Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and have a great new year.
It was the day of the King's arrival to Winterfell, and already I felt sick. Instead of being in the courtyard practicing my swordsmanship with one of my brothers, I was subjected to a course of lessons by Septa Mordane teaching me the basics of being a lady, so I do not embarrass Lady Stark.
"Veerlyn, are you listening to me." The Septa once again questioned after catching me staring out the window. I nodded and turned back to her.
"It is imperative to Lady Stark that I am here learning this so that I am not an embarrassment to the Lord and Lady of Winterfell. Do not speak unless directly spoken to, use kind words and tell them what they want to hear. No one will care about your opinion because you are a bastard, so best to keep it to yourself." I summarized in a sharp tone, I had grown rather aggravated with the lessons and wished to find solace in the books that I held dear. "I am truly sorry Septa Mordane," I whispered looking to the ground, she knew that these lessons were useless, it had been drilled into my head when I was younger, but every time someone of importance came to Winterfell, I subjected to these lessons once more.
She released me of the torture after that and I walked out to find my brothers walking into Tommy's area, probably to be shaved. I ran my fingers through my hair finding that it was much longer than I wanted it and headed that way as well.
"Go on Tommy, shave him good. He's never met a girl he liked better than his own hair." Robb announced pushing Jon into the seat. I scoffed and shook my head, moving to stand next to Robb. I listened to the boys as they chatted about girls, as Tommy cut my twins hair and shaved his beard. A silence stirred me from my world, and I looked from the hair that littered the ground.
"Well?" Theon asked directing the question to me. I sent a confused look to my twin and then to Robb before Theon repeated the question. "If you could have a Lord or the King in your bed who would it be?"
The words slowly sunk in and I found myself doubling over to laugh. My stomach hurt so much, but I kept laughing. I had taken my a few moments to realize that he was serious and that just sent me on round two. It felt like forever until I had calmed down enough to answer his question. "I am a bastard Theon, no one with a noble title would lay with a bastard unless she is a whore." My heart fell as I said the word with enough conviction that even he could tell I was right. Jon stood and walked over to me to hug me, but I didn't need it, nor did I want it, I hated pity, and they all knew that. I pushed past my twin and sat down on the empty chair.
I closed my eyes at the familiar sound of the sheers cutting at the hair left on my head. There was no need to tell Tommy how I wanted it cut, the man had been doing it since I was nine. Instead, I sat there as still as I could be with my eyes closed, feeling the sweet release of my hair becoming short again and with it my troubles disappearing. With my hair now finished I walked to my room to find something appropriate to wear.
Coming to my door, I heard a voice speaking on the other side, and the door was open slightly. I pulled the sword and slowly pushed it on the door to find Lady Stark and Sansa talking to each other.
"Oh by the seven, you are just as bad as the boys, put that away before you hurt someone, girls playing with swords, unbelievable." Lady Stark shrieked standing from the chair in the corner and moving to stand in front of her daughter. I nodded and put my sword back in its sheath. Holding my arms out, Sansa placed the dress in them. "Sansa and I were just waiting for you to give you the dress you will be wearing to meet the Royal family."
"Thank you, Sansa" I replied, Sansa and I had an understanding, and although she still saw herself the better of us, we got along better than her and Arya. She left my room after that, leaving me with the fish named wolf.
"Another thing you are not to come to the feast, it would be a disgrace to seat you with the Royal family." Lady Stark informed before walking out of the room. I looked down at the dress and signed. There were no direwolves embroider anywhere that I could see, but yet a single snowflake was tacked to the upper right shoulder. Shutting the door, I locked it before getting into the gray dress, I was just trying to figure out how to get the back laced up when a knock sounded on my door. A sigh of relief passed my lips before ushering Jon and the wolves in and closing the door. I turned my back to him, and he laughed. This was not the first time Jon had to help me tie a dress, with Lady Stark's hatred toward us and Sansa's trying to follow her mother's lead, Jon was usually tasked to help me with the ties. After Jon was finished, I slipped on a pair of boots before walking out of the room with Jon leaving the wolves curled up together.
The walk to the courtyard was quick but silent. Taking our place behind our father and Robb, I looked to the ground wondering what I was going to do to avoid the Royal family. Lady Starks voice pulled me from my thoughts.
"Where's Arya?" She quietly shrieked. I glanced down the line and low and behold she was missing. As soon as Robb offered to go look for her, she appears with a helm on her head. As father handed it off to Theon, Arya runs off pushing Bran a little to get in line.
The prince came in first followed by a knight with a dog's face on his helm. From where I was standing I could not see the looks the prince was giving Sansa, but I did see a blush appear on her cheeks. I rolled my eyes and decided that the ground looked better than whoever rode in. After a few minutes, I felt Jon start to pull me down with him. I glued my eyes to Robb's back waiting for him to stand.
It felt like an eternity, but finally, we were able to stand once more, and I once again took an interest in the dirt. I could hear the greetings the King gave to my siblings leaving my twin and I out of the mix.
"Ned, what is this? A boy in a dress, you are not serious?" The King gave a laugh, I looked up to his laughing face just to see it sober and the color drain. "Lyanna" the King spoke again.
"No, Your Grace. My name is Veerlyn, Veerlyn Snow." I replied watching him deflate. I could see out of the corner of my eye that the Queen was watching me in anger. I looked to the ground realizing that avoiding the Royal family might be easier than I had thought. A nudge broke me from my mind as I looked to the abuser. Jon jerked his head to in front of me, and when I turned, I saw the Prince standing there with a smug look written on his face. Just over his shoulder, I could see Sansa and Lady Stark giving me death glares.
"I beg your pardon, my prince, my mind was lost to me," I spoke softly hoping to sound more ashamed than what I was.
"I had asked what happened to your face?" The prince jeered, I swallowed my hateful comments knowing that I could be killed for the thoughts running through my head. I made to answer until a new voice popped up from my right.
"Joffrey, I know for certain that I have taught you manners and I expect you to use them while we are guests of Winterfell." Looking to the voice, I found none other than the Queen coming to my aid. "Now go make sure that your brother and sister are settled in their rooms." She remarked, and I watched as the prince left to do as his mother told him. "I am sorry about that sometimes I believe that he had gotten Robert's attitude."
"It was no problem my Queen, I fear that it would have been a dull tale to tell in the end" I replied, choosing to watch the prince retreat than rather look into the Queen's hate-filled eyes.
"My you look just like your aunt Lyanna, although I do not think that she ever had her hair that short, nor did she have an ugly scar." Her smile and backhanded complement stung, but I forced a soft smile on my own face before replying.
"Much to my dismay I must admit, and you are quite right, she did not have hair as short as mine. I cut it in hopes of ending the comparison, my Queen" I spoke truthfully. I did not understand why I told her the truth instead of just thanking her, but after the scene with the King earlier, I knew that we were both alike in the fact that we hated the dead woman.
Later that night I sat on the fence corralling the area with the practice dummies as Jon tore the straw dummy up with his sword. I was back in my usual trousers and a tunic, mine and Jon's cloaks laid next to me on the fence being too hot after fighting each other.
"Is he dead yet?" a familiar voice sounded. I found my uncle standing away from us slightly. Jon got to him first as Benjen pulled him into a hug. Releasing Jon, Benjen came over to me and pulled me into his arms as well.
"You got bigger. I rode all day. Didn't want to leave you two alone with the Lannister's. Why aren't you at the feast?" He asked like it wasn't obvious.
"Lady Stark thought it might insult the royal family to seat bastards in their midst," I answered with an eye roll.
"Well Jon, you're always welcome on the wall. No bastard was ever refused a seat there. Vee, I'll see what I could do about you. You are no good to anybody locked up here." Benjen said earnestly, I gave him a small smile knowing that he would at least talk to father. I grabbed the sword from Jon and started attacking the dummy myself, wishing more than anything that the Royal family would leave already. Jon came over to me after Benjen went for the feast. A slight smirk danced across my lips as I waited for Jon to grab another sword and stand in front of the dummy on my left.
As swift as I could manage I turned my sword to my brother, he had barely enough time to block the first attack before I drew back for another. It was easy to practice with my brother because we knew each other better than anyone else, but still, we were able to best each other once in a while.
Our practice swords clashed, and I was able to get the upper hand for a moment before Jon recovered. I walked back slightly knowing that no one was behind me because they were all at the feast. Maybe this feast is a good thing. We clashed again but this time neither could get the upper hand. Backing from each other slowly we circled waiting for the other one to make the first move. Jon took his chance and came charging at me, I held my ground and came face to face with my brother for the third time in the past few minutes. We both could tell that the other was holding back, a silent conversation passed between us before we broke. I handed Jon the practice sword before walking to the fence, practice swords were not as dangerous as the live steel blades I held in my hands. I turned and threw the covered blade toward him before pulling out my own. This was the last time we would see who the better twin was. I whistled sharply stalking my brother.
***Jamie***
The fat bastard sat there paying no mind to my sister while he went on and on about old war stories with the honorable Ned Stark. I wanted to kill the man who had put my sister through hell and the man who dared to look down at me as if he had never done anything wrong. I tried ignoring them until the topic came to Ned's twin bastards.
"Why does she cut her hair, Ned? If she kept it long, she would be the exact replica of Lyanna. Well, except for that scar, tell me how did she get it." I could see Joffrey perk up a bit and finally pay attention to something other than the Stark girl.
"It was a wildling" he explained before diving into the whole story. I looked to my sister to see what she thought, but to my surprise, she seemed captivated by the tale. I guess I could see why she and the female bastard shared the same hate. It was over almost as soon as it had begun and it seemed that Ned was holding back some precious details, whether it was for his daughter's sake or ours I could not tell.
"Kingslayer, go fetch the girl and you might as well bring her brother with her. I know twins can be downright awful separated." He shot a glare to my sister and me before I stood "Anyway I was thinking about legitimizing her, a beauty like that should not be kept in this wasteland you call home." I wanted to laugh, sure the girl had beauty in his opinion, but other Lords were not going to think that after seeing the scar on her face, people only cared about flawless beauty. Pushing the door open I did not expect what was in front of him. The clashing of steel made most people in the banquet hall quiet in curiosity.
The twins looked to be face to face in combat, their swords lock as neither wanted to give the other an inch. I could tell from experience that they were having a conversation without words. I could tell faintly in the dull lighting that a smirk dance across each of their faces.
Live steel, that's what they choose to fight with instead of the blunt wooden practice swords. They circled each other slowly like lions, or more appropriately, wolves when they would fight for dominance. A sharp noise came from one of the twins, and I was confused to why they would do that until two large direwolves came pounding to the courtyard. They separated and walked slightly behind their masters growling as if the really wanted to kill the other.
"That's new" Ned Stark said to my right. I glanced around and found that most of the people from the hall were now outside waiting for the fight to take place. I could see some betting going on amongst a few. Even the King came out to watch the specter.
The sound of metal ringing drew my attention back to the center of the yard. The twins were now swinging and blocking each hit, while the wolves still hung back snapping at each other. It was a heated battle between the two as for each time one blocked the other would use another appendage to distract them.
"They are trying to kill each other," I whispered in disbelief, a chuckle captured my attention, once again from the right side where Ned still stood. Pride flashed through his eyes as he gazed on his children fighting each other.
"Mīsagon" A gasp ran through the audience and the King before he turned to my other side and asked Ned where she learned that.
"Books" he offered before turning back to the battle. The black wolf hung back further than before almost disappearing into the dark crevasses where the light did not reach. I could see a movement in the shadows but was unable to follow it before it disappeared altogether. The white wolf followed into the darkness cautiously, it had taken a few more moments before the dark wolf jumped back out tackling the white one to the ground.
Back in the center, the twins were still going at it, but this time I realized that someone was cut. Blood stained the shirt of one twin, and the other had a dark smile on their face. I watched as the one not bleeding looked back to the two wolves and whistled shortly. The white wolf growled once more to the other and returned to help their master.
"No" the same voice as before spoke up, it was the girl, and at the moment he could see her blood-stained tunic getting darker. The white wolf then helped to trip the girl sending her to the ground. With the wolf no longer a distraction the girl kicked the boy's knee making him fall to the ground as well. As they both made it back to their feet and suddenly had a different look to them, they were not doing this for themselves anymore. The boy fought for the Crows, that much was evident because of his status and the fact that the man beside me we no longer going to protect him in this frozen wasteland. As for the girl, I did not know why she fought or what she had to prove, maybe she wanted to prove that she was not Lyanna. Perhaps she had another reason that I had not been privy to, yet from the look on her face, it was apparent that she took this battle seriously.
I wondered which bastard was going to win, although I am not a betting man I knew my brother was and I had a sudden urge to find him and ask for his thoughts. I looked to the right of me and found Ned still there trying to gauge his children's movements.
"Which will win Stark? I would rather know now before I place my bet." I asked speculating if the man himself knew. He looked at me and then back at the children, I followed suit, still waiting for his answer.
"The one with the least to lose" He answered cryptically. I glanced at him to show my confusion and then turned back to the fight. This time the boy was on his back, his sister stood bent over a few feet away, making no move to end this fight now. The black direwolf walked up to her and poked its nose at her ribs. The girl muttered something and stood back up, the dark spot had gotten bigger since I last seen it.
The boy had finally gotten to his feet just as the girl decided to saunter over to him. They both lifted their swords in perfect unison almost like it was all choreographed from the beginning and with a primal scream from the boy he charged once more to end up locked in combat with his sister.
This time it was his sister to get distracted, thanks to Roberts chants of Lyanna's name, I almost smacked him, but he soon quieted back down and watched. It was too late though the girl had lost a few inches. The girl threw herself to the right just as her brother's sword was about to come down on her. With a quick swing of her legs the boy was on his back once more, but this time his sword was kicked away and the girl's sword was pointing to his chest.
"I concede" The boy huffed out, a smile grew on the girls face. As she offered him her arm, the crowd erupted. The chanting was so loud I wondered if it was going to wake people up. People started flooding the courtyard to shake hands with the girl, I myself moved to congratulate her, but it was not the girl everyone was praising. I moved back out of the crowd to find Stark and question if what I saw was right, but as I saw him, I also saw her.
"You know he's going to say you went easy on him?" I heard Ned said as if it was taboo. As I walked up to the pair, I noticed that the girl was clutching her ribs and had a slightly pained look to her face. She leaned on to her father's arm and seemed to be enjoying the sight of her brother surrounded by people.
"Why did you give him the win?" I asked when I had gotten closer. The girl looked shocked at the question, she looked to her father which confused me for a moment before she replied.
"He needed that win more than I did." She said before adding on as an afterthought "Ser Jamie." I was about to ask her more, but the look her father gave me was enough to keep my mouth shut. She bid us both goodnight and left into the shadows with her wolf alongside her.