Here we are again with another chapter so quickly! I've not really got a lot to say other than I'm motivated to keep writing this and get further into some of the plot points that I'm extremely excited for instead of sticking to my re-watch schedule before the new season comes out, so I now have 53 days to watch 65 episodes.

But enough prattling on, I hope you enjoy the chapter. As always, I own nothing but the OC's, everything else belongs to George R R Martin or HBO.

Sansa felt uncomfortable in the Queen's dress. Every time she moved her feet forwards everything felt wrong, the fabrics, the colours, everything, but she kept going, following the Lannister Captain of the Guards Vylarr who was escorting her to see her sister.

Arya was kept in a comfy cell on the top floor, with a bed, a table and some books to keep her company. The gaoler unlocked the door, and Vylarr stepped aside to let Sansa in. "Thank you, Vylarr." She said, stepping through the doors as it locked behind her.

Arya was sat on the bed glaring at the window. The younger Stark took one glance at the elder and just scoffed. "You even dress like them now?" She spat.

"I didn't choose to wear this." Sansa said quietly.

"Hmm." Arya rolled her eyes, staring into space again.

"I'm glad your alive." Sansa told her sister honestly. "Truly."

"Why?" Arya laughed. "So you can turn me into the Lannister's whore as well?"

That hurt, but Sansa hid her pain and went to look out the window. "I mean it. Do you remember what Father used to say? About the pack."

"The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives." Arya replied, bored. "What about it?"

"We are the pack." Sansa told her. "It's just us now."

Sansa heard Arya sit up straighter. "What do you mean?"

A tear fell from the elder's eye as she turned to face her sister. "Theon… I don't know how but the Ironborn took Winterfell… he killed Bran and Rickon."

Arya grinned, causing Sansa to grow angry. "You're an idiot. A proper idiot." She laughed. "Theon died. Theon died fighting for Robb."

Sansa held her breath but shook her head. "Whatever happened up there, they're dead. They've been treating me better today than they ever have done before, and they wouldn't have done that unless I was now of more use to them. I'm now the Lady of Winterfell and they want to use that." The red-head sat down at Arya's table. "We need to stick together."

"How can we do that?" Arya exclaimed quietly, angry. "We don't have an army."

"But we can have their trust." Sansa whispered. "Act the damsel, the silly little girl that's just trying to stay alive but secretly fight back where you can."

"I don't fight with words." Arya shook her head. "I don't know how."

Sansa smiled at her sister. "You can learn. I can help you."

A few days after his arrival and once Tyland had gotten settled in properly, he attended his first Small Council meeting since before Robert had died. Sitting at the other end of the table to his Father, he listened in to get his bearings.

"Lord Bolton has yet again written us asking for aid against the Ironborn on the coasts." Tywin shook his head. "We gave him the North and he has the men to keep it. Send a reply back saying that we are stretched too thinly in the South."

"Of course, Lord Hand." Pycelle mumbled.

"About the South." Varys began. "My little birds have mentioned something quite interesting. Stannis Baratheon and Renly Baratheon met for a parlay outside of Storm's End."

"A Parlay?" Tyrion said with mock enthusiasm. "How exciting!"

"It could bode poorly for us if they struck an agreement." Tywin glared at his youngest son. "What happened?"

"They spoke. They disagreed. They vowed to battle." Varys explained in his silky voice. "But they didn't."

Tyland was confused. "What happened then?" He asked.

"Reports differ there." Varys explained. "Some say that Renly perished while bedding his bride."

"I doubt that." Tyrion grinned.

"Some say that he was killed by a woman of his Kingsguard, Brienne of Tarth?" Varys shrugged. "They say he was stabbed as he dressed."

"Loras Tyrell has been stabbing him for years and he's not died." Littlefinger jested. "A woman stabbing him to death makes more sense."

"But the last rumour is the most unsettling." Varys said, his face looking scared and haunted. "They say a shadow demon slipped through the camp as it was in its merriment and took the form of Stannis Baratheon, killing Renly."

Tyland saw Tyrion shudder next to him. "But Renly is dead?"

Varys nodded. "All accounts have the same result yes, Renly died."

Tyland felt a smile briefly brush his face, as Tyrion grinned and clapped his hands. "What of his bannermen?" Tywin, ever the pragmatic, asked.

"The Stormlords have gone over to Stannis in their droves." Varys said, dampening the mood a bit. "As have the Florent's."

"But the rest of the Reach?" Tywin asked, and Tyland leant forwards in interest.

Varys's mouth twitched for a moment in a smirk. "As of yet they are undecided. The Tyrell's themselves have ridden back to Highgarden."

Tywin leant backwards, relaxing. "Good, we can use this to our advantage." He took a sip of water. "Tyland, stay. The rest of you get out."

Tyrion quickly jumped off of his chair and patted his brother on the arm. "Good luck." He said with a smile, before waddling out whistling the Rains of Castamere, closely followed by the other members of the Council.

"80,000 men." Tywin said, bordering on enthusiastically.

"That's an awful lot of men sitting around and not doing anything." Tyland noted.

"A number that we can't pass up." Tywin told him. "I want you to travel there. Gain their loyalty and bring them to our side."

Tyland nodded. "And what do I offer them?"

Tywin leant on the table, and smirked. "What they've always wanted. Offer them a King."

The massacre at the Twins wasn't really the end of the War in the North no matter how much the Southerners wanted to pretend it was. Roose Bolton knew that the presence of the two Stark boys sat in Winterfell would mean that those still loyal to the Young Wolf would never back down. That's why he had called for his bastard to take the remainder of his and Lady Dustin's men to march to the seat of the old Kings of Winter and take it.

That hadn't gone to plan though, to which Roose found out himself within the first hour of having marched through the Winterfell gates. The Stark Banners had been mostly discarded, and a mix of Bolton and Ryswell ones hung up in their place, and Roose quickly had his former sister by law and his bastard son meet him in the Winterfell Great Hall.

"I once swore to myself I would never step foot in this castle so long as I lived." Barbrey noted, looking around the room before spitting on the floor. "I'm not sorry to see the Quiet Wolf lose his head."

"It will be us losing our heads soon enough." Roose replied, trying to curb his anger. "Where are the boys?"

"Ask him." Barbrey snarled at Ramsay. "Your bastard was the one that lost them."

Roose saw Ramsay wince at the title. "I didn't lose them, they were already gone." He said through clenched teeth.

"We were given the title of Warden of the North on the premise that we handed Brandon and Rickon Stark to the Lannisters." Roose reminded Ramsay. "How are we to do that if we don't have the boys?"

"They'll have been picked off by the Ironborn." Ramsay waved off. Roose sighed loudly at the reminder of the raiders on his western coasts. "They're no trouble now."

"No trouble? Are you as stupid as you are insane, bastard?" Barbrey laughed. "You aren't of a noble house, you don't understand the loyalty that this damned House has in the North."

Ramsay was getting ready to jump into an angry tirade, so Roose jumped in ahead of him. "Take as many men as you need and find them. Head to the Neck, head to White Harbour, I want everywhere searched and I want those boys found."

Ramsay bowed his head. "And what do you want doing when we find them?"

Roose thought for a moment. "Slit their throats quickly." He answered. Ramsay grinned and departed the room. "Maester Wolkan."

The balding man stepped forwards out of the shadows. "Yes, My Lord."

"Send a raven to King's Landing." Roose said, a plan forming in his heads. "Tell them that the Ironborn sacked Winterfell and slaughtered all the occupants before we arrived." Wolkan was surprised, but the glare from Roose made the man bow his head and leave for the Maester's Tower. Roose went to pour two glasses of water, handing one over to Lady Dustin. "My Lady, how would you like to add to the number of times that House Bolton has razed Winterfell?"

Barbrey Dustin couldn't contain her grin, holding her glass up to tap it against Roose's own. "Lord Bolton, I'd be delighted."

Sansa watched down at the tiltyard to where Loren Lannister was once again training against a number of opponents. Her talk with Arya the day before had opened something in the young girl's mind, and a plan of sorts was beginning to form. Knowing that her betrothal to Joffrey was even more important now than it had been before because of her claim to Winterfell, she felt that if she could somehow get ahead of it and foster a good relationship with Loren, then it could be beneficial for her long-term relationship with the tyrant.

She hated thinking like this. Too quickly she had had to change from the naïve little girl to the head of her House, but it was a change that she was determined to rise too for the sake of her family. Putting away her motives for the moment though, she delicately applauded as the Lannister was once again the last man standing.

"That's enough for one day." She heard the voice of one of the Lannister cousins, Daven she believed, as he took Loren's training sword off of him. Loren noticed her up on the balcony, and after having a drink from a wineskin and saying goodbye to his training partners, he came and greeted her.

"Lady Sansa, I must admit I'm surprised to see you here of all places." Loren said with a charming smile, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. "If I'd have known I'd have been a bit more presentable."

Sansa smiled sweetly back at him. "No need, My Lord." She told him. "My brothers would often come back into the Great Hall at Winterfell covered in mud and sweat after a hard mornings sparring. I'm used to it." In truth she had always been a bit grossed out, but the girl would give anything just to see that scene one more time.

"Your younger brother sparred with your elder?" Loren asked, cautiously so as to not upset her. Sansa shook her head.

"My Father's bastard, Jon." She answered. "They were of an age with each other and always sparred together." She smiled weakly at the reminder.

Loren bowed his head. "I always wanted a brother." He admitted. "I have cousins galore, but it's not the same. You must miss them."

"They were traitors, Lord Loren." Sansa told him, as they passed a couple of ladies walking the other way. Loren nodded his understanding of her words, as he offered her his arm, which she duly took.

They walked round towards the gardens, where Sansa steered the conversation over to his childhood. "I miss the Rock." He admitted. "The tiltyard there was glorious, my uncle Tyrion had a water stream flow past there so that we could have a wash straight away after our exercise, so we didn't smell as bad as I must do now."

Sansa hated to admit it, but he smelt rather attractive. "You don't smell." She chuckled gently. "The city itself may be masking you though." She tried to joke.

Loren took it well, laughing loudly. "That it does, another reason that I miss the Rock. We actually have a city that doesn't smell like the privy."

Sansa scrunched her face up in disgust, laughing at his joke when suddenly the person she least wanted to see turned a corner with the newly appointed Kingsguard member Sandor Clegane. "Cousin." Joffrey said extravagantly. "Enjoying a walk with my own betrothed?"

"Ladies enjoy walks in the gardens, Your Grace." Loren feigned a smile at the King. "Much more than they enjoy being stripped and humiliated."

Sansa stayed quiet but let go of Loren's arm to try and save face. Joffrey's own face meanwhile contorted in anger. "You can't talk to me like that." Joffrey snarled.

"My apologies." Loren bowed his head. "If Your Grace wishes, he can beat out my insolence in the tiltyard tomorrow morning?" Joffrey stared Loren down for a moment, before huffing and barging past him, without even a word to Sansa.

"He won't forget that." Sansa whispered.

"He can't do anything about it." Loren shrugged. "He's too scared of my Father and Grandfather to do anything, and he's been taught from such a young age that House Lannister is the only one that matters. Let him cry about it to Clegane, he knows now that he can't treat you like a whore, but a Queen."

Sansa smiled, retaking Loren's arm. "Won't he be jealous though?"

Loren sighed. "Perhaps, but courtesy won't hurt him and until he learns them he's best kept in check. I won't lie though my lady, he is one of the main reasons I cannot wait for Stannis to try and attack us so that this war can finally be over and I can go home, away from him and to Cerenna and the rest of my family."

Sansa nodded, internally feeling her disappointment at the boy always bringing the conversation round to Cerenna Lannister, and the Stark girl vowed to compete for his affections to ensure her own safety in King's Landing.

Later on that evening Tyland was preparing to leave for his trip to Highgarden, and Loren was sat with him enjoying a cup of wine and some dinner as the servants were packing a few trunks of clothes and other necessities. "Is it true that they have a huge maze surrounding the castle?" Loren asked.

"It's more of a small forest on a hill, the way Renly Baratheon always spoke of it." Tyland told his son. "Nothing quite so… fancy."

"Hmm." Loren shrugged his shoulders, tucking into a chicken leg. "It's said to be magnificent though."

"No castle holds up to the Rock." Tyland reminded his son, who chuckled lightly and took another bite. "I shouldn't be gone for too long. Soon the war will be over, and we can go home."

"And I'll be forced to wed I suppose." Loren said glumly.

Tyland put his cutlery down. "What was that tone for?"

Loren did the same, looking up at his Father. "Have you spoken to Grandfather about my future?"

Tyland shook his head. "We've had more pressing issues."

"Then can you?" Loren asked. "I want to make the case for me to…"

"We will not speak about my cousin, Loren." Tyland told him firmly, but Loren wasn't happy at that answer.

"I won't marry anybody else." The younger of the two began.

"You will marry whoever is deemed the best fit for House Lannister." Tyland said sharply. "And Cerenna will honour her betrothal when she turns 18."

Loren's face fell into a scowl. "Her betrothal?" He said slowly and angrily.

Tyland nodded. "It was agreed with House Frey that Cerenna will become the new Lady of the Twins and wed Lord Walder to strengthen their rule as Lords Paramount of the Trident."

Tyland watched on calmly as Loren's shoulders began rising and falling as he began breathing heavily in his anger, when suddenly he lashed out and swiped out, his plate and glass clattering into pieces on the floor. "HOW COULD YOU?!" He cried out.

"Get out." Tyland called to the servants, who all hurried their way out of the room. "Calm yourself." Tyland told his son firmly once they had all left, to which Loren just laughed, unamused.

"Calm myself? Calm myself! Are you being serious?" Loren exclaimed. "No. No I won't accept that, Cerenna won't marry that old weasel."

"She will do her duty to her house." Tyland replied coldly. "As will you, boy."

Loren rose to his feet, kicking his chair back as he went. "I've done everything you asked!" The boy shouted. "I've done everything Grandfather asked, and the one thing I ask of you? This is your way of controlling me isn't it. You don't like the fact that a girl actually loves me when Mother couldn't stand you to touch her to such a degree that she found another lover!"

Tyland rose to his feet sharply and slapped his son around the face, knocking him down. "You're only proving that you don't know a thing about your Mother." He snarled. "Go on, get out of my sight until you stop crying like a child. Lions…"

"Lions don't cry." Loren interrupted mockingly, causing Tyland to glare with rage. "'We are Lannisters of Casterly Rock, and tears will only show weakness.' You lectured me with that enough when we lost her." He spat, before storming out of the room slamming the door behind him. Tyland sighed, standing still and composing himself for a few minutes before he went to pick up some of the larger shards when his door opened once more, as one of the last people Tyland wanted to see walked in the door.

"Tssk." Cersei made a noise with her mouth. "You're getting clumsy in your old age, brother."

"How can I help you, sweet sister?" Tyland asked, internally groaning at what was bound to be another row between a family member and himself.

Cersei stepped into the room, her hands inside the other sleeve. "You go to far with Joff." She spoke coldly.

"He goes too far with the Stark girl." Tyland bit back. "You should have hit him more as a boy, then perhaps he wouldn't be so foolish now."

"He is your King!" Cersei snapped. "Hitting your King is a treasonous act, and you should have lost your hand."

"And why didn't I?" Tyland asked, standing a few inches before her, looking down in to her emerald eyes. "Because he is weak and needs to learn a great many things before he comes into his rule."

"How can a King learn when he is terrified that his councillors are going to murder him?" Cersei scoffed, pouring herself some wine.

Tyland gritted his teeth at her actions, but her words amused him to some extent. "Good. If he is afraid then he will want to beat that fear, and to beat that fear maybe he will listen to his advisors and for the first time since Aegon the Unlikely we may have a King worthy of the title."

So there, I've cleared up some of the glaring issues with last chapter, namely 'Theon' killing the Stark boys and Tyland's reaction to that rumour about his old wife. I'm not saying it's true, I'm not saying that it isn't, but it's an in-world rumour.

A bit of an insight into the state of the North as well. For those that don't know Barbrey Dustin (of House Ryswell) is the Lady of Barrowton after her husband died at the Tower of Joy and is severely pissed off with Ned and House Stark for only bringing back Willam Dustin's horse instead of his body.

Some conflict between my two OC's as well. This is just the start of Loren becoming his own man, and I believe he will grow into the main character of the story.

That's it from me then, until next time where battle plans are drawn, and Tyland meets with the Queen of Thorns.

Reviews:

Supremus85: That's why nobody further South of the Twins outside of the Small Council know about it… a fact which was implied, if not outright stated in chapter 9 or 10. Tywin appreciates the fact that the only Northern Lords old enough to be of any use to the North now are either exiled (Asher Forrester), loyal to the Bolton's, (Ludd Whitehill, Barbrey Dustin, Lord Ryswell) or of no importance to the Lannisters that they dismiss them (Wyman Manderly, Howland Reed, the Mountain Clans/Skagosi).

Freakdogsflare: If he finds out… It's only Season 6 that the North finds out that Rickon is alive and that's a long way away… As for using Tyland… I don't know how you mean. Do you mean have him as a character as well as your Cregan Stark (so my OC is in your story with your OC as another character) or his personality is Cregan Stark? Send me a PM with your plans and we can converse through that.

MasterOfDragonsGod: Perhaps if it were definitely true and widely known. It's just a rumour that Loren likes to believe for his mother's happiness, it doesn't sound like the sort of thing that Tywin would want to spread if he found out why Jeyne Crakehall kept going down to the docks.

iHateHotWeather123: Loren is a kid of 15. There is plenty of time for him to grow considering this is pretty much his overall story. He's a strong fighter and a charismatic child. I've also only shown Cerenna in 3 scenes so far… you barely know her. All she wants is to marry her love and thinks that it could happen in 4 years' time. She's definitely not Cersei, she's kind instead of cruel, and hopeful rather than spiteful. Dany hasn't even been involved in this yet, so I can only assume that your hatred of her is a personal opinion. Personally, I don't share it, but she won't be a part of this story until Chapter 36. And Tyland is a grey asexual, I mentioned that in the intro to chapter 3. He is attracted to people very rarely. A pairing with Jon is off the cards too, 1) I don't feel like as a straight man I could do a 'slash' pairing enough justice, and 2) the character would never in a million years fall for Jon. I don't even know if they're going to meet yet.

Guest (Theon): Joffrey is taunting Sansa, she doesn't know the exact details of the war, heck even Joffrey probably doesn't have a list of every rebel that died. All Joffrey knows is that he was told the Greyjoy's took Winterfell and killed the Stark boys.

Guest (Kill the Lannisters): I've got up until Season 6 planned out… lots of people will die by that point!

Hail King Cerion: It'll make Joffrey more fearful of Tyland that's for sure. I don't know if he's redeemable though.

AZW330: I don't know if I'll ever actually upload my Marvel story, but maybe one day. Loren and Sansa are fun to write, but they're both at the mercy of Tywin at the moment…