Minisa IV

Somewhere in the North, 298 AC

The raven had come to visit her again.

She was sitting alone near a river, holding her knees to her chest and humming a lullaby that Old Nan used to sing her when she was a child. The air was cold, and the only sound that could be heard aside from her breathing was the running water.

The black bird landed near her and cawed.

Minisa glanced at it from the corner of her eye. "I'm sorry, I have nothing to feed you." she sighed. Just like the other times. Whenever the raven came, she would utter the exact same words. Why then did it keep on coming? Perhaps it somehow enjoyed her company?

"I'm not looking for food, child." someone suddenly said, startling Minisa. She looked around for the source of the voice, but the only ones present in the area were herself...and the raven.

"It was me, yes."

She looked at the bird with wide eyes. How could it be? She knew that ravens were very intelligent birds and that, in a few cases, could be taught to repeat human words, but nobody had ever heard of a raven that could actually speak like a human.

"I understand that my features may be...confusing, but I can assure you that I'm no ordinary raven."

Minisa gulped. What was happening? Was this some kind of foul sorcery?

"I mean you no harm."

Those words did nothing to set her at ease. In fact, they scared her even more. "What...what do you want from me?" She prepared herself to run at the first sign of danger.

"I just want to help you." answered the raven. "I sense that you don't trust me. I can understand that. Were I in your place, I would do the same."

"Why would you want to help me?"

"The why doesn't matter. The how, on the other hand...that matters, indeed."

"What do you mean, the how?" None of what the raven was saying made sense to Minisa. What if it was just trying to lure her into some kind of trap?

"I want to set you free. To help you fly."

"Fly?" Now she was sure of something. That bird was insane. How could it expect her to fly? She didn't have any wings!

"Yes, fly. But to do that, you must first open your eyes."

Minisa stared at the raven. Her eyes were already open! Couldn't the raven see that?

"I mean your real eyes, Minisa. Open them."

"My real eyes? What...wait, how do you know my name?" She was certain she had never told the bird.

"Open them!"

Suddenly, the world around her vanished. Minisa's eyes snapped open. She saw the stone ceiling above her, the candle on a nearby chair, and a rusty bucket.

There was no river, no strange raven. It had just been a dream. Another of the strange, confusing dreams that she had been having lately.

She rose to sit on the filthy straw that had been her bed for the last few days. Or had it been weeks? A month, perhaps? She had lost count of the passing of time. She didn't know where she was, didn't know why she was there.

She didn't know why he had kidnapped her.

When she thought about it, she still couldn't believe it. Torrhen, her bastard brother, had taken her from her home and brought her gods knew where. Why? What did he want with her?

She remembered the first time her father had brought Torrhen to Winterfell. How angry her mother had been, that day! She remembered watching Torrhen spar with Uncle Bryn, and later playing with her. She remembered a kind boy with a warm smile.

What had happened to that boy?

The only thing that came to her mind was the one thing her mother had always warned her: greed. Torrhen wanted Winterfell. But how...no, there had to be another explanation. Torrhen had always denied any intention of usurping his trueborn sisters' inheritance. Minisa trusted her brother's word. What reason did he have to lie?

But then, why was she in that room?

Maybe...someone had threatened Torrhen, forcing him to kidnap her? But who? And...wait, what if he was under some kind of spell? Yes, that could be it! Someone must have used magic to enthrall Torrhen and convince him to do what he had done. Some Essosi warlock, perhaps in service to an enemy of House Stark? It was a logical explanation.

This also meant that, whatever spell Torrhen was under, it could be undone. Something similar happened in many of Old Nan's stories. The hero found a way to break the spell, and then he defeated the evil warlock.

She could try to do the same to Torrhen. But how?

Just when she was thinking of a way, the door to her prison opened.

It was Torrhen.

"I brought you some food." he said, placing a plate with some bread and what looked to be meat on the chair with the candle. "Can't have you starving, after all."

A spark of hope lightened into Minisa. This was her chance to undo the spell and bring back the Torrhen she knew and loved! "Brother, I know this isn't your fault."

He raised an eyebrow. "What are you blabbering about?"

"I just understood what happened to you. You kidnapped me because you are under some kind of spell." she said. "You can fight it, Torrhen. Use your strength to oppose it, and then we will be both out of here."

For a moment, Torrhen just looked at her. Then, he threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing in the small room.

He stopped a while later and shook his head. "Gods, you really are more stupid than I thought!"

Minisa didn't understand.

"I have news for you, sister dearest." Torrhen said in what was unmistakingly a mocking tone. He knelt close to her and looked straight into her eyes. "This isn't a tale about gallant knights slaying monsters. Neither it is one of those stupid songs that you girls like so much. This is reality." He leaned in closer, so much that Minisa could smell his breath. And it wasn't pleasant.

"I didn't kidnap you because I was "under a spell", you stupid cow. I did it because I want what is mine by rights!" Then, so suddenly that Minisa barely had time to realize what was happening, he punched her in the stomach, so hard that she was knocked backward and hit the stone floor with her head.

She moaned in pain and raised her gaze. Torrhen grabbed her by the neck and held her against the wall.

"I am Father's only son. Winterfell should be mine!"

Minisa could scarcely believe her own ears. Torrhen...wanted Winterfell? But then...her mother had been right all along? No, it couldn't be.

"But you...you are..."

"A bastard? Ha! It may be, but I am of pure northern stock! While you...did you really think that the North would follow a half-southron shit like you or cousin Edwyle?"

While it was true that the northmen didn't have a particularly high opinion of their southern neighbors, they didn't hate them. Everyone had always treated her mother with nothing but respect. And although she was half southron, she was her father's daughter. The heir to House Stark of Winterfell. The northern lords would never dare to hurt her just because her mother was a southron.

Or would they? A small part of her was beginning to have doubts. What if Torrhen's words were true? What if he really wanted to...no, it couldn't be.

"Torrhen...please, I'm your sister...you are hurting me..." She hoped those words would be enough to bring him back to normal.

Alas, it didn't happen.

"You can't even begin to imagine how much I hate you..." he whispered. "You and your sisters always got the best that Father could give you, while I got the scraps. All those years spent pretending to love you and be a good brother...there were times when I wanted nothing more than to cut your throats and watch you bleed!"

For the first time in her young life, Minisa looked at her brother with fear in her eyes.

"Don't worry, though, I'm not going to kill you. As much as I would love it." he chuckled. "I've been advised to keep you as a hostage until your mother accepts my demands. Then, you will all go back to the south. And the North will have a proper ruler once again!" He punched her again, and let go of her neck. She fell to the ground with a cry of pain that made Torrhen laugh.

"I have to go now. See you soon, sister dearest." He left without even glancing at her. When the door was slammed shut, it produced a gust of air that turned the candle's light off.

Minisa was left alone in the dark, with only her sobs and cries of pain to break the silence.

AN: Poor Minisa. Such a sweet, naive girl in such a cruel world. Not that Torrhen is much different. He too is naive. What do I mean? Don't worry, you'll find out soon.

Next chapter we'll go back south to Storm's End. War is on the horizon! Someone will die. And after that, a new POV character. Stay tuned!