Welcome back to the next part! This one is now from Nat's POV.
I am refering to a "Game of Thrones" Wiki for dates and ages, with slight support from an "A song of ice and fire" wiki where some dates vary a bit. Partly they are also adapted so that the Marvel characters match it better.

This chapter might raise some controversy but it is important to set up Nat's background story. At that point it has to be mentioned that I adore Catelyn Tully and she will feature a lot in later chapters.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Natalia

Well, the days of the tournament had definitely proven to be even more interesting than Natalia had expected she mused, and it was far from over yet.

Firstly, she had been able to watch her brother Lord James, or Bucky, kick some guys' asses. That had been pretty awesome.

Secondly, she met the golden Lannister knight, the young lion everyone had been gushing about when he had been appointed to the kingsguard the first day of the tourney, he had made his vows and his father had been so outraged that he had left straight away. She had taken her time observing the famous Tywin Lannister and concluded he was indeed a scary man, his fury was quiet and cold and cutting like steel and the northwind. She wouldn't want to be at the recieving end of it. His oldest son was handsome, she had to grant him that, extraordinary eyes a bit like her own and she admired the way he was moving, as if he was hunting. Much like Bucky actually, but softer. And he was as arrogant as she had him expected to be. It had been fun vexing him, Natalia always knew when people were starting to feel confused or awkward and he had definitely been that. Why had he been staring? People often told her that she was a beauty, but someone like Jaime Lannister saw beautiful women everyday. Women with, quote Bucky: "A few years on her and already more tits.".

Anyway, it didn't matter, she didn't care for Jaime Lannister somewhere in the South, she was a Snow of the North. So was the man who made her heart beat faster in her chest and her brain weirdly fuzzy, who had made her giddy with excitement when they had met again after months apart, here in Harrenhal. She could feel that he liked her, too, but he was a rational one and rationally seen there could never be anything between them than the friendship they had formed over the years.

Thirdly, there was Prince Rhaegar, the star of the tournament, invincible. As her lady-in-waiting, Natalia had listened to Lyanna going on about him for hours: His looks, his skills, his charme. Well damn it that he was married. Because the lady was absolutely taken with him, more than with the loud Robert Baratheon who couldn't take his eyes off her.

Forthly, Bucky had made a friend, Ser Steven, or simply Steve. He was a Lannister bastard and a great fighter and a shame that he was living so far away. He was as good-looking as Ser Jaime, for sure, but a lot less prickly.

Fifthly, there were Maryah and Bobbi. Maryah, Ser Steven's wife, only a year or so older than Natalia herself with dark hair, blue eyes and a mouth as sharp as a sword. Bobbi was the knight's sister, beautiful, confident and most importantly, also a fighter. Natalia had never met a girl who had been interested in fighting other than Lyanna and it made her incredibly happy to know she was not alone. Also, they shared something that Lyanna, despite all her goodness, would never understand: What it meant to be a bastard in a world where only the surname counted.

Now they were on a mission together, to get Maryah ready so she could avenge Howland Reed who had been so shamefully bullied before. Those boys men had been about their age, not really men grown yet, so she actually might have a chance. The red-head would "arrange" her entry in the list the next day, she was incredibly good in sneaking around, so that shouldn't be a problem at all. As it turned out, all the others had done their taks as well. Among "the team" they would have a beautifully mismatched armour for Lady Starshield the next day that luckily fit when she tried it on in the dark behind the tents, clad in men's clothes. Ser Jaime actually had managed to get the shield painted and decorated as promised and it looked amazing, the only thing that stopped her from exclaiming out loud was the already smug look on the Lannister's face. No need to encourage that.

The Starshields' marriage was a mystery to her, from their interaction she could tell that they were close, but she didn't know whether they were in the way of friendship and support or the way of mutual desire. In any way, they had been lucky in their match, arranged as it had been. They had been married for about a year now and there was no sign of pregnancy, though that didn't have to mean anything. Bobbi had told Natalia that she and Maryah and Ser Steven had trained together at Casterly Rock (secretly, of course) whenever Maryah had been visiting (which had been often, apparently).

Making her way back to the Starks' tents with Lyanna and her brother, hoods deep in their faces, another man was suddenly stepping towards them. In the pale moonlight, she could see he wasn't wearing armour but still a heavy sword on his hip. He was tall and broad-shouldered with a self-assured walk. Without a doubt she knew who it was.

"I was wondering where you had been and went searching for you. Are you alright?" he wanted to know.

"Yes, we are fine, Bucky was with us the whole time," Lyanna confirmed.

They silently walked on until her brother suddenly pulled her lady away, leaving her and the man standing between the tents, slightly confused.

"Where did they go?" Natalia asked after a heartbeat, even though she was pretty sure they had just dashed away around the next corner to 'give the two of them some time alone'. Her brother could be such a sneaky bastard sometimes! (Well, not excatly, he was trueborn, she was the bastard, but whatever her mind was just going a bit crazy right now.) On one hand she had yearned for this, but on the other hand it was absolutely improper being alone with him at night. Not that the girl minded, but he might get all knightly and honourable and try to escape the situation. So she waited for his reaction, heart beating in her chest.

"I don't know and if I may tell the truth, I don't worry much about it," he answered, "as I am sure James is with Lyanna and will bring her back safely."

He took a deep breath as if to steel himself.

"Would you like to... go for a walk? I mean now? I know it is highly improper but -"

"Of course," she interrupted his rambling, cute as she found it, she had never heard him that flustered before. Feeling reckless, she took his hand, pulling him further towards the outskirts of the camp. Nobody gave them a second glance, but they only slowed down under some trees, out of sight of the other soldiers and knights.

With a thrill, Natalia realized he hadn't let go of her hand the whole time. He even pulled her a bit towards him, his free hand pushing back the hood of her cloak to free her red tresses.

"Where had you been the whole evening?"

"Talking to Maryah Starshield, we met her at one of the fires," she answered simply. She felt bad for keeping things from him but was also sure he wouldn't exactly approve of her plan to work together with Jaime Lannister. It was just a gut feeling.

He simply hummed.

"Her husband seemed quite taken with you last night. He even asked you to dance."

Natalia shrugged her shoulders.

"Why is it such a wonder to you that someone would want to dance with me?"

"No, it's not that. But he is basically a Lannister and they usually think they are above us."

"I think he just wanted to be friendly and make an aquaintance with someone fron the North and didn't dare to ask Lyanna because he felt one of her brothers, her fiancé or Prince Rhaegar would chop off his manhood if he did. Also he is a bastard, not a real Lannister, which makes me like him even more. He is a good man though, honourable, I reckon, you would like him. Bucky likes him I think and that means something to me."

Her companion muttered something she couldn't quite understand, but it sounded a bit angry.

"Are you jealous?," she asked lightly.

He scoffed again.

"What makes you say that?"

Natalia grew serious, her pulse accelerating. So it hadn't been wishful thinking, she had hit a nerve there!

"Because you get even more quiet than you already are when a man only as much as looks at me."

"You enjoy their attention." In his voice there was a hint of an accusation.

"What is wrong with that? At least it gives me some kind of appreciation.. It is not as if I have more to offer than a pretty face and a bastard name."

When he tried to speak she held up her hand, silencing him.

"You know it's true. I am forever grateful for my position, the one I only got because Lyanna likes me and convinced everyone a Snow was good enough for being a lady-in waiting to the future Lady OF Storm's End. But the thing is, I don't even want to marry some stranger and become his perfect wife. I -"

"What do you want then, Natalia?"

His eyes were piercing in the moonlight, and a shiver ran down her spine.

"You still haven't figured that out, have you?"

When he didn't answer, she wasn't sure whether she had simply overstepped a line or whether he was still trying to sort out the meaning of her words. It could be either, after all he was rather straight forward, while Natalia was adept at speaking in riddles. Finally, she sighed.

"Eddard Stark, you are such a morron."

Cupping his cheek with her free hand and rising to her tiptoes, she managed to brush her lips over his, just a butterfly kiss really. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she pulled back, hoping that the dark concealed the blush that spread over her face. Ned looked at her with an unreadable expression in his face. Suddenly, she felt a tug through her body, from where their fingers were still laced together, and she stumbled forward, her chest finally touching his. Natalia had to tilt her head up to look at him and when she did, she felt his eyes flicker from hers to her lips and back. Tentatively he lowered his lips to hers, giving her enough time to pull away if she wanted, but why would she? When their lips finally met, the girl felt as if she might spontaneously combust from happiness. Ned kissed just the way he was, a bit reserved maybe but making her feel incredibly safe at the same time. Far too early, he pulled away. The man took a deep breath, it looked almost painful.

"We shouldn't be doing this though, you know", he began, "I mean I shouldn't have taken you here and -"

"Ned," she interrupted him, "I couldn't care less about your bloody knightly codex or any sensible reason right now. Unless you don't see me that way."

The man growled something that could have been 'to hells with it' before crashing his lips back onto hers. Natalia yelped in surprise before reciprocating, both of her arms resting around his neck, her body flush on his. They must have stumbled back because suddenly her back hit a tree, making their noses bump together ungracefully. Laughing lightly, she leaned back a bit to see him smiling down at her, an unusual tender expression on his face. The man quickly pulled off his gloves before tracing her temples and cheekbones down to her lips.

"You aren't just a pretty face to me," he confessed, his voice rough, "you are smart and funny and a fighter and I want to marry you when you come of age."

She couldn't help but pull him back towards her, tangling her hands in his dark hair.

"The world won't let you, you marry me, you know that," she said sadly after a while, "but it makes me glas to think you would."

"Fuck the world," he murmured, foreheads pressed together, "we will work it out."

"I never pictured you to be a rebel Ned," she teased him gently, hoping he couldn't hear the tears in her voice.

"Well, the things I do for love, for you Naty."

Her breath caught.

"You love me?"

Even in the healf-light the moon supplied he could see his confused frown.

"Would I tell you I want to marry you if I didn't? Who is the morron now?"

Instead of an answer, Natalia started peppering his face with kisses, feeling light-headed from joy. After a time that neither of the two cared to measure, Ned took a step back to hold something out to her.

"I have something for you, your nameday gift. I know it is a bit late but I wanted to give you something anyway."

Natalia soon realized it was a dagger in a sheath he was holding out to her, smaller than most to fit into her hand perfectly. The hilt was decorated with red inlays, the shapes ressembling hourglasses.

"Last time we talked you told me that would be your sigil if you could choose one," he explained.

"And you remembered," she answered, her voice sounding strangled with emotion. "Thank you Ned, truely. I love it."

She was aware of the gesture, that he was proving to her he didn't see her only as a bastard girl but as somebody worthy of her own house, of her own name. What bigger compliment could he make her?

"It needs a name," Ned argued.

"No, it doesn't. It is not a sword. But alright, if you insist." She considered for a moment. "I will call it 'Frost'."

Attaching it to her belt, she was very aware of her lover's eyes on her. Coming to a conclusion, she grabbed him at the front of his cloak, spinning the surprised man around so he was the one against the tree. With their difference in height, he could have easily pushed her off, but instead he pulled her closer with his arms around her waist. Natalia was amazed how this incredible good man could like a girl like her. But if he deemed her worthy, by the Gods she wouldn't argue.

"Yes," she breathed.

"Yes what?" He looked confused for a moment.

"Yes I will marry you," she confirmed. "And to hells with the world," she echoed his former words.

"Your father would say that you are too young to make such a decision," he reprimanded her, though he didn't sound serious at all.

"My father doesn't know how much I love you," Natalia only breathed against his lips before shutting him up again.

And that is how trouble started...

(Now we know where Robb got his "impulsive-marriage-streak from)

Especially the second part was really dificult to write for me as I had never imagined Ned being with anyone but Cat before writing this fanfiction. Reviews are therefore highly appreaciated, as always.

I'd also like to know, whose perspectives would you like to read? Maryah, Sansa, Peggy, Arya, Tyrion or someone totally different? Suggestions my way please!