On the date of Arya Stark's first birthday after her disappearance, many of the great houses of Westeros made a pilgrimage to Winterfell to support the Warden of the North. While the meeting of so many powerful people was also used as a chance for political talks, the gathering had an overall mournful tone. Despite the prominent baby bump Catelyn Stark was presenting, her dresses remained a solemn black while she housed her guests.
As the Queen had just given birth to the crown princess, King Robert Baratheon had made the journey to the North with his small heir, Joffrey. The four year old boy had seemingly strained his father's patience over the journey ("He always cries when I pick him up, Ned!") but surprisingly to everyone, he had latched onto the hesitant warmth Catelyn Stark had showed him. He was seen frequently following behind the Lady Stark along with young Sansa Stark.
King Robert had taken over Ned Stark's solar to host a council of the highest lords that had attended. His hand of the king, Jon Arryn, was of course there to support his former ward, and Lord Hoster Tully for his daughter and goodson, but the sight of so many other great southern lords was uncommon. While none had come from the Westerlands (they were still recovering from the Ironborn attacks from the rebellion the previous year), Old Penrose had come up from the Stormlands, and Paxter Redwyne had come with his twin sons from the Reach. Howland Reed and Bronze Royce were here from the Vale, and Lords Manderly, Umber, and Bolton from across the North. It wasn't lost on Ned Stark that many of these great lords (and the lesser lords that were milling about Winterfell) all had children of their own. They may have regional differences, but they all shared parenthood. The Stark's pain echoed across the realm.
After grumbling about a few individual Ironborn attacks along the western coast here and there in past months, Robert led them in a discussion about strengthening the houses of Westeros from foreign threats. "The kingdom is united thanks to Greyjoy's Idiocy, so we need to act now. According to the reports, the people have been attacking anything with a whiff of Essos to it," he rumbled, looking around at the assembled lords.
"Aye, we've started sending our ships south to Dorne instead," Redwyne added. "The higher prices haven't stopped the goods from completely selling out in the Reach. I sent another three ships to Sunspear before traveling north.
"The Stormlands have been receiving ships from Dorne as well," Old Penrose added with a nod from where he stood in the corner of the room. "There was an altercation on a ship coming in from Mereen. A woman dressed in red had been on board… the men on the ship apparently tossed her overboard."
Ned Stark nodded at their words. "We have heard similar stories from travelers coming North on the Kingsroad."
Howland Reed summed up their sentiments with a grave tone. "Westeros stands behind you and Robert, Ned. We will follow your lead."
At dusk, the gathered people and guests of Winterfell met on a hill outside of the castle, all with lit paper lanterns in their hands. It was silent in the crowd as Lord and Lady Stark stood in front of them with a lantern slightly larger than the others.
"For Arya!" Ned said loudly but firmly as he and Cat released their lantern and let it begin to float up into the night sky; it was soon joined by hundreds of others as the crowd echoed his words.
"For my baby girl," Cat whispered as she watched the lights begin to blend in with the stars.
The tradition of releasing lanterns would be spread across all of Westeros and become an annual occurrence. In the south, it would be a celebration of family and prayers to the Old Gods and New. In the North, and especially in Winterfell, it would always be a sorrowful remembrance. Regardless, the thousands of floating lanterns all across the continent would always be at the mercy of the wind, and once they were high enough in the air, they were at the mercy of an eastwards draft, giving those across the Narrow Sea a glimpse of Westeros' lights.
And so every year, a little girl in Braavos would lean out her window and be awestruck at the floating stars from the west.