Baratheon?" said Ashara.
Margaery nodded.
"They are… growing up I wanted to be the Queen, truly I did… but things change as one grows older, I do not wish to be the Queen, I want to be the Lady Of Winterfell, I chose to accept Jon's proposal because I wanted to, and I still want to" said Margaery confidently.
Ashara leaned forwards slightly.
"If you want this betrothal… then it is you who must convince them to agree to it, myself, Lord Stark, Jon… it would not matter what we said to your Grandmother, she would pay no mind to our words, but she will listen to yours" said Ashara sternly.
Margaery locked eyes with her before managing a small smile.
"Then we should all hope that she will listen to me about this" said Margaery.
Ashara nodded before smiling.
"We sincerely hope so… now, this wine is not going to drink itself, drink" said Ashara raising her glass.
Margaery chuckled and did the same chinking glasses with her before the two resumed drinking.
Later that night…
"So… exactly how confident are you?" said Margaery turning to face Jon as she sipped her wine.
The two were sat at the head table in the great hall with the rest of the Starks for the feast.
Jon smirked and turned to her as he drank his ale.
"About as confident as a man can be… do you doubt me?" said Jon jokingly.
Margaery raised her eyebrow at him.
"And why would you think that I doubt your abilities with a sword?" said Margaery testily.
Jon chuckled.
"I was merely asking… but I hope that you have some confidence in me" said Jon.
Margaery smirked.
"I have every confidence in you" said Margaery sweetly.
Jon smirked and stroked her arm.
"I hope you do" said Jon.
The two continued their food and drink while further down the table Ashara turned to Edric.
"So… we never spoke about how you felt about going back to Starfall" said Ashara.
Edric turned to face her and sighed.
"I do not know what you want me to say" said Edric sadly.
Ashara managed a sad smile.
"I want you to tell me the truth" said Ashara.
Edric frowned.
"Part of me wants to stay here… but a bigger part of me wants to go home, I miss home, I miss my Family" said Edric sadly.
Ashara placed her hand on top of his.
"Edric… why did you not mention any of this to Lord Stark?" said Ashara sadly.
"I did not want to disappoint him by telling him I wanted to go back to Starfall" said Edric.
Ashara squeezed his hand.
"Edric… he would not be disappointed with you if you told him you wanted to go home, he knows you had to do so eventually, but it did puzzle him a bit that you barely said anything about it" said Ashara.
Edric sighed.
"What should I tell him?" said Edric.
Ashara smiled.
"The same thing you told me… okay?" said Ashara.
Edric looked at her in silence for several seconds before nodding.
"Okay" said Edric softly.
Ashara smiled and squeezed his hand supportively.
Later that night…
"Cheers" said Margaery raising her wine glass.
"Cheers" said Jon chinking glasses with her.
The two were sat in Margaery's chambers enjoying a bottle of Dornish Red having returned from the feast minutes earlier.
Jon kept his eyes on her as she sipped her wine.
He took a deep breath before taking a large swig of his wine.
"You know I love you… very much" said said Jon softly.
Margaery froze up and looked at him in shock.
"You love me?" said Margaery in shock.
Jon nodded.
"I do, I love you" said Jon putting his wine down and moving close to her.
Margaery smiled and kissed him.
Jon wrapped her in his arms as she leaned up to his ear.
"I love you too" said Margaery softly before kissing him again.
Jon held her close deepening the kiss as he felt her get to her feet.
The two walked backwards still kissing each other before falling onto the bed.
Margaery broke the kiss and smirked.
"Mmmm… now that we are in bed, having confessed our love for each other, are we finally going to stop messing around and fuck each other like we truly want to?" said Margaery in a flirty voice.
Jon chuckled and kissed her placing his hands on her hips.
"I want to, I really want to… but we both know it cannot happen, not yet anyway" said Jon huskily.
Margaery smirked before licking and kissing his neck.
"I know… but I have to ask… what will you do if what we both want is refused?" said Margaery seriously.
Jon smiled and stroked her face.
"Well… we could take a stroll under the Heart Tree" said Jon.
Margaery laughed.
"I was being serious Jon" said Margaery.
Jon smirked and kissed her.
"So was I" said Jon.
Margaery raised her eyebrow at him and smirked.
"So… if what we both want is refused, you would bring me back here, take me into the Godswood, that you would make me Lady Stark just to stop my family from keeping me from you?" said Margaery.
Jon smirked.
"I would… and then I would give you the best night of your young life" said Jon huskily.
Margaery moaned before winking at him.
She leaned up into his ear.
"You know what you just did Jon… you just made me wet" whispered Margaery in a sultry voice.
Jon's eyes went slightly wide for a moment before he growled.
"If mere words can make you damp with desire… what do you think will happen when I bed you… when words are replaced with fingers, tongues and cocks?" said Jon huskily.
Margaery moaned and kissed him.
"I'll be soaked" moaned Margaery.
Jon smirked.
"And your body will become my new toy, and I intend to spend plenty of time playing with it" said Jon huskily.
"And what new toys do I get to play with?" said Margaery innocently.
Jon smirked.
"Your Husbands big cock… that you tried so hard not to play with in the hot springs" said Jon cheekily.
Margaery moaned before Jon got up pulling her to her feet.
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her before stroking the side of her face.
"I love you… with all my heart" said Jon softly.
Margaery placed her hand on his cheek.
"I love you too… so please do what I ask" said Margaery softly.
Jon smiled and nodded.
"Stay with me tonight, in my bed, and do not leave until the morning, I want to be close to you, I want your arms around me" said Margaery softly.
Jon kissed her before locking eyes with her.
"I will" said Jon.
Margaery smiled and pressed her head into his chest.
The two stayed like that for a few minutes before going back to the table to finish their wine.
One week later…
Jon strapped his longsword to his saddle before turning around to see his Parents saying goodbye to Lyarra.
He walked over to Robb who was stood next to Lyra, Theon, Beric and Arya.
He wrapped Robb in a one armed hug.
"Farewell Little Brother" said Jon.
Robb jokingly punched him in the shoulder.
"How long do you think you will be gone for?" said Robb.
Jon shrugged his shoulders.
"Maybe a year or so… I might go and see Grandmother before I return here" said Jon.
The two boys let go of each other so Jon could say goodbye to the others.
Once he said goodbye to Theon and Beric, Arya wrapped her arms around him pressing her head into his chest.
"Do you have to go?" said Arya sadly.
Jon smiled and held her against his chest.
"I do… but I will be back in a year or so, this is my home Arya" said Jon.
"But I will miss you while your gone" said Arya.
Jon sighed.
"And I will miss you as well" said Jon.
Jon knelt down and kissed her forehead.
"You keep on practising with that sword… I want to see how good you are when I get back" said Jon sternly.
Arya let go of him and nodded.
"I will" said Arya.
Jon smiled.
"Good" said Jon.
He stepped away from them back towards the wheelhouse where Margaery was waiting for him.
Margaery turned to him as he helped her into the wheelhouse.
"So… what is more intimidating… what you are about to do at Highgarden, or everything that went through your head before you won that melee last week?" said Margaery testily.
Jon smirked as she climbed up the steps.
"I am not sure yet… maybe I feel confident enough to give your Grandmother a taste of her own medicine" said Jon teasingly.
Margaery smirked and kissed him.
"Well you have plenty of time to think about that on the journey to Highgarden" said Margaery teasingly.
Jon chuckled and stepped away from the wheelhouse walking back towards his horse.
As he mounted up Ned rode towards him.
"Are you ready Jon?" said Ned sternly.
Jon looked at him and nodded.
"Yes Father, I am ready" said Jon.
Ned managed a proud smile.
"Good… you know I am proud of you Son, very proud of you" said Ned proudly.
Jon managed a small smile.
"I know Father" said Jon softly.
Ned turned around to look behind him at the wheelhouse as Ashara followed Brandon and Elia into it before a Guard removed the steps and placed them in one of the wagons behind them.
As Ned turned back to face ahead Edric and Ethan Forrester rode up alongside them.
"We are ready to leave now Lord Stark" said Ethan Forrester looking at Jon.
Jon nodded and turned to Ned who nodded in reply.
Ned gestured his hand forwards moving their convoy out of the gates.