Wow! Thank you to all who reviewed. I loved reading your reactions to Jon and Ophelia's...'talk' lol. And can I just say Jeepers! 41 favorites and 61 follows?! Holy crap, that made my day! Oh and I would like to thank darkwolf76! You're such a delight to talk with lol and I urge everyone to read darkwolf76's story 'Defying Demons' which is a phenomenal fanfiction. :D Like seriously, holy shit it's so good! Anyways, on with the story. As always, I own nothing except for Ophelia and anyone else I make up. (Passes tray of homemade cookies around) Thank you to all my readers! I love you guys so much. /('.')/
Trigger Warning: Blood and Violence.
3rd P.O.V. Winterfell
Ned Stark is not a fickle man nor is he unreasonable by any means.
He is not be the type to declare his affections with a grand gesture, but he is not completely inattentive to those he loves.
However, what people assume about Eddard Stark is that by being as honorable as he is, that he is unaffectionate.
But this is simply untrue.
No event can further prove this than the night that he saved a baby's life.
And as Lord Stark sat down at his desk in his Solar after several day of searching for this same girl, the tiny baby he had once saved and someone while he had grown to love fiercely like one of his own daughters, he pondered about how this was not the first time he went to great lengths to ensure her protection.
He leaned back in his chair and watched a fire being lit by a young girl, the same age as Ophelia, and he chuckled lightly, remembering at how Ophelia always came in to serve him his tea with the same big, goofy smile, while balancing another tray.
She was so much like her father, yet so different. Her looks, her sunny disposition, the way she furrowed her eyebrows whenever she was confused, even her running off.
It was all Rowtag.
Though some of Seraphine was in her as well. Her features were her mother's, from the color of her hair to her height. She was as determined and loving, just like Seraphine.
But Ophelia is also plenty of her own person, someone foreign to the influence of the people her parents once were. She was bashful, a shyness that was nothing like her confident Mother and Father. Seraphine and Rowtag could walk into a room and command attention with their mere presence. Ophelia, however, tended to blend in with the crowds and the shadows. From what he observed, she hated large crowds looking at her. Because of this, she didn't have many friends, like Rowtag did, and she wasn't as flirtatious as Seraphine. She was more hard-working than either of her parents, as far as he knew, and she was more gentle than he ever expected a Pyralis to be.
Ned sighed as the serving girl put down a tray of chamomile tea and left, shutting the door loudly, nothing like the soft closing that Ophelia would make sure to whenever she left his Solar. He raised the cup to his lips thinking about the stress this girl has put everyone through in trying to find her. As Ned took a sip, he thought about how tomorrow he would have to write to all the Houses (as well as the Night's Watch) he had sent ravens to, to inform them to call off the search for his missing ward. Mostly he had thought about the past and how much this girl changed his life.
The cup was set down on the tray and he closed his eyes in an effort trying to settle down.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose and gave out a breath of relaxation. The Lord of Winterfell fell into the crevices of his mind as he recalled the stresses of having this child under his ward.
Stresses he did not mind.
Not in the least.
Ned Stark had been having a taxing day.
The stores for winter were not as full as they could've been and the harvest produce was not as bountiful as previous years. Farmers were struggling to keep up with the demand of grain and wheat, causing a delay to occur. Some of the food that had been stored, was being stolen, so Eddard had to deal with searching for a thief in his household. His wife and him were slowly mending their fractured relationship, and even though they were now civil with one another in public, he found it hard to confide in her in private without getting a snarky remark in return.
Then there was the stress concerning Robb and Jon, both of whom were producing their first teeth, so their aches of pain kept them up at night. Catelyn refused to attend Jon and forbade Robb's Septa from interfering with the upbring of the bastard baby, though she did allow the Septa to attend to the six month old baby girl living under their roof. Ned Stark took it upon himself to stay up during night to attend to Jon's fevers and aches
During one such night when he had managed to quiet down the small boy and miraculously got him to sleep, Ned Stark decided to make himself a cup of chamomile tea before going to bed. Most of the servants had already gone to bed and he empathized with those who needed their sleep after a long day.
He gently laid Jon's black curly head down and covered him with a blanket. He kissed his forehead and exited out of the room, closing the door as softly as possible.
Ned was heading down to the kitchens when, out of nowhere, he got the feeling that something wasn't right.
Perhaps it was good fortune, perhaps it was experience from battles he had fought, but Eddard Stark decided to check the rooms before going into the kitchens.
He first went back to Jon's room, where the small baby was sleeping, his tiny body curled up in blankets. He searched under the crib, in the wardrobe, and behind the tapestries, but nothing was out of order. He closed the door and went on his way.
Next, Ned walked to the other part of the castle where he came upon his room. Opening the door, he did not find anything missing or out of place. Everything was exactly where it should've been. He closed the door and proceeded to the next place.
The following room was the one his wife was staying in. And that is where she was, dressed in her blue robe, red-hair frazzled, as she held a sleeping Robb to her chest. Cat was snoring on the bed, and Robb was sprawled out on top of her, a small dribble of drool coming from his little mouth.
Ned smiled a small smile at the picture of his wife and child and how peaceful they looked. Even if he and his wife were not loving with each other, he could still appreciate how lucky he was to even be alive to have a wife and a son.
He gently shut the door and leaned his back against it.
Maybe he was just being paranoid, or maybe he just needed some sleep.
Dismissing the possibility of a threat to his over-active and sleep-deprived imagination, he started to make his way down the hall when he heard the sound of metal coming from one of the stones on the floor.
Eddard stopped walking and lifted his foot, and put it down again. His shoes had no metal attached to the heel, or anywhere.
That could only mean one thing...
He widened his eyes and ran to the last room of the hall.
'No!', Ned thought as he sprinted to the end of the hall, 'By the Old Gods, let me be wrong!'
He burst into the room and his heart stopped with horror.
A man, dressed all in black with a mask covering half his face, was holding a pillow to the face of a squirming baby girl.
On his feet were boots with silver spurs.
Eddard Stark's inner wolf was released.
With a furious yell that an outside danger was hurting one of his pups, he lunged himself onto the intruder, knocking him down and the pillow out of his hand and onto the floor.
The man kicked Eddard in the stomach, causing the young Lord to gasp for breath. The intruder struggled to get to his feet. He tripped a couple times, frantically trying to make it to the window.
Ned regained his breath just as the man was about to jump out and onto the ground below. He ran over, grabbed the intruder by the back of his shirt and slammed him down on the floor.
The intruder squirmed furiously to get out of Ned's hold. He punched Ned in the face a couple of times before he was subdued by The Quiet Wolf, who put his hand to the man's neck.
For a split second, Ned let out a breath of relief. The baby had started to cry, unaware of how close she was to going into the afterlife. But her cries kindled the steadily growing fire within him.
All he could see was red.
As Ned pinned the man to the floor, he saw the Septa on the other side of the crib. Her body was laid on the floor, her eyes unseeing, her throat slashed.
The Quiet Wolf turned his sights back to the struggling man beneath him and he snarled.
"Who sent you?" He growled out, gripping the man's neck tightly.
The man started to sputter, not letting a word out due to not being able to breathe.
Even though it was not the man's fault for his inability to answer, Ned grew more and more furious at his lack of answers.
The wolf inside him was growling and wanted blood. The baby bird was now part of a wolf pack, and no one attacks one of the young ones without launching a direct attack on the Alpha.
With a growl emitting from his chest, Ned gave out a loud war cry and bit into the man's neck, ripping out a huge chunk of meat and veins. He spat it across the room and watched the man, in grimm satisfaction, bleed to death.
With the threat gone, he sat on top of him and started to relax. He searched the man's pocket and found what he was looking for: a sign.
And a sign it was.
On the handle of blade that was used to murder the Septa, was a bold stag, engraved beautifully in silver and was on the handle of the dagger. (He also found some of the food that was stolen from the stores, so it appeared he had found the castle's thief as well).
Ned narrowed his eyes at the sight, for there was only one house whose sigil was a stag: Baratheon.
He was interuppted from his dark revelation as a gasp emitted from behind him.
Ned turned around, his mouth and shirt covered with blood of his enemy, to see Cat covering her mouth in horrific terror.
She had awoken from the noise coming down the hall and thought the Septa needed help in attending the baby.
She took in the sight of her husband, the intruder, and the dead Septa and deduced what occurred.
Cat immediately ran to the crib to see a fussy baby girl and started to weep in gratitude. She couldn't even hold the baby as she was shaking so badly from the fear of what could've happened. Cat collapsed to her knees by the crib and started praying thanks to her gods for safety of the child, and for the courage of her husband.
Ned removed himself from the body beneath him and walked over to the baby.
"Shh", he muttered to the fussy babe as he gathered her in his arms, "there is no need to cry. You are safe, Little One."
He cooed at the baby, who started to settle down, aside from her small grunts and whimpers. He gently bounced her up and down in his arms and walked over to the rocking chair in the corner of the room, where he sat down exhausted from...well, everything.
Cat looked at her husband with red-eyes, and for the first time in a long time, she started to see him a new light.
He saved her friend's baby.
"Why?", Cat asked in a hoarse voice. She used the railing of the crib to stand up and she looked at her husband. "Why would you save her? You don't even like anyone who bares the name Pyralis. Why did you save her?"
Ned looked up from the baby, who was beginning to shut her eyes, and he stated quietly, "Ophelia is not her mother. She is not her father. She was sworn to be under the protection of House Stark, and protect her I will. She is innocent from any crime her parents may have committed."
That night, the healing process between the Fish and the Direwolf was expedited. After all, if a man saves a baby's life, how bad can he really be?
Unfortunately, this would not be the last time that Ned would save the little girl's life.
After the attempted (and failed assassination), Eddard sent a messenger to the King. The messenger carried a roll of parchment and the blade that was used in killing the Septa. The parchment warned of how the North never forgets crimes committed against one of their own. It said that this girl was now under the protection of House Stark, a Northern house, and that House Stark does not take kindly to threats upon one of their own. Lastly it stated, that in the spirit of what was once a strong friendship, King Robert and his assassination attempt would be forgotten as long as it was never repeated again.
The messenger came back and informed the Lord of Winterfell that the King threw himself into a rage, but under the coaxing of several advisors, he reluctantly agreed to not send another assassin.
However, the agreement to not send any killers from the King only revealed to Ned how someone else wanted Ophelia dead, though for reasons unknown to him.
By her second nameday, Ophelia had grown into quite the adorable tiny tyke. She was still a bit chubby, had round cheeks, and wide Pyralis dark crimson eyes.
She would smile a grin with only a couple teeth and would speak intellectually half the time and gibberish the other half. The toddler often spent her days trailing after Lady Stark, like a little duck, hanging onto the back of her skirts. If Cat was too busy, she would trail after Lord Stark, like a little duck, and would mimic his actions and commands in way that made even the most hardened of the servants smile. And if Lord Stark was busy, she would play with Robb and Jon in the nursery.
The next time that this child's life would be endangered came in the form of a servant.
This servant was new. She arrived at the castle, desolate-looking and in need of a job. After testing her skills that lasted for a month, she was sent to work as an assistant to Maester Luwin before a proper assistant could be found for the Maester.
She spent her days learning tonics, poultices, tincture, and oils. She learned about remedys that could heal...and she learned about toxics that could kill.
This woman was sweet-faced with a silver tounge. She was the favorite servant among the children, so it was easy to discretely pour a small vial of bitter cascara into Ophelia's cup at supper without the little girl making a fuss about it. She would pour the little girl her death in front of her guardians and they would never even know. All she had to do was whisper sweet nothings to the child and smile sweetly. The woman immediately left upon giving the poison to her.
The woman told her that the vial she poured in her cup, would give her magic powers to see fairies and unicorns. All she had to do was drink all her water.
Ophelia eagerly grabbed the cup and took a small sip.
After all, My Lady always told her that a proper girl does not take gulps like a glutton, but rather, small sips like a bird.
She scrunched up her face in disgust and ran her tounge against the bottom of her top two teeth trying to scrape off the bitter taste of the poison away. The nice servant lady did not tell her how disgusting the magic water would taste.
"Yucky!" She exclaimed pushing the cup away from her. She did not like whatever was put in her cup.
Ned and Catelyn Stark looked up from their plates and stared curiously at the little girl who was never picky with her foods.
"Whatever is the matter, Little Bird?", inquired Catelyn. She got up from her chair and walked over the small table where Opehlia and Jon sat, and knelt down besides her.
"Is it the food?", asked Cat. She grabbed the spoon on Ophelia's plate and spooned a mouthful of vegetables in the toddlers mouth, which she ate greedily.
Hmm...she was eating her food.
"What is yucky?", she asked out curiosity. Cat leaned her red-head to the side and peered into the toddler's bowl, which was nearly done. Obviously she was not talking about the food.
Catelyn grabbed a roll of bread from the bowl in the middle of the table and broke a piece off, giving it to the girl.
She gladly took it and hummed in delight as she swung her feet back and forth.
Alright...it was obviously not the bread.
"Ophelia...", Catelyn pronounced slowly, "can you point to me what the yucky thing is?"
She grinned with cheeks full of bread (that made her look like a chubby chipmunk with nuts in their cheeks) and pointed to her cup.
"Yucky."
Catelyn picked up the cup and sniffed it. It smelled faintly bitter...cautiously she dipped her pinky in the liquid and put a drop of it on her tounge.
Her Tully blue eyes widened and she grabbed Ophelia and picked her up. She held the small child to her chest and her eyes frantically found Ned's Stark grey ones.
He got up rapidly, knocking his chair over and rushed to the small table. He quickly put a drop of Jon's and Ophelia's water on his tounge and while a bit of him was relieved that Jon's was not poisoned, he knew the Little Bird was not as lucky. He didn't bother testing Robb's, for he was served from the same water pitcher as he and Cat were. Ned snatched the chubby little girl from Cat's arms and ran.
He held Ophelia's head against his chest as he raced through the corridors of Winterfell, not caring that he knocked people over. He ran up the steps to his destination, just in time, as his ward was starting to fuss about her stomach hurting. He barged in the room and saw the man he was looking for.
A huffing Cat appeared shortly after he did, out of breath and holding Ophelia's cup of poisoned water.
Maester Luwin, who was sitting in his chair reading a book, looked up, startled by this sudden intrusion.
Noting the frantic looks on the young couple's face, he put his book down and got up, making his way over to them. His greying eyebrows were raised in surprise.
"What may I do for you, My Lord?" He asked looking at Ned. The Quiet Wolf made his way past Luwin and set Ophelia down on the table in the middle of the room.
"She's been poisoned.", Ned darkly glowered. Cat rushed to Luwin and gave him the cup of liquid and looked at him wide-eyed with worry. She went to Ophelia who was starting to hold her small stomach in pain and beginning to cry. She grabbed her and held her to her chest and rocked her back in forth, as if her rocking would magic the pain away.
Maester Luwin's expression quickly changed from one of surprise to one of seriousness, and he did the same as Lord and Lady did. He dipped his finger in liquid and tasted a drop. His eyes lit up in realization and immediately rushed to a pot of water that he was boiling. He grabbed a mortar and pestle and retrieved some dried leaves from a ceramic jar. As he started to crush them Maester Luwin asked, "How much did she drink?"
"I believe it was only a sip, but I can't be too sure..." Cat trailed off as she continued with her efforts in trying to soothe the crying toddler.
Luwin grabbed the crushed leaves and put them in a tea pot. He poured the hot water on them and waited for an eternal three minutes to let them seep, with another additional four minutes to allow to pot to coo down enough for the small child.
He quickly poured a cup and walked over to Ophelia, how was clutching onto Cat, her wails shaking her small body.
"Ophelia, do you want the pain to go away?", asked Maester Luwin in a gentle voice. She only cried and was squirming around, trying to get the hurt in her stomach to go away.
"Little Bird", Cat said, trying to look at the girl whose face was buried in her shoulder, "you must drink the tea. It'll help your tummy. Alright?"
The small girl only wailed louder and shook her head.
She didn't want to drink anymore tea or water. It would only hurt her more.
"Ophelia, drink the tea.", commanded Maester Luwin in a more stern voice.
"NO TEA!", she shrieked in pain.
"Little Bird, please drink the tea." Cat pleaded. Ophelia only shook her head and kept her mouth shut.
Ned was sweating in dread and was biting his thumb in worry.
Maester Luwin looked over at Ned and said sharply, "She has to drink this now. I need you to hold her down on the table, I will pour it in her mouth."
Ned nodded his head and grabbed Ophelia from a reluctant Cat. They exchanged looks and Cat hesitantly let go of her little girl. Cat's eyes watered up in tears and she had to look away as Ned held her down on the table so Maester Luwin could force-feed her the healing tea. Ned started to talk to Ophelia, gently telling her that the bad feeling in her tummy would go away if she drank the tea.
Cat covered her mouth and shut her eyes as she heard the small child's screams become gargled with the tea that would save her life. Cat's tears flowed down easily when she heard her coughs from choking on it. After a couple minutes, Ophelia screamed some more, but at least she would be fine. She forcefully drank what Maester Luwin was trying to give her.
Cat felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to sea Maester Luwin giving her an understanding look.
It is never easy for a mother to see her child in such pain.
Maester Luwin walked over to the teapot and poured another cup. Cat rushed to Ophelia and held her tightly as Ned was stroking the small child's head in reassurance, giving her a small kiss on her forehead.
"Bitter Cascara.", stated Maester Luwin out of the blue, coming over with another cup of tea. "The poison was Bitter Cascara. Marshmallow leaf tea should help."
"Ummm...", Cat had to clear her throat before she could speak clearly. Her voice, thick from worry was cracking a bit, "Will...Will she be alright? Will she be healthy?"
Maester Luwin nodded and said, " She didn't drink much of the poison, which is fortunate. As long as she continues with this pot of tea, she will be fine."
The young parents let out a sigh of relief. Ophelia's cries slowed into hiccups as the healing took place in her body.
After she was settled enough, she drank the next three cups of tea without complaint. That night, Ophelia slept between Ned and Cat, snuggled in the middle. They both were awake half the night watching her little mouth open to breathe small pants of air, and the pair thanked their individual gods for helping save this small precious girl.
When Cat fell asleep, hugging Ophelia close to her body, Ned stared at the ceiling, trying to rack his brains on the mystery of who gave Ophelia the poison. Maester Luwin said it had to be someone who worked at the castle, someone who was good with plants. He even checked his personal stores, and sure enough, bitter cascara was missing.
Someone tried to kill his little girl, and when he found out who did it, he would make sure they would not live to see another day.
He racked his brains the entire night, until he knew who it was: that woman. Though he did not pay attention to who served Ophelia, he knew that she was only one who could put something in her cup without the small child making a fuss about it. That woman had given Ophelia tonics for colds before, and after a while of serving the child, she came to know how to give Ophelia a tonic without the little girl crying about not wanting to drink it. She was the one who did it, that he was sure of.
How could he have been so blind!
Ned gently removed himself from bed, doing his best not to wake up his wife and the little one he cared so much for. He went to his wardrobe, got out Ice, strapped it to his side and left the room as silently as possible.
Once he was out of earshot, the Wolf started to sprint.
That woman would be gone by now, but she would not be lost. He was going to find her.
Ned woke up the guards that were sleeping and rounded up the ones who were on patrol. He had a handful stay in Winterfell while the rest of the pack joined the hunt for the perpetrator.
"Look for Ana. She was Maester Luwin's assistant and the one who tried to murder a little girl. If you find her, bring her to me." Ned commanded his men before riding out. One group went out the Hunter's Gate, going north. Another group went to Wintertown to search for her. The group that Ned lead stayed near Winterfell, looking in the Godswood. Everyone split up to search for her.
She did not go far, that is what his instincts were telling him.
He galloped his horse in all parts of the Godswood, until he found her.
She wasn't running, she wasn't hiding. Ana was leaning against an old oak tree, with her arms crossed, a surprisingly nonchalant attitude coming from someone who tried to kill a little girl only a couple hours beforehand.
Ned jumped from his horse and unsheathed Ice with one hand. He glared at the woman, who was twirling a small clear vial in one of her hands. She smirked at the Lord of Winterfell.
"Did she live?", asked the servant her cat-eyes turning into slits. Ned pointed the tip of his sword at the base of her neck and he snarled with disgust.
"How dare you ask that!" He pressed the tip further into her pale skin, causing a small incision to appear along her collarbone, making a couple droplets of blood.
Ana shrugged and grinned. "It was a sound question. Had I been brought up without any tact, I would've asked what color did her body turn after she took her last breath. But", Ana made a gesture to present her surroundings, "here I am, asking about the welfare of a child. There's nothing wrong with that." Her voice as smooth honey, dripped with venom that indicated she honestly had no care for Ophelia or her state of health.
Ned felt his rage bubble up and overflow. "I, Eddard of House Stark and Warden of the North, sentence you to die." He proclaimed in a dark voice, making sure he said every word as venomously as she would..
Ana only smirked and tossed the empty vial at him. The vial bounced off of Ned's shoulder and landed on the floor of the Godswoods. The Quiet Wolf refused to acknowledge the small empty bottle as he remained in his stance. The woman's breathing was slowing down and her cheeks that were once beautifully rosy, were starting to turn an ashen grey
"My mission is done. You cannot kill a person, who has already taken their own life." She gasped out. The woman buckled to her knees, her strawberry blonde hair sticking to her face from sweat. Ned moved his sword downward as she laid on the ground.
"Because of what I have done, we will only grow stronger." The woman spasmed and died.
The Lord of Winterfell took a step back from the body and kicked a tree trunk out of frustration. He should've started the search sooner, before that evil woman had the chance to drink her way out of justice. Ned sheathed Ice and bent down to pick up the vial she tossed at him. He inspected it.
The vial was empty and normal looking, asides from one decoration engraved into the glass. It was hard to make out and Ned would have missed it if he possessed bad eyesight. Yet, his eyes were as good as any and staring in a perversely clear way was a small engraving on the front of the glass vial: a single rose.
House Tyrell's sigil was a rose.
Ned's fists clenched tightly and he left the body of the servant in the middle of the woods to be eaten by wild animals.
He would not grant her the luxury of being buried or burned.
Right now he had to deal with him fighting his way out of a web of thorns in order to protect one of his own.
This was an undoubtedly difficult situation. The Tyrells wanted Ophelia dead. That he was certain of. But why? She was a small toddler who was a female. What threat did she pose? He thought of what the woman had said before she died. 'We will only grow stronger.' Growing Strong were the words that represented House Tyrell, much like Winter is Coming represented House Stark. The proof was right there.
The next day Eddard told his household of the servant, Ana, who tried to kill his ward. He thanked those who helped him search for her... He purposefully left out the crucial information why she did it. If anyone asked, he would say that she went mad and lost her way. And perhaps that woman did lose her way somewhere along the path of her life.
He told Cat of the Tyrell's and her response was to clutch a napping Ophelia tightly and state that the North was going to war against the Reach.
Ned walked over to her and looked her firmly in the eyes.
"We are not going to war. We are not risking the lives of our people. We will write to the King and ask that he tell the Tyrells to seize with their plots."
Cat stood up from their bed, took a step back from Ned, and glared at him.
"They tried to hurt a child. They tried to hurt my child! Do you honestly believe I will just let that go?"
"She is not your child!" Ned snapped at his wife. Cat's eyes went wide and her bottom lip immediately started to tremble. Ned had hit a sore spot. He instantly regretted saying what he did to her, but it was true. Ned loved Ophelia, to the point of it hurting whenever he thought of her growing up or something bad happening to her. But the hard truth was, is that even though he and Cat both loved their Little Bird, if she was truly one of their own children, she would not be in danger so often.
Ned sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose and continued. "She is not mine, as much as I hate to admit it. She is not a Stark and she will never be one. She is and will always be a Pyralis. Her blood calls enemies to kill her, even if she is unaware of it herself. The most we can do, is love and protect her."
Cat sniffed and nodded her head. "Aye. Send a raven then...and tell the King to pass the message onto the Tyrells: The North Remembers." Wiping her cheeks from any stray tears, a determined look came across her face. She kissed the sleeping child on the cheek and left the room.
Ned shook his head and glanced over at the chubby toddler on his bed. He left to his Solar. He had a scroll to write and a raven to send.
Well, a fortnight passed until he had a response from King Robert. The scroll said much of the same the last one did, with the exception that he would see that no more attempts on Ophelia's life would happen under the orders of anyone, even the new Wardens of the South.
Time passed. As winters came and went, the Little Bird that was his ward grew bigger and bigger. She lost her chubbiness and became an active little girl. Her hair was longer, her teeth were grown out, and she was always trailing after Robb and Jon. Somewhere beyond the transition from toddler to a young child of eight, she became their duckling instead of his and Cat's. Not that he minded though. It was nice to see the three of them so close together.
After their lessons and the boy's training with Ser Rodrick, he usually found the three playing some made up game in the courtyard or in the Godswood. During the nights he made it a ritual to check on all of the children a couple times. More than once did he find Jon in Ophelia's bed, both clutching each other's hands in comfort. Ned smiled at the irony of the two of them together. Some nights he would find Ophelia in Robb's room, both slumbering with their favorite toys in between them, a sign that they fell asleep playing. Several times he would find all three in one of their bedrooms, sleeping together in a makeshift tent, created out of sticks and blankets. Occasionally, he wouldn't find Ophelia in any of the kid's rooms, only to return to his own and find her nestled with Catelyn, fast asleep in the comfort of the Tully woman's arms after dreaming of a nightmare.
If there was a paradise for children, he was sure this was it. There hadn't been an attempt on Ophelia's life in years. She was thriving as much as a girl could thrive, and that was all Ned could really pray for. Still...the doubt lingered in the back of his mind. How long until everything changes? It would be several months after that thought occurred, that everything did change. Change came with two ravens, a scroll from the Manderlys, inviting him to White Harbor. Another from a man, also in White Harbor, who asked to secretly meet with the Lord of Winterfell. The letter claimed that he was a loyal friend of House Pyralis, and if Eddard was willing, the man could smuggle Ophelia out of Westeros to be with her biological blood in Essos, where she would be safe from King Robert and his all-seeing eyes.
Eddard clenched his fists, balling up the scroll.
It was signed with a small picture of Phoenix carrying a flower.
He knew who the man was after seeing the drawing, and knew that this man's intentions were genuine.
What was he going to do?
A sharp knock on the door woke the Lord of Winterfell up. He opened his eyes and groaned as he saw the dim, overcast light from outside shining through the windows. He had fallen asleep in his Solar, exhausted from the search.
Another knock on the door made him sit up and crack his back. He stretched his arms above his head and twisted he head to the side cracking his neck. Putting his hands down, Ned sighed and he looked up.
"Come in." He called out.
In walked the person he was dreaming about. The one that had everyone worried for the past several days.
Ophelia looked around cautiously, her red-brown hair falling in front of her face as she glanced at him with those wide Pyralis dark crimson eyes. She clutched the side of the door as she peered into the room and asked softly, "May I please come in?"
Ned looked at her and gave a tired smile. "Of course. We have much to discuss."
So this was just a little chapter that showed a bit of what Ned has been going through to keep her safe. I felt like this was really needed in terms of storytelling. Next chapter: Ophelia and Ned have a talk, Ophelia receives a couple of surprises, and 'Felia learns some facts about her father. Guys, you are doing so awesome with the reviews! If we could get it up to 49, I would be so happy! I believe in you! So anyways read, review, and rest easy! :)