Catelyn

Catelyn's heart was racing a bit, she felt excited seeing her husband finally after five fool moons. He was summoned by the king together with the other wardens of the kingdoms, with no advance notice of when all of them was to go back home.

Catelyn counted the heads lined up beside her. She saw Robb straightened up when he saw his father, she could not help but feel pride.

She saw Ned, a smile of longing displayed on his face. She too could not help but smile when their eyes met as the Lord was approaching atop his steed.

"Father!" Arya shouted and ran to her father.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Bran followed suit, annoyed that his sister did not even wait for their father to get off his horse before running to him.

"Oh! How I've missed you!" Ned embraced the two and lifted them in an embrace.

"I missed you too, Father!" Arya said, her arms wrapped around Ned's neck.

"I've missed you more! I'm not letting you win this time, Arya!" Bran exclaimed.

"Oh, Really?"

"Yes."

"Well, Little Bran you don't win this round still." Bran frowned at his father's words. "For I missed you both from the day I stepped out of our gates. I win!" Bran smiled widely at his father and hugged him tighter.

"Oh, Arya! I did not receive a raven bearing the news that you wear dresses now."

"Sansa made me wear it, she made this."

"It's beautiful, darling."

"I hate it. It itches!"

"Look at you, Bran. Your muscles are lot tighter than the last time I saw you. Have you been climbing?"

"Not too loud, Father. I promised mother I'd stop."

"Well better learn to whisper if you plan to keep secrets. Besides, your mother will know anyway. She knows magic!"

"I thought so, Father!"

"Welcome home, father."

"You're growing more beautiful every season, Sansa. You look more like your mother everyday."

"I would love that, Father. Mother is lovely. Everybody says so." She made sure her mother heard, she smiled at Sansa approvingly.

"Well I guess, I'm one of them."

"We've missed you, Father!"

"I know, Sansa. And I missed you too."

"Aside from Bran and Arya, where are my other sons?"

Bran snickered until Arya punched him on his arm.

Robb stepped forward and lightly bowed his head.

Ned looked at his heir intently, smiling approvingly.

"The Starks were never really known for being tall."

"I notice that, my Lord. But the Stark charm grows famous in the seven kingdoms. Clearly, you know that too."

Ned smiled and chuckled as he embraced his first-born.

"Winterfell missed you, Father."

"And so have I missed home, my son."

Robb stepped back to steer clear of his mother's way.

"My lady." Ned looked at Catelyn with much admiration when she walked forward, little Rickon in her arms.

"My lord." She smiled. "It's alright, Rickon. It's your father." She hushed the toddler who started wailing when they came near each other.

"No worries, Catelyn. It has been almost half a year. There's no need to force the boy." Ned said, touching the side of her face.

Catelyn saw the hurt on her husband's tired face. She saw how he was worried that his youngest might have forgotten about his father.

"There will be a whole lot of time to bond with the whole family, my love."

"I'll take that as a promise, Ned. And you have kept all promises before. There is no doubt in my heart that you will keep this one." Catelyn smiled.

"It is. That's what has kept me alive, my lady. All the time I was away, I aimed to go home. And finally I am."

Catelyn fought her tears. She never had shed a tear in front of the household or the folks of Winterfell.

"Yes, you are." She gave her sweetest smile. And Ned kissed his wife's forehead with much yearning.

Catelyn was ready to turn when her husband spoke.

"Where is Jon?" Lord Stark asked not particularly to her.

"I-I am here, Father." Jon answered.

The servants made way for the boy as he reluctantly stepped towards the lord.

"Welcome home, Father." The boy was nervous.

Catelyn caught Jon checking on her reaction. The boy very well knew how to properly address the Lord of Winterfell. But she allowed him to call him Father if he is speaking towards his husband.

"Your skin is pale, son. Are you feeling ill?" Ned asked.

Catelyn tensed a bit when her husband addresses his bastard that way especially when there was an audience.

"It's the cold, Lord Stark." He answered simply. Looking down at the ground.

"Yes. Winter is coming." Ned heaved a sigh. "Look at me when I'm speaking to you, Jon."

Jon brought his eyes upon his father.

For the longest time, Catelyn had never taken time to stare at the bastard's face. But when she did, she felt her blood boil.

She did not wish to be angry at anyone, not even her dear husband's bastard.

But when her lord came home from war almost sixteen years ago with a bastard at his arms, she never thought she could ever feel hatred and love towards anyone all at the same time.

She convinced herself that she had forgiven Ned's betrayal. But Jon Snow's presence withholds a constant reminder of her husband's disloyal of their wedding vows. Her prayers to the seven Gods to remove her loathing for the boy were never answered.

Ned held the boy's shoulders and met his gaze.

"You look more a Stark every day, boy. Your eyes, you got the Stark eyes."

"Thank you, Father." He smiled, a seldom occurrence. "I was told before that I got your hair too, dirty and unmanageable." Jon said.

Ned let out a loud laugh. Jon smiled.

"You must be tired from your journey, Ned. The folks have prepared a feast for your homecoming." Catelyn cut in the welcome. Truly, her husband was tired and hungry.

"I was expecting that, my love. But before that I would like to introduce my family to someone I am deeply indebted to." He said.

Ned gestured to one of his ward to bring forward the horse with the guest riding it.

Jory gently got the young lady off the horse and guided her way beside Lord Stark's side.

"My love, this is Koreen Lastliv. She will live with us here in Winterfell from now on."

"She looks like a Wildling, my Lord." Catelyn bluntly expressed.

"Well, she was. And maybe we can raise her as a lady." He said.

This was the third time Ned Stark had brought home a stranger child. First was the bastard Jon Snow, the Greyjoy boy Theon and now a wildling girl from Gods know where.

Catelyn should be mad. Adopting a girl, a wildling girl at that, should be discussed with her by her husband. She looked at Koreen. Her hair was fiery red, redder than Sansa's. "Koreen, this is my wife, Lady Stark." Ned introduced his wife.

"Good afternoon, my lady. My name is Koreen Lastliv" The girl presented herself, her nerves perfectly visible.

Catelyn have seen wildlings before, most of them men. But this was the first time she saw a Wildling girl young enough to be her daughter. Her skin was dirty although it was obvious that she tried cleaning up. Her face was young and her eyes were innocent but seemed like they have seen too much for her age.

"Lastliv? I have never heard of a wildling's family name."

"Oh, I've just given it to myself, milady." She stated, subtly arranging her curly red mane in place.

"I didn't know one can do that. How did you come up with it?" Catelyn was genuinely curious.

"Am the last one of my family, Lady Stark. I'm the last one living."

Catelyn felt bad for the girl. It was known that Wildling barely stay at one place but they do protect each other. And to think that as young as Koreen, she was alone.

"I see. Where are you from, Koreen?" she asked.

"I don't remember." Koreen answered.

"How old are you?"

"I don't know, too. We do not count how long one lives, milady. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize for, Koreen. It's alright, little girl. It's alright." Catelyn smiled at the girl, soothing her hidden anxiety only a mother could sense.

It was a stupid question. Catelyn was aware that Wildlings live day by day. They do not live like people from a kingdom. They care for nothing else but their lives.

"Have you ever tasted a lemon cake?" Lady Stark asked, lightening the mood.

"I've heard of it from Lord Stark. He wanted me to taste it one day."

Catelyn looked at her husband and saw him twitched his lip to smile. Catelyn smiled back. Ned was holding Koreen by her shoulder all that time, assuring her. Catelyn figured that Koreen kept her husband company during the time he was away and he treated her as her daughter. And so he brought her back to his home.

"This is a fortunate day for you then." Catelyn smiled. Koreen smiled back.