Chapter 38: peace
Winterfell is a bustle with northerners, the summer continues strongly, everyone has enough to eat, and the north is at peace. So, they come here to celebrate my 15 years as Lord Stark even though I am not sure I have much to do with it, Elia says otherwise but she will always be my strongest supporter.
Still, this is how Winterfell is meant to be full of old men telling stories and children laughing and running through the halls my boy is the ring leader.
I watch him run through the halls with a gaggle of children following him. The usual suspects Benjen's two boys and Ned's youngest two but also a bunch of little Nobel girls in satin dresses they can hardly walk in, it appears every lord wants his daughter or granddaughter to marry Adriard an odd tactic sicking them on him as he is only 5 and does not like girls aside from his cousin Arya which has Catelyn thrilled of course though Arya does not share her mother's joy seeing as Adriard is the same age as her little brother.
I watch out running all the girls chasing him until he runs straight into Lord Karstark who can be a Strict man. I move towards them my instinct to protect my pup, Frost has the same reaction heading straight to Adriard and licking his face making him laugh. My boy hops up making his dark curls bounce, he looks just like Elia besides having my grey eyes.
"I am sorry my lord I did not mean to." He says with a child's sweetness the other children backed away afraid but my the giant wolf next to my son was practically his septa so Adriard does not scare easy.
Lord Karstark's smile is unnatural on his cold face. "It is alright little lord." He says as nicely as he can make himself.
"Even stern old Karstark knows your boy is the most precious child in all the north." Greatjon laughs as Adriard takes off running again.
"They are all precious my lord." I promise him as my son goes running past us.
"Go with him keep him out of trouble." I tell frost who without hesitation follows my son Adriard he has my wild strike and mayhaps something of his uncle Oberyn in him as well.
"What a great child." Lord Karstark says as he passes us bowing his head to me.
"Now I know he is sucking up." I say and Greatjon laughs.
"But of course he wants a marriage from you." Greatjon reminds.
"Alys is many years older than Adriard he cannot be serious." I say surprised as we walk.
"Not that one, though if he could swing it he would. I am talking about Harrion he's been staring at Lady Rhaenys since he arrived. I think they were going towards the gardens." He says making me turn around he laughed like a man with young daughters would.
I go out to the yard to see them together he is taller than she is so she stares up at him as he talks as if he is so fascinating which I highly doubt.
Rhaenys is 17 now she has both her mother loveliness and the mythical Targaryen beauty plenty of boys look at her like they are lovesick but this was the first time Rhaenys looked interested in a boy and it was killing me.
"She's only your first one, Rhaenys is a beauty but the other girls will be to." Benjen says as he puts his arm around me.
I knew he was right our children were very unique looking half dornish and half Northern. I looked over to where Alarra, Myriah, and Raya are giggling in their matching grey and blue dresses holding their pups. It was the first batch of pups Frost and Dusk had since they came to Winterfell. We were worried dusk would snap to protect her pups when she had them, she loves Benjen most of all so he made sure it was safe. There were only five pups. Alarra claimed hers first a white and grey wolf she called Winter. Myriah was never far behind and named her jet-black pup Dark Sister after the valyrian sword. With less pups then children I thought the older children should take them but Aegon would not take one saying the Stark children should have them Jon said he would wait until Aegon agreed to have one on a later batch. Rhaenys agreed to take one and called hers Meraxees but usually just Axe for the reddish brown wolf as my next eldest child Raya got one and called it Sunshine and it was her constant companion. Ashalyen got the last pup and called it Ribbon. My littlest son was so upset by this, but he was promised like his cousins he would get a wolf if there was another batch.
I watched Rhaenys let Harrion pet Axe he says something and she smiles widely starring at him like he is the most amazing thing she has ever seen. It makes me feel regular sick.
"I gave my daughters wolves hoping they would keep the boys away." I tell my little brother making him laugh. Rhaenys and Harrion start going over to the glass garden out of sight.
"Jon, Aegon." I call to my sons who are as usual together walking around Winterfell.
"Do me a favor and go be annoying little brothers and stay with Rhaenys and Harrion." I tell them making Benjen laugh.
"Rhae wait up!" Aegon calls with a charming smile getting a glare from his sister Jon just laughs following after Aegon. They are good boys the both of them I was a whoremonger at 16 but they are good boys who are respectful to woman, good students, and loyal to our family I am very proud of them. Thankfully Jon just looks like a stark long face and all but Aegon is cursed with handsome Targaryen features he is the spitting image of his father and that worries me, but he is safe and tucked away in the north far from Roberts gaze. The people here don't see a long dead prince when they look at him they see kind, helpful, sweet Aegon who they have known most of his life and see as mine just like I do.
Berena comes over one of her boys on either side. "Lord Glover and some others want a target competition, the boys wanted to see papa win." She says making Benjen smile.
"Papa is the best shot in the whole world." Don says he looks up at his father like he is a great hero the way Benjen used to look at me.
"Go on Benny everyone wants to see the lone wolf in action."
Benjen puts his younger son up on his shoulders he was not so lone anymore I think he preferred it that way I know I did. "You should see if uncle Brandon will come he taught me how to shoot an arrow." Benjen says.
"I am going to find Ashalyen and Elia." I tell him I have not seen them in awhile and I worry Ashalyn is not feeling well.
I go up to my bed chamber I find them their but Ashalyn is not laying down on the daybed to weak to go play as I have seen before instead she is in her mothers lap as Elia fixs her hair into bows. My youngest daughter is seven years old she looks so much like her mother, the same gentle ethereal beauty flowed through them both Elia kisses our daughters head when she is done. I could watch Elia take care of our children for hours she has this maternal grace, I am so glad she is the mother of my children. I am thankful for her every day. Elia wears a grey dress with her silver locket the perfect lady Stark.
"Doesn't she look beautiful?" Elia askes.
"You both do." I tell her with a smile.
Ashalyen hugs me before going on her way back to the feastivities her little wolf gallops after her something about my littlist most fragile daughter's wolf growing the fastest and large amuses me.
"Cley Crewyn pulled her bow out." Elia explains.
"I'll kill him." I tell her shutting the door and latching it.
"He only did it because he likes her." Elia says while I walk over to her.
"That's why I am going to kill him." I say with a shrug making Elia laugh she knows I am joking Cley Crewyn is only 8 years old after all.
"Can I pull your hair?" I ask my hand going into her dark hair she looks up at me with those glorious black eyes. With everything going on we have barely had a moment alone together and I long to be alone with her after all these years my desire for her only strengthens. She is not just a beautiful woman she is the beautiful gentle woman who settles my worst impulses but is still strong enough to bare my children, Elia is my true partner in life and she will always be my burning desire.
"You are the person being celebrated your absence will be noticed." She hums but she's already smiling.
I pull her out of her chair into my arms she makes an undignified yelp followed by her graceful laughter as I carry her to bed. "I want to celebrate you, I would not be being celebrated as a great lord without you. I would not have our pack of children which I cannot live without. Your my everything Elia you always will be." I tell her as I gently place her on our bed, it's odd to think I once thought myself saddled with Elia and now I needed her like air in my lungs. How funny fate works. She pulls my face down kissing me soundly.
"I love you Brandon Stark and I plan to love you for the rest of my life." Elia promises and I mean to hold her to it.