Chapter I
A Chance Encounter . . . Thirteen Years Later
"No, no, no!" cried Fiona, as she saw her useless handmaiden packing luggage she did not want to take with her to Winterfell, She had already thrice discussed this with her, though it seemed nothing could penetrate that thick skull of hers, except maybe a large axe, which sounded like a wonderful experiment to Fiona.
"What is wrong, milady?" Anora, the useless handmaiden, asked Fiona, in a clueless tone.
"How many times must I tell you?" she raged. "I am going north! We're leaving tomorrow and all you've packed are my thin dresses that I wear in the sun! Can you not understand that I will be venturing into snow? I need my warm silks, foolish girl!"
Anora looked at her blankly and then realization spread over her face. "Oh!" she cried. "I thought you were visiting Riverrun."
Fiona wondered how in the world Anora got that idea when everyone in the Red Keep and King's Landing had been talking about the journey north for two weeks. Well, however she did, it did not matter. As long as she went north wearing a warm cloak. She remembered the snows of Winterfell vividly. She shuddered at the thought of it. The biting cold was something she did not care for. But she was looking forward to seeing Eddard Stark again. He had been like a brother to her, as he was a good friend of her eldest brother, Robert. And Ned would have children of his own, she knew, and she was excited to see the young Starks. And perhaps. . .no, she dared not think it. The Lord Commander of the Night's Watch wouldn't let a Ranger leave the wall to visit Winterfell would he? Perhaps, perhaps not. She would not hope for it, lest it proved true that he would not be able to come.
Fiona was driven out of her reverie by a smashing sound and found that Anora had dropped one of her tea sets. "Clean it up. I'm going to sup with my brother and his family," Fiona said wearily. She left the room swiftly and made for the dining hall. She halted at the leading corridor as Sandor Clegane stepped out of a side door.
"Hello my lady," Sandor said as she nodded her head in greeting. He left quite abruptly, as Fiona knew he would. He never cared to spend longer than a minute with her, not since . . . since she had told him what was in her heart.
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Five years ago, it seemed that Fiona Baratheon and Sandor Clegane were on friendly terms. They talked whenever they saw each other and after they knew each other well, they were spending long periods of time together, talking about their pasts in the common room of the Keep. Fiona was one to show kindness to everyone, even though she was a lady of the court. She talked to scullery maids, cooks, peasants; everyone was equal in her eyes and no one was beneath her. Sandor Clegane, "the Hound" to everyone else, was no exception. And Fiona was the only high member of the court; save for Joffrey, which Sandor ever spoke more than two words to.
Fiona remembered one night; a few weeks after Sandor had opened himself up to her about his past, his childhood with his brother, explaining his undying hatred for him that he told her something that she could tell was very hard for him to say. He told her that he had fallen for her and was convinced that he was very much in love with her.
This came as such a shock to Fiona. The last person who told her that was the person she gave her heart to. But that was eight years ago and she had not known until a few weeks later that she had never gotten it back, even though that man had been gone for a long time.
Fiona had not been in love with Sandor, but the prospect of having another man treat her with kindness and love, which she had not experienced in many years, was luring for her. So, for some weeks they had met and enjoyed each others' company, and it was surprising to Fiona that no one ever noticed Sandor's continued absences from his duty, where he spent his time in Fiona's bedchamber.
Though, after a while, Fiona's heart grew with remorse. She realized that no one could take the place of him, not even Sandor. And so came the dreadful night where she told him it could not continue like this.
"Sandor, I . . . need to tell you something," Fiona said, approaching him as he stood next to the fire in her bedchamber.
He looked at her with surprise and asked softly, "What is it?"
She looked up at him and searched his face, as though trying to find a way to tell him that which she knew he would not take well.
She sighed and bowed her head. "This needs to end," she said solemnly.
Sandor stiffened and said in a voice of hurt, "What do you mean, Fiona?"
"Sandor. . . I told you, did I not, that I was betrothed to another man long ago?"
Understanding crept into his face as he said resolving, "Yes, I remember that story. But that was many years ago, why do you bring that up?"
"Because I still love him! And . . . . I've realized . . . no one can take his place. He is the only man that I'll ever love, by your will or not."
Sandor looked at her gravely. The happiness everyone had seen on his face was diminished. He now looked as gaunt as he did when he did not know Fiona. Despairingly, he looked down and murmured, almost to himself, "You were the only one who saw beneath this mask of mine. How could I have actually believed that a beautiful woman could have loved me as I loved her?" He turned to go as Fiona watched him sorrowfully. IwasfoolishtoleadhimonasIdid.She thought. ButIdidnotknowmyownfeelingsuntilnow.
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The exciting day had finally come; Fiona had been looking forward to it for some time. This day the Royal party set out for Winterfell. Fiona rode alongside Tyrion Lannister, the dwarf. She did not know him very well and her first thought was ill judgment towards him, as he was a Lannister. Fiona despised the Lannister house, but she thought that she might as well talk to him; awkward silences that fell between them were not to her liking.
"Lord Tyrion," she addressed him as they rode side by side: she on her white stallion and he on his grey horse, though with an odd saddle strapped to him.
"My lady," he said in greeting. "I was just wondering, have you ever been to Winterfell?"
Fiona nodded excitedly. "I went there thirteen years ago, when the war was going on. Robert said it would be safer there then where we were at the time."
Tyrion looked thoughtful. "Have you met the Starks?"
Fiona's heart grew heavy at the mention of that name. "Yes, I met Lord Eddard when I visited Robert at the Eyrie. In Winterfell, I met his older brother Brandon, his younger sister Lyanna, who was one of my closest friends, and his younger brother Benjen." She almost whispered that last name and Tyrion could hardly make out what she had said.
"Well you must be very happy to be seeing Lord Eddard and his family," Tyrion smiled at her.
"Yes, I am," she said in answer.
And so went the long journey to Winterfell. Fiona and Tyrion became fast friends and they joked and laughed often. Fiona did not notice, however, that someone had been seeing this, and was beginning to hate the dwarf and become envious of him. This was Sandor Clegane, who had come as a personal bodyguard of Prince Joffrey's.
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After several days the party finally arrived in the great city of Winterfell. Fiona was bursting with joy as she pulled up next to her brother and his family's carriage. As they entered the gates, she saw Ned, looking well – aged and dear Catelyn, who she only met a couple times, with their children waiting for them. Robert grinned widely and greeted Ned and Catelyn happily. Cersei was introduced and her children. Fiona swung off her horse and gave Ned a great hug.
"Ned! It has been so long! You look well," she smiled at him and studied his face. She saw a resemblance to Benjen in it.
"Lady Fiona", he said, also smiling. "You are dressing in much finer silks now."
Fiona laughed. "Yes, though Renly dresses even finer." She then turned to Catelyn and hugged her as well.
"Lady Stark! It is good to see you!" She then looked over at the six Stark children and an even wider smile spread across her face.
"Young Starks!" she exclaimed. She approached the tallest lad in the line.
He had curly reddish hair and had soft eyes. "This one has the Tully look," she said.
Catelyn smiled and said, "This is Robb, Ned's heir."
Robb blushed and nodded in greeting as Fiona smiled at him. Her eyes moved to another older boy, though this one had a striking resemblance to Ned. She knew at once who this one was.
"And you must be Jon," she said to him. He started in surprise at her knowledge of his name. "You have the look of your father," she said. She thought she was freaking him out, so she decided to move on to the young lady standing next to him.
This one looked just like her mother, but Fiona's first impression of her was that she was a little air – headed. "And who is this young lady?" she asked.
"This is Sansa," Catelyn said. The young girl curtsied and Fiona thought, Alittle tooproper...
Fiona nodded and smiled and moved to greet a younger girl. Fiona felt immediate affection for this one. She looked just like Lyanna and she had an almost tomboyish look, which reminded Fiona of herself. She grinned at her and said, "Hello, what is your name, young Stark?"
The girl attempted a curtsy, but stumbled. Looking flustered, she said, "I am Arya Stark, Lady Fiona."
Fiona smiled kindly and said, "An impression of wisdom is more lasting than that of rehearsed frivolity."
Arya looked rather confused at these words and Fiona looked to a boy that looked around seven years old and resembled the Tullys.
"And this strapping young lad is?"
"This is Brandon," Catelyn answered.
"But you can call me Bran. Everyone does," he said.
"I knew your uncle Brandon. You were named after him, then?"
"Yes, my father said so, anyway."
"That is quite a name to live up to. I'm sure you will make him proud." Bran blushed and smiled up at her, and she smiled in return. Just then, a young child came gamboling up and stopped at Fiona's feet. Fiona, laughing, said, "Is this the youngest Stark?"
The young child looked up at her and smiled innocently, as Bran said, "That is Rickon. He's three years old."
"Heeey!" Rickon yelled at his older brother. "That's almost a WHOLE HAND!"
"Well seven is more than a whole hand, almost two."
"Boys!" Catelyn said sharply. "Do not argue while the Lady Baratheon is in our company."
"Age is but a number," Fiona said. "It does not decide how strong or intelligent you are."
Bran and Rickon looked up at her in wonder as Fiona realized that Robert and Ned were gone.
"Where is my brother and Ned?" she asked Cersei who was standing not far away.
"Down to the crypts," she replied disgustingly.
"Well then the dead must be better company than you."
Cersei's face reddened and she said to Catelyn, "I should like to take my children and get freshened and rested."
"Very well, I will call a servant to show you to your chambers." Catelyn called to young serving girl, who dropped her basket and hurriedly came to show the Queen and her kids to their chambers. Catelyn dismissed the Stark kids and said to Fiona, "I must talk to you, away from unwanted ears."
Catelyn led her away to the castle of Winterfell and they ventured into an empty sitting room, in the lower level of the castle.
"What is it, Catelyn?" Fiona asked curiously.
"When we got the message that you and Robert were coming, I asked Ned to do something, though I doubt he realized the real reason for it."
Fiona looked at her blankly and Catelyn said, "I asked Ned to request for his brother Benjen to come, though I did not mention you."
Fiona's heart stopped. "So . . . is he coming?" she asked faintly.
"He should be arriving shortly."
Fiona let out a noise of shock. "I must change into clean silks! I must take a bath, comb my hair! Ah!" Fiona was now wringing her hands frantically and pacing quickly around the room.
"Fiona, Fiona!" Catelyn stopped her as she was ranting louder and louder.
"You can take a bath right away, I will send for some handmaids. Surely you brought some nice silks to wear?"
"I did, I suppose." Now Fiona was sobbing and Catelyn ushered her to get bathed and changed.
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After Fiona was bathed, her hair combed till it shone with dark radiance, and she slipped into a deep red silk dress, Catelyn came running into her chambers, announcing Benjen Stark's arrival.
Fiona's head swam and she felt faint. A whimpering sound left her throat. Catelyn kindly took her hand and led her to the gates of Winterfell.
Upon arrival to the gates, Fiona saw him. He was standing tall and proud, talking to Ned, clad in all black. He did not notice her, so she crept behind a tall wagon, out of sight. She peered in his direction and watched as he laughed and joked with his older brother. Her nervousness grew and finally, she forced herself to approach him. As she stepped out from behind the wagon, Ned left with his young warden, Theon Greyjoy to address something of major concern. As he left, Benjen looked around the premises and he saw her: Fiona, his lost love.