Sorry it took so long nearly a year I'm so sorry
Six years later
Ayla stood panting behind an Ironwood tree, catching her breath letting out a small laugh. A twig behind her snapped and she quickly had the assailant pressed against a tree with her dragon bone dagger at their throat. Ayla removed the dagger when she realised who it was.
"Robb! What have I told you about sneaking up on me, I could have killed you." She spoke hitting him on his chest
"Yes but you didn't." The eldest Stark grinned stepping closer to Ayla who took an involuntary step backwards her back hitting a tree, she noticed something strange in Robb's eyes that look something akin to lust, she maybe young and naive in somethings but she knew what lust looked like, eyes like that had been following her since the day she turned ten and three. A loud cry tore her from her thoughts and Jon shouting her name and she realised just how close Robb had gotten, she gently pushed him away and ran towards Jon's voice.
Ayla ran into a clearing and scooped Rickon up into her arms and began whispering soothing nothings into his ear.
"He wouldn't let me touch him he only wanted you." Jon explained causing Ayla to grin causing Jon to smile and whisper "There is no need to be smug about it.", Ayla's grin widened knowing she was the favourite of all the Stark siblings
"Come on let's go home." She said taking Bran's hand also still carrying Rickon, while Arya ran ahead with Robb and Jon following behind.
"Have you told her yet? You better hurry up Stark before father begins finding suitors if you haven't." Jon asked looking at Robb
"No, I don't think I know how too, maybe I'll ask Theon." He replied
Jon started to chuckle "Well it's your funeral when she finds out you asked Theon." As Ayla's relationship with Theon had never improved she despised him for his attitude and the way he treated women and Jon agreed with her. Robb smiled and bumped Jon with his shoulder as they followed their oldest friend.
As they came closer to the gates of Winterfell, Ayla noticed soldiers carrying the sigil of House Forrester. She gently set Rickon in Robb's arms before running through the gate with Jon running behind shouting her name. Ayla slowed down when she noticed the soldiers looking at her: they bowed their heads in respect to their liege when they noticed the Ironwood tree sown on to the breast of her dress. Ayla saw Lord Stark speaking to someone
"Lord Stark what news from Ironwrath?" she asked standing to her full height of 5 ft. 2 and held herself like a lady of the North just as Lady Catelyn had taught her. Then the person facing lord Stark turned around to face her, Ayla's eyes widening at the person before her.
"Toran, is that really you?" she asked the man who was the spitting image of Rodrick except his skin was a colour native to that of Dorne rather than the cold North.
"Lady Alayla, it has been a long time." He replied bowing to her, before really taking not of the changes the last six years had done: her blonde curls hung lower and fuller; her cupid bow lips were full and red; her cheeks a healthy rose; her sapphire blue eyes were full of life and sparkled with happiness and joy, lined lightly with kohl. Her pale blue dress showed her womanly figure but also allowed her to remain modest by square neckline. "My Lady, you have grown incredibly beautiful, your beauty may even rival that of the Queen's." Toran smiled at his old friend, who then pulled him into a hug. Ayla didn't see Jon restrain Robb but Toran and Lord Stark did.
Ayla pulled back and looked into his eyes and saw sadness and dark circles under his eyes
"Toran what is it?"
"Perhaps this is not a conversation to be heard in the cold." Lord Stark said Ayla nodded and followed him and Toran into Lord Stark's study.
Ayla dropped her lady mask instantly "Alright what happened?"
"It's Ser Thom, he is ill my lady, the maester believes he will not survive the year." Toran explained
Ayla swore leaving both men shocked and then caused them to smile or smirk in Toran's case.
"Does that mean what I think it means?" Ayla asked
"You must find a husband, to control Ironwrath and to help protect it from Wildlings." Toran explained
"I will bow to no man." Ayla almost growled
"That leaves you very few choices." Lord Stark replied "Is there no one else who can run Ironwrath, Ayla is still naïve to the world, no offense intended."
Toran went to say no but Ayla cut him off
"Yes, my brother's bastard."
Which was replied with "Who?" and "What?"
"Who Ayla?"
Ayla looked straight at Toran and asked
"Can't you see it, Lord Stark?"
"Ned, please." He replied before looking at Toran before collapsing in his chair "By the Gods."
"Her name was Mariana Sand, she was a gift from Oberyn Martell, he loved her but she was a bastard and no northerner would have accepted her as the wife of their liege. He loved her and they married in secret and had a child, a son and then my father died and everything changed. Ser Thom claimed their son, he knew the truth of his birth. She died when their son reached his sixth year, it destroyed Rick he couldn't claim his son so he used me as a crutch. He told me stories about her making her a princess of old, they were my favourite." Ayla spoke softly as she told her oldest friend the truth of his birth.
"Is this true?" Ned asked
"Well I am a bastard and my mother was a Sand and I remember Lord Rodrick visiting before and after her death, so I must be." He said in shock. "But I'm a bastard, I can't rule Ironwrath."
"I'm not asking that of you Toran, I'm asking for your help while I find a husband and I mature as Ned said." Ayla smiled
Toran laughed "Well I guess that makes you my Aunt." He smirked and Ayla laughed at her elder nephew causing Ned to laugh.
"Now I just have to find a husband that I don't want to kill in their sleep." Ayla said causing Ned to laugh
"There is always Robb, or perhaps Theon." Ned asked
Ayla made an unladylike noise "I'm sorry Ned, I hate Theon he would be dead before the bedding, and I see Robb as a brother as I see you as a father." She said the last part softly
Ned's eyes softened "I feel the same Ayla." Ayla smiled and pulled him into a hug.
Ayla went looking for one of Rick's closest friends. She easily slipped on her mask of nobility as she approached Ser Petyr Frey.
"Ser Petyr." She greeted him
"My Lady." He bowed "What can I do or you?"
"I want you to take most of the men bar a personal guard, for myself and return to Ironwrath and assist Ser Thom with the responsibility of the upkeep of Ironwrath till I return in around a year, can you accept this task, I only ask you because of the high regard my brother held for you."
"Thank you for your kind words, my lady I miss your brother as well and as you wish." He replied before bowing and completing his orders.
Ayla was sat at her desk in her quarters pouring over maps, when there was a knock at the door
"Enter." She said without glancing up. "Amei if that is you, I said I'm not hungry." She looked up to see Robb, she blushed in embarrassment "Sorry Robb, I thought…"
"It's okay Ayla, what is going on?" Robb asked sitting on the chair next to her.
"Ser Thom is ill, grievously so, I am to find a husband or find another heir."
"What is all this?" he asked gesturing to the maps of Westeros
"I'm trying to decide where to look for a husband." She smiled gently "And I'm having no luck."
"You don't have to look further than this room Ayla, I'll marry you and make you the happiest woman in all Westeros." Robb said moving in front of her, gripping her arms, she looked at his hands before looking into his eyes and said
"Robb, I …"
She was cut off by Robb crushing her lips to hers, she was unsure what to do and sat frozen, while Robb kissed her, he freed her arm to cup her face. She took her chance and using her strength pushed Robb away from her.
She reigned in her anger at him taking liberties and said simply
"Get out!"
Robb looked confused, then Ayla's voice took a deadly tone filled with ice that could last the longest summer'
"Robb Stark, get out now!"
Robb left her rooms looking angry and confused. Ayla laid on her bed not knowing what to do.
An hour later she heard a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" She asked hoping it wasn't Robb
"It's Jon."
"Are you going to kiss me too?" she asked
Jon chuckled "No, I came to see if you are alright."
"Come in, Jon." She said simply
Jon walked into the room and closed the door behind him. His eyes found Ayla whose eyes were red from crying and her belongs were a mess across the room as if she had thrown things in her anger. Jon moved towards her and hugged her, gently kissing the top of her hair as he would Arya, as Ayla had always been a sister to him, the only one who accepted him wholeheartedly and without judgement.
"Why would he? Did I ever mislead him?" She asked choking down her sobs, mourning the loss of Robb as a friend.
"Robb has claimed to love you for years and he went to Theon and, Theon suggested that he kiss you." Jon explained
"Greyjoy is dead." Ayla said simply causing Jon to laugh.
"Where do you plan on finding a husband now Robb is a no?" he asked smirking, Ayla was about to shout at him but saw his smirk and instead hit him in the chest repeatedly, which caused him to laugh deeply.
"That isn't funny Jon, not even slightly." She growled which causing Jon to laugh harder which caused a small smile to appear on her lips, which Jon noticed and felt his chest well with pride at making Ayla feel better.
Wow where has the year gone, I'm going to University on the 25th September so going to try get everything updated at least once before then any way have fun. Oh and Tyrion should be turning up in the next chapter
-The Archfiend