Part 2: Blood, sweat, and tears

Minisa II

Winterfell, 297 AC

The handsome knight kissed her hand and smiled at her. "My lady, it is a honor to finally be able to see your beautiful face."

Minisa blushed and giggled. "You are too kind, ser." She and the knight were standing in the middle of the godswood. Aside from a silent raven perched on the heart tree, they were alone.

"I am merely speaking the truth, my lady. A visage such as yours is so uncommon that even the gods would be envious. The Maiden herself isn't as beautiful as you!"

She didn't know how to reply to that. People had always told that she was as beautiful as her mother, but to be compared to the Maiden...that was unexpected! It was also flattering, though. Hearing those words had made her heart beat like never before.

"Now, I would ask something of you, if you will allow me..."

"What is it, ser?" The raven cawed, but she ignored it.

"I...perhaps it is a little too bold of me, but...may I please kiss you? I would consider myself the luckiest man alive if I could touch your lips even if just for a moment."

Minisa answered immediately, her heart taking over her rational mind for a moment. "Of course you can kiss me, ser!" Then, she added: "Just be quick, though. I am bethrothed." She was sure that just a quick peck on the lips wouldn't constitute a betrayal.

The knight nodded, his smile never once leaving his face. "Thank you, my Lady of Stark." He then leaned closer to Minisa. She opened her mouth and closed her eyes in anticipation, and then...

...she opened her eyes to find herself in her bed. She was sweating, and the fur blanket had somehow ended up as a tangled mess at her feet.

"Oh..." She took a look around herself, her eyes still dazed from sleep, just to be sure. Yes, it was her bedchamber, and she was awake. There was no mistaking it. It had all been just a dream. A patricularly vivid one, though. It had all seemed so real. The warm air on her skin, the knight's eyes and his beautiful smile...

Minisa felt a pang of guilt at that thought. It had been just a dream, but she had let another man kiss her...almost. What would her parents, and Edwyle think about that? She chastised herself for what had happened, and decided to go to the sept right before breakfast and ask the gods for forgiveness. Edwyle was her future lord and husband. She had to think of him and him only!

She made to rise, only then realizing something was wrong. Why did she feel wet on her legs? She reached the wet spot with her hand. It was...why was it warm? What was it? She brought her hand up to her face, and saw. It was...

...blood?

Her scream was heard througout the entire castle.

"Minisa, honey, you need to calm down." her mother said later, amid her pants and moans. Uncle Bryn waited for the serving girls to take the bloody sheets away and closed the door, then sat next to Minisa on the bed.

"Your mother is right, girl. You're panicking as if you had seen the Stranger himself. Calm down." he gently patted her head. "There are worse things in life."

"But...but..." she tried to say. Her voice came out in feeble whispers, such was her state.

"You just had your first moon blood, Minisa. It's nothing to be afraid of. It happens to all women." Her mother took her hand in hers. "It just means you are growing up."

Minisa looked at her mother. "So...does this mean I'm a woman, now?" She had been told about moon blood and flowering, of course, but actually experiencing it was something completely different.

"Not yet." Uncle Bryn said. "You are barely four and ten. You are a maid."

"Exactly. You are a young, beautiful maid. Like the ones from the songs you like so much." Minisa's mother kissed her forehead.

"A maid..." She took a couple of deep breaths, her terror slowly disappearing.

"Do you feel better, now?" She looked at her mother, who smiled in response. Minisa nodded slowly. She did feel a little calmer.

"I was so scared..."

"It's normal. One moment you were sleeping, and when you wake up you find blood running down your legs? Hells, in your place I would have been scared too." Uncle Bryn reassured her.

That made her smile. If even a seasoned warrior like Uncle Bryn could be scared by something like this, then she had nothing to be ashamed of.

The rest of the day went on uneventfully. She prayed in the sept, played with her sisters, and attended the Septa's lessons.

Then, just before sunset, she accompanied her mother to the solar. A guest was coming from the south, and with her father away at Storm's End to visit Aunt Lya and Uncle Ned, it fell to Minisa and her mother to greet him properly.

She sat on her mother's right, and briefly glanced at her growing belly. Ever since finding out she was with child for the fifth time, her mother had been praying for it to be a son. Minisa, too, would have liked to have another brother to play with, and hoped the gods would listen to her mother's prayers.

One of the guards outside the solar entered and announced the visitor. Minisa saw her mother smile as a man she didn't know walked into the room. He was short, with a small pointed beard on his chin and dark hair with threads of grey.

"Petyr..." her mother said warmly, and the visitor smiled.

AN: I think an explanation is in order. Catelyn's marriage to Brandon isn't like her canon relationship with Ned. Brandon was never cruel to her, far from it. However, they never fell in love, and he never once stopped whoring, though he at least was discreet about it. As a consequence, their marriage was quite cold. So, Catelyn looked for warmth wherever she could. Religion, the Blackfish, her daughters...and her dear old friend Petyr, with whom she started a secret correspondence. As for what Littlefinger is doing at Winterfell, is he merely visiting an old friend...or is there something more? You'll have to wait a little to find out.

Next chapter will take place at Storm's End, where we will see Errol again and...someone will die.