Chapter One: the she-wolf of winterfell

Lyanna I

Everyone called Brandon the Wild Wolf, and it was true that the title suited him. He was rash and bold and reckless, a true wolf of Winterfell. However, the ones that knew the Stark family well were aware that his little sister was just as spirited as him, in her own way. Lyanna Stark might have been the lady of the house since her mother passed away, but it wasn't something she took pleasure in. She could sew well enough, and, while her singing would never be praised far and wide, it was decent enough. She could be quite charming and sweet when it suited her. However, at the end of the day, she would much rather be riding on her horse, or playing with her brothers. Brandon often teased her that if she'd been born a boy, she would have made for a great warrior.

"Why can't I not still be a warrior, the way I am?" she would wonder. The Mormonts of Bear Island allowed their women to fight, and it was well known that the women of Dorne were just as ferocious as their men. Still, she knew that it wouldn't be allowed for her. She was Lady of Winterfell, and her duties laid elsewhere. Someday, she would be married off to some Lord, and, unless she married a Dornishman, she likely wouldn't get her chance to fight.

Until that day came, though, she could still have her fun. She could ride her horse, and taunt her brothers as she outraced them everytime. She could sword fight with Benjen when her father wasn't watching. Oh, how she had so much fun with her little brother. Brandon and Ned weren't so likely to play rough with her, as she was their little sister and they saw her as needing their protection. But Ben had no such ideas in his head, and so they would often tussle and come back to the keep all dirty and mussed up.

Lyanna had known that her childhood would come to an end someday, but she tried not to think of it. Winterfell was her home, and she almost couldn't bear the thought of having to leave it someday. Even though she sometimes fantasized about exploring the world and going on a grand adventure, she loved her home and her family more than anything. She almost hoped that her wild ways would make her undesirable, so that no man would want to wed her. Then she could just stay here forever! She was sure both her brothers could find a place in Brandon's household (she didn't want to truly believe that Ben would go join the Night's Watch), and then all of them could stick together. She could nurture and spoil the children that Brandon would have, so she wouldn't even have to be sad about not having any of her own.

Of course, dreams couldn't last forever. No matter how sweet the dream, it was inevitable for the dreamer to wake up. And wake up she did, when her father told her the news of her betrothal to Robert Baratheon.

The day that her life changed started off the same as any other. She had her morning lessons with Old Nan, and as usual she was fascinated by the history aspect and bored to death by the lessons on being a lady. The latter were happening far more frequently now that she was older. It was quite displeasing, as she would much rather be having archery lessons or sword fighting practice with Benjen. In her mind, being a proper lady was entirely overrated. She was lucky that she wasn't some Southron lady being taught by a Septa. Then her lessons would be far more unbearable.

She had a break for lunch, and it was just her and Benjen. This was not uncommon, as their lord father was usually quite busy. Running not only Winterfell, but also overseeing all the Northern houses took a lot of time. It was often odd to her to try picturing Brandon doing all of these things. Not to say that her eldest brother was incapable. He was actually very smart. However, he was also quite easily bored. Lyanna could relate quite well to that.

"Have you gotten any better at sewing, or does everything you stitch still look ugly?" Benjen asked her as they ate together.

"Shut up. I'd love to see you try to stitch a pattern!" Lyanna told him.

Benjen made a face at her. "No way. I don't have to do that, because I'm not a girl."

"Yeah? Well, I am a girl, but I'm still better than you at everything you have to learn," Lyanna crowed.

"You are not! I just have to go easy on you so Father doesn't get mad at me for hurting you," Benjen insisted.

Lyanna patted his head. "Whatever you must tell yourself to sleep through the night, Ben."

After lunch, however, was the first sign of something different happening. She was summoned to her father's solar, and she went fairly eagerly. Anything to get out of more lessons! She was curious when she saw an open letter facedown, with the Baratheon seal on it. Why was Ned's friend writing to her father? Of course, Robert had only recently become the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, but if he needed advice on that, he could just ask Jon Arryn, who he and Ned had been fostering with for years now.

"Lyanna, I need to discuss something with you," her father began. "You know that I have been working hard to ensure the best possible futures for my children."

"Yes, I know. That is why Brandon fostered in a Northern house, since he is to rule the North, and Ned was sent to the Vale, to build more connections," Lyanna recited.

"Indeed. As you also know, Brandon is betrothed to Catelyn Tully, a highborn daughter of another Lord Paramount," Rickard said.

Lyanna frowned, wondering exactly where he was going with this. "Yes, so now we have connections to both the Vale and the Riverlands."

"Well, now we have the opportunity for connections with the Stormlands as well. Robert Baratheon has asked for your hand in marriage, and I am going to accept," Rickard told her.

Lyanna felt like she could not breathe for a moment. Had he really just said that?

"You want to send me away to the Stormlands? So far away from the North?" Lyanna demanded.

Her father gave her a serious look. "Lyanna, I'm trying to strengthen our ties to the other kingdoms. The North has been solitary for too long."

"But… I don't even know him!" she protested. She knew it wasn't much of an argument, but she was too stunned to think clearly.

"You'll get a chance to know him. He'll come here with Ned, and the two of you can get to know each other. Your brother speaks very highly of Robert, and he was thrilled with the match."

Ned knew before she did? The thought stung her. Lyanna resented that everyone else was deciding her future for her, and that she was evidently the last one to even find out. Then again, her life was never really her own, was it? At least not fully. She could never just be Lyanna. To those that resided in Winterfell, she was Lady Stark. To Brandon and Ned, she was their little sister who needed protecting. To Benjen, she was his only playmate, and a rival to beat. To her father, she was his only daughter and yet also a part of some bigger plan. And now, she was something else: the future lady of Storm's End. To be a woman meant having to put so many other responsibilities before her own wants and needs. Perhaps Brandon was right and she should have been born a man. She wasn't, though, and so she would have to make the best out of her circumstances.

"I know Ned loves him, but… what if I don't?" Lyanna had to ask. Would her father really make her be with someone she wouldn't be happy with?

Her father's stern expression softened at her question. "Lya, it's common for people to marry without falling in love. Sometimes the love may happen right away, but more often than not, it's something that grows along with your marriage. It may be hard at first, but once you and Robert have a child, that will bring you together."

Lyanna stopped arguing after that. It was clear that her father's mind was made up. She would either have to accept her fate, or find another way out. Maybe if she could just appeal to her brothers. Brandon was their father's heir, so perhaps he could be the one to convince him? She wasn't sure if Ned would be of any help, seeing as he loved Robert as much as he loved his brothers by blood. Benjen was out of the question, as he was but a child still. She herself had only flowered two years ago, so this talk of marriage and children frightened her. Lyanna didn't even know if she wanted children in the future, and at the moment she definitely didn't. Though she had already taken on many adult responsibilities, a part of her still wanted to be a child for a while longer. The idea of having a child of her own was just too much.

Lyanna wondered if this was to be the rest of her life. Would she never get to make her own choices? Was there anything she could do but try to accept the way things were? As wild and independent as she was, she could not deny there was a part of her, however much she might deny it, that wanted a real love. If she must marry, she desperately wished that it could be to a man of her choosing. Perhaps it would be possible for her to love Robert, but the whole thing almost felt spoiled for her already. There would be so much pressure on her to try to love him that it may be impossible for real feelings to grow. Shouldn't love happen on its own, and not through force? She wasn't even sure what kind of person she would even like. The only men she spent a lot of time with were her brothers and father, so she was rather inexperienced with men. She supposed she would want someone who was good, for she couldn't imagine herself loving someone evil. She would want someone who saw her for herself, and who wouldn't try to control her. She wanted to be an equal. But those were just the dreams of a foolish child.

For the first time ever, Lyanna found herself dreading Ned's return to Winterfell. Usually she eagerly awaited her brother's visits home, but this time he would be accompanied by her betrothed. The idea of meeting Robert made her unusually anxious, and she did not like that feeling at all. What would he be like? Ned's letters home painted a picture of a brave and good man, but she had heard other things about him. Was it true that he had fathered a bastard already? Would this man be true to her, or would she have to put up with his wandering attention like many other ladies did with their lord husbands? She knew it was unfair of her to be judging him already, before they had even met. She would have to do her best to give him a fair chance, no matter how much she resented him for what he represented.

She soon discovered that she was not the only one who was troubled by the news of her betrothal. Lyanna and Benjen were having a fake sword fight with sticks, which they often did when they were unable to procure actual blades from under their lord father's watchful gaze. They still usually managed to have plenty of fun, but on this day she could see her brother's heart wasn't in it. He only made half-hearted attempts to block her attacks, and his mind seemed far away. Lyanna frowned and dropped the stick. Ben looked up at her in confusion.

"Why did you stop?" he asked her.

"It's no fun hitting you if you aren't even putting up a fight. Usually I have to work a little harder to beat you," she teased him. When her words failed to get a rise out of him, she began to feel concerned. "Ben, what's wrong? It isn't like you to be so silent and moody. That's Ned, not you."

Her brother looked at her with those blue-grey eyes, the only one of them to inherit Lyarra Stark's eyes, and asked, "Lya, are you really going to leave me too?"

Lyanna realized that her father or someone else must have informed him of her betrothal. Oh, poor Benjen. He missed both their brothers as much as she did, and even though Brandon would come home soon and marry the Tully girl, Ben must know that he wouldn't have as much interest in playing with his little brother. He would be busy learning how to be Lord of Winterfell, and he would likely spend a lot of time with his lady wife. Once Lyanna left, Benjen would truly be alone.

"Oh, little pup, I won't be going anytime soon. It is only a betrothal; the wedding won't happen until I'm older," Lyanna tried to reassure him. She wasn't sure herself when the wedding would happen, as she had been too upset about it to even ask. She was sure it would not be soon, though. She had only recently had her fifteenth nameday. Though she had become a woman when she had flowered, she was still young yet. Women as young as her had a much higher chance of dying in the birthing bed, so she was sure her father wouldn't have her be married until she was a little older.

"I just hate all this change. Why couldn't things just stay the same? I don't want anyone to get married or leave. I just want us all to stay here and be together," Benjen complained. "Father always says 'The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives', so we should all stay here!"

Lyanna sighed and pulled him into a hug. How was she to make him feel better, when she was feeling the same as him? She had to try, though. As much as they fought, they were still the best of friends. She was also usually the one to be there for him when he was upset. Though they were close in age, she was the closest thing to a mother that he had, since he had been little more than a babe when their mother died. Lyanna herself had few memories of her, and poor Benjen had none.

"I wish we could stay together too, little wolf. I love you and Father and our brothers, and Winterfell is my home. But we all have our duties. Brandon is to become Lord of Winterfell, you and Ned will be his loyal bannermen, and I will marry Robert Baratheon and be Lady of Storm's End. I know it seems unfair to you, but this is the way of the world. Men inherit keeps, and women leave their homes to marry into a new family. I promise you, though, that we will always be a pack. Though I will marry a stag, that will not change the fact that I am a wolf of Winterfell," Lyanna told him solemnly. She rested her chin on the top of his head, and she wondered how much longer she would be able to hold him like this. By the time he was her age, he would likely tower over her. She wished he could remain her beloved baby brother forever, but like it or not, he would grow up someday, just as she was being forced to.

She pulled away from him, and picked up the branches they had been playing with. She tossed one to him, and he caught it, giving her a small grin. She could see that he was still troubled, but hopefully her words had helped him. Things were changing so quickly, and moments like these were all the more precious for it. Though they would soon have to stop being children, for now, they could keep playing.

Noiz: I've been working on and off on this fic for a couple years now, so I am very excited to finally start posting it! This is going to be an OT3 fic, and it will diverge from canon at a certain point. I also am going for a mix of show and book, just taking what I like from each. I've changed some of the ages of characters as well.

The first five chapters are going to be posted bi-weekly as part of the Shibuya Operation - Story Storm challenge. Please go and check out what other people are writing!

The amazing Aviantei will be beta reading this fic for me. They are the reason that I ever get anything posted. I truly don't know where I would be without their encouragement!

The fic title is from "The Last of the Real Ones" by Fall Out Boy.

Lastly, one of my goals this past year had been to post once a month, and with this fic I have completed the goal! I will do my best to do the same for 2023. Wish me luck!