The Wars Yet To Come

by LottieDot

The Board had been altered, but the Game remained the same. When War ended and peace lay over the Seven Kingdoms. Rhaegar and Lyanna live and rule with Elia and raise their children. Now 20 years later it is the children of the players of the game that must learn how to play. Vows will be made, promises broken. We will all learn in the Game of Thrones you live or die.

6. Sleeping Arrangement

A:N This is a long chapter. It is so very long but worth it. I had toyed with splitting it in two, but could not bring myself to do it. I hope you don't mind the length or how long it took to write. And I have to say a huge thanks to my partner in crime, NewGirl08. With out her help this would not have been possible. Enjoy!

Jon watched his uncle framed in the doors of the Great Hall. He felt as if he was looking into the future. He felt that he would look like the man before him some day. His cousin, the one called Arya, was his mother's image from the past. It was a strange feeling. Would he be as tall as the Starks, who were taller than his father was. Would he keep his slim Targaryen build, or muscles like Eddard Stark? Would that girl continue to mature in her looks to be a beauty like his mother? Would she be as wise as Lyanna? All these thoughts swirled in his mind.

He shot his mother a look and saw her standing still. Jon knew the story of his parents love, how they started a war. Now the man who had fought against his father stood beside Eddard. He wished he could go and stand beside her, as his father would soon be. Jon knew he was the reason they had fought so hard to stay together. His mother told him since he could remember that he was going to be the man who push back the darkness when winter came.

"You have the fire of the dragons and the ice of the north. You will be the light in the dark my son." She had told him. He wanted to be the light right now, protect her from the darkness that was clouding her face.

He waited, like the rest of the room to see how his father would receive Robert. The two families at the door walked into the room and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. No one moved, no one made a noise. A flash of motion from a side door permitted his second mother, a false smile on her face. This sudden appearance was almost as intriguing as his true parent's reaction to the Baratheon's. She carried a tray with a drink on it. Seeing the two parties inside the doorway she placed the tray down in a nook in the wall and walked over to her husband.

On her way to Rhaegar she stopped beside Lyanna. The two woman looked at one another. For the first time in a long time Elia took Lyanna's hand and gave her a warm smile that Jon remembered seeing both mothers give each other when he was a child. The two queens walked to stand beside their husband. The three stood and all smiled at Eddard and his friends.

Jon looked to his sister next to the Tyrell family group. They spoke without words. It was going to be an interesting meeting. Dragons were about to meet the stags head on. Jon hoped that none of them would be burned. Rhaenys looked worried. She took a step closer to her parents but Aegon took her arm and Jon shook his head. They both wanted her to stay put. There was little Jon could do so he stood back to watch. The two groups had stayed apart during the whole journey north. His father walked to the center of the room to meet the next two groups that entered the hall.

"Robert, it is a pleasure to see you again. It has been to long." Rhaegar said with measured control. Jon knew his father admired the way Robert had made the Stormlands thrive, but he disliked the other man personally for the pain he had caused Lyanna. In his mind Robert was the one who had killed Jon's Stark grandfather and uncle when Robert had convinced them both that his father had stolen Lyanna. Rhaegar did not hate Robert, but he did not like him.

"My king, it is an honor to have been allowed to come along with you and your family on this visit to see Ned. It has been to long since we have all seen one another." Robert said with a smile. Jon felt it was genuine.

"It would hardly be kingly to deny old friends the chance to reunite." Rhaegar said with obvious relief that Robert showed no animosity. He was still guarded though. Old feelings are hard to banish from just one smile.

"Why don't we all depart to our rooms and freshen up for dinner? Sansa is going to check on the feast we have planned. Elia has said that you have brought entertainment with you my king. If one of your group would like to speak with them and tell them that we will be eating within two hours' time that would be helpful. We can mingle for a few more moments and once we hear from the kitchen we can all go and dress." Catelyn said from beside her husband, smiling brightly at everyone in the hall.

Lyanna and Elia stood beside the king still holding hands. Rhaegar smiled at them. Jon finally walked close to his parents and noticed his siblings doing the same. Rhaella shot him a look to keep his eyes on the Baratheon's. Jon turned back to see how Robert reacted to his mother after all these years. All he did was smile in a friendly manner. There was no look of longing or love. It was just an old friend seeing another old friend after many years separation.

"My queens." Robert bowed to the women. "I wish to express my thanks to you, like I have done with your husband, for allowing us to accompany your family to Winterfell."

"You are most kind Lord Robert for your thanks. But no thanks are needed." Elia said coldly. She had become aloof again, but she held Lyanna's hand while looking at Robert Baratheon. Despite their differences between the women, they were family and stood together.

"Ned has always been your friend Lord Robert. It would hardly be with in our power to prevent you from visiting him and his family." Lyanna finally spoke. Her voice was steady and strong. Jon knew that her mother was anything but at this moment.

"Thanks are still not needed." Robert said kindly. "You all remember my beautiful bride?" He held out his hand for his wife.

Cerise walked over to him and they twined their fingers together and smiled at one another. Then she looked at the queens and rolled her eyes. Her dress was black and gold, the colors of her husband's house. She was as regal as the queens before her were.

"I am hardly a bride. It has been twenty years since we wed and this man still behaves as if we are newlyweds. Men, what can we do with them? They act as if they were the ones who are in charge. But we know otherwise don't we?" She asked the women in front of her with a conspiratorial smile.

Jon watched his second mothers face become harsh and his mother's face pale. The situation in their family was strange. They were not happy, that was true, but seeing the love and warmth from the villain of the war, according to Elia, look so happily at his wife twisted both woman guts. He felt a strange sadness and a rage fill inside him. Why could his father not look at his mother that way? Why couldn't his parents show their love so openly and freely, as they had once done? He looked at his father and he looked lost. Jon placed his hand on Rhaegar's shoulder and his father gave him a sad smile.

"Men are strange creatures." Catelyn said, stealing a glance at her husband. Love was all written all over her face. "Sansa would you please go and inquire as to the feast?" She took the situation in hand and tried to change the subject to something neutral.

"Of course mother." Sansa said. She had felt the room shift when Lady Baratheon had spoken of her husbands adoring ways. She wanted to stay and watch what happened. She looked at her sister, who was watching the Baratheon boy, as well as the heir of Castle Rock out of the corner of her eye. Both men were watching her. Sansa nudged her sister.

"Mother," Arya's voice was thick due to dryness. "Could I go? You know how the kitchen staff respond to me. I can get them working faster if they are not already doing so."

Catelyn had been aware to the attention her daughter was receiving and nodded her head. Arya smiled grateful for an excuse to move away. It was better to leave now and acquire a better vantage point of the group later. She walked to a door in the wall beside one of the great fireplaces in the hall. As she left her cousin, Prince Jon was among the men watching her leave. She raised her brow at him and she paused.

"Mother, I known that this is a strange request, but could I accompany my cousin? I wish to see as much of your childhood home as I can." Jon asked her mother.

Lyanna turned and smile indulgently at her son.

"You may go. I am sure with Arya as your guide you will not get lost." Lyanna smiled. Elias shook her head in negation, but Jon walked over to where Arya was standing. Jon was not unaware of the glares the Baratheon boy was giving him, or the look of repressed mirth on Jamie Lannister's face as Jon walked to his cousin.

When Jon reached her the conversation on the room resumed. Arya held the door opened for him so he could follow. His guide was silent as they walked down one corridor to the next. Once they reached the stairs, leading down she paused and took a touch out of a basket near her feet.

"Here, you will need this." She said as she lit the touch and handing it to him.

"Thanks." Jon said as he held the touch over their heads and they walked down the stairs. "Winterfell is as my mother always said it would be like." He said to break into her silence.

"What did she say?" Arya asked. She held her skirt up in her hand, as if she was unaccustomed to making this trip down the stairs in skirts.

"She said this place was a labyrinth of walkways and secrets that would take more than a lifetime to discover. Seeing the sheer size of the outside of the castle showed me she was right. Now that I know that the corridors continue into the very ground of this land I see my mother was vastly understating how large this castle was." Jon said as they made it to the end of the stairs.

"Thanks' to Bran's quest for knowledge we finally have a cohesive map of the castle. If you wish I could get you and your mother copies of the layout." Arya said with true kindness.

"That would be amazing, thank you." They made it to a straight hallway that, based on the smells, led to the kitchens. "Lady Arya, I was wondering why you agreed to let me accompany you to the kitchens."

"First I am no lady. I might have been born into a great house and know how to clean up well, but I am no lady. Second out of everyone who has come into the walls of Winterfell you are the most intriguing to me." She answered.

"I intrigue you?" Jon asked with a laugh.

"Come on. Don't you see the strange resemblances we hold to one another parents? You look like the one picture of my father as a youth. And my whole life the people of the North have said I look like your mother. We are also the only two Stark descendants that look like our ancestors. My brothers and sister look like my mother's people and your brother and sister look like their mother. We are Starks. I could see that we could share with one another in ways the others would not understand." Arya said. "We alone are wolves in our generation."

Jon was shocked with the frankness she used while talking to him. Being a prince he was used to people simpering over him. Only his family ever spoke to him as if he was just a man. He looked at Arya in the torchlight. She was stunning. If she did not look so much like his mother, he would say she would make the most impressive princess.

"Can I ask you some personal questions? Since we are family I want to get to know you as much as I can while I am here." Jon said. They were almost to the kitchen and he wanted to ask her these things before they were around other people.

"Whatever you like. You are the prince. I am just a lady." She gave a slight sneer at the word, but smiled as she said it.

"What do you like to do?" He blurted. If he could he would have kicked himself. He had wanted to ask her about the people of the North. What they were like, how they lived. Instead he asked her that. What was wrong with his mind around her.

Arya stopped walking and she laughed. Jon could not help himself; he smiled and started laughing as well. Her laugh sounded like bells and made you want to join in, just like his mother's laugh could do.

"Out of all the questions to ask, that is the one you go with?" She smiled again. "I like riding my horse, helping my people, and reading. The usual things. I am also very good with a type of swordplay from Bravos called Water Dancing. If you wish we could spar during your stay here." She raised her brow again. Jon was realizing this was her way of offering a challenge without saying it outright.

"That could be arranged. But I must warn you, I have been thought swords by Ser Arthur Dayne." Jon said. He hoped the name of one of the most famous knights in the history of the realm made him seem intimidating to her. He was one of the king guard and in residence with the family. Ser Arthur nada been asked to see to the protection details with the captain of the Stark's men in Winterfell. When Jon had been little Ser Arthur or Ser Barrister his constant shadow. Jon was the only one who had demanded to be able to walk among his people in Flee Bottom, and they always followed. To his surprise neither were with him now. The kings guard were discretely scattered with in the Great Hall with his family. They must trust this girl and the people of Winterfell more than they trusted the people in the Red Keep.

"No matter who taught you I can beat you." Arya boasted. "I am also a weaver. All the cloth you see in Winterfell was created by my hands on my loom." Arya said, almost as an afterthought.

It was now Jon's turn to stop walking. Arya turned and looked at him. She studied his face. There was shock on it as well as intrigue. Arya rather liked the way this young man looked with those emotions on his face. He was a very well put together man. Nevertheless, Arya would never think that way for someone she was related to. She decided they would become friends.

"Do not look so shocked Jon. I might not be a lady, but I find loom work is more challenging then the sword at times." There were at the large doors of the kitchens and Arya pushed them opened. Jon had never been in the kitchen proper at the Red Keep, his teachers kept him to busy for such activity. He just stood opened mouthed at the large underground cavern and the number of people with in the room. Arya was walking into the room but turned and grabbed his arm, pulling him along with her.

"Have you ever been in a kitchen?" She asked as they wove their way to the head cook. Everyone smiled at her and she spoke to most of the people around her.

"No. It wasn't allowed." Jon said softly. He felt slightly ashamed at this fact.

They walked to a rather plump woman covered in flour. The woman had what looked like blood on her apron and a large spoon in her hand.

"And watch those birds! I don't want them burnt." She bellowed to the men tending to a massive amount of meat. "Arya my dear. If you have come to steal scraps like the wolf you pretend to be you will get nothing tonight."

"Sorry to disappoint you Masha, but mother sent me. Will the feast be ready in time?" Arya asked as she looked at the food all around them.

"We have two hours work. But that will give the ladies time to primp. I know your sister. She will want to look her best. And make you look beautiful as well." Jon could not dream of either Stark girls looking more breath taking then either already did. But he said nothing. "Now who is this?" The head cook asked, nodding her multiple chins at Jon.

"Oh this? He is your prince. But do not treat him like a pampered lap dog. He's just as much wolf as the rest of us." Arya's hand shot out and snatched a pastry passing them, broke it in half and handed the other part to Jon.

"Ah, yes. Lyanna's boy. Home at last. Good to have you home Jon. What ever you need boy, you ask and you will get it. But no one else." Masha swished her spoon at him with a mock stern look on her face. "And don't you go spoiling dinner. I have been slaving down here for a week for this."

"Yes ma'am." Jon said as he tried to put the pastry down.

"I was only joking boy. Eat up." Masha turned away from them and went to check on the progress of the food.

"Come on Jonny Boy. We still have a good fifteen minutes to go before they will expect us back. I'll show you a short cut to the hall from here." Arya bit into her stolen food and Jon did the same. It was flaky and filled with a sweet cheese.

"I have never had anything quite like this. It is amazing." Jon said.

"It is one of Masha's secrets. Utterly heaven. Come on." Instead of walking to the stairs, Arya lead him to another door in the hall and up another flight of stairs. It was not as twisting as the first. They walked happily enjoying their treat.

"So is everyone in the castle so relaxed?" Jon finally asked.

"Only for us Starks. No one else has their devotion like we do. You might not have been born here, but you were born from here. You are theirs. We dislike outsiders. Lucky for you, you are family and your mother was well loved. That makes you loved by proxy. Count yourself lucky." She tried to lick a stray piece of the honey bread from the corner of her lip but could not reach it.

"Here." Jon pulled a linen square out of his pocket and handed it to her.

Arya took it and quickly wiped her faceoff with it. She held it out to him. Jon was ready to take it back but she looked closer at it and walked over to the touch hanging on the wall. When they had entered the kitchen, they had left theirs in a basket after extinguishing it. Arya worked the cloth with her fingers and frowned.

"Is this an example of the cloth you get in Kings Landing?" She asked, still feeling the material.

"Yes. That is from a very well established cloth making family. They are highly regarded and Queen Elia regularly frequents their business." Jon said. Being a prince, he had nothing but the best.

"This," Arya said finally giving him his piece of cloth, "is shit. I did better when I was ten."

Jon looked at her and was at a loss for words. His mother had told many tales about her brother and his lady wife. How they were so well mannered and proper. Jon had always assumed that their children would be like that as well. Arya, it seemed, was something different.

"Well I will be sure to tell the queen." Jon said stiffly.

"Good. And I bet they are over charging her as well. Ass backward merchants. Come on. We are almost to the steps leading to the balcony so we can watch everyone in the hall."

Meanwhile back in the Great Hall…

Gendry had not been able to keep his eyes off Arya of House Stark. He has seen her watching him, and he had wanted nothing more than to walk over to her and get to know what her voice sounded like. She had stood smiling when then walked into the room. Gendry liked that smile. When the king approached his father, he reluctantly took his eyes off Arya.

"So what do you think this man will say to father after all these years?" Joffery whispered to him.

"I don't know. He might try to kill father. The Targaryen's of old were said to be vengeful creatures." Myrcella said to them both, just as hushed.

"I'd like to see him try. Mother would rip out his spine of him if killed father, and no one would be able to stop her." Gendry said.

After their parents wedding and their return to the Stormlands Robert had insisted on his wife learning how to defend herself. The Stormlands had been torn apart by the war and there were raiders roaming all over the place. Robert had gone into the land and fought back the evil men who tried to defile the country. Cersei had in fact had to defend herself while she was pregnant with Gendry. She cleverer a man nearly in two who tried to rape her and the servant woman who had accompanied her in delivering help to a village near Storms End. Robert had been very proud of his Lioness then. He often recoup ted the story to anyone who would listen.

"Will you three shut up? I want to know what they are saying. Look, the Queens are here now." Shrieen said.

Gendry watched as his mother spoke with the queens. The one his father went to war for was standing there smiling, but the second queen had a face of utter stone. She did not say a word, but her face said it all. She was jealous of what his parents had. The royal family had thought they had it all, but seeing his mother and father all three before them realized that the Baratheon's were far happier then the king and the queens ever could be.

"Hey look at Uncle Jamie. He keeps looking at your she wolf." Joffery nudged his arm and Gendry flickered his eyes to where his uncle was standing. He glared at his uncle, but Jamie was not paying attention.

He looked over to Arya and she was smiling as well, ever so slightly. Gendry clenched his hands into fists. His uncle should not be looking at Arya. She was half his age. It was beyond reason that his uncle should look at Arya.

"Keep your head on Bull." Shrieen said kindly to him, placing her hand on his wrist. He looked down at his cousin, the only person in the world who had ever made him pause.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and counted to ten. When he opened his eyes, Arya was asking if she could go to the kitchen and speak with the cooks. He was reminded that they still had a feast to attend. Her voice was soft but it carried. It reached him like a mermaid song Shrieen had told them about. Living on Dragonstone, she was the authority of all things mystical.

When her mother had said she could go to the kitchen Arya had stopped and looked into the room. Her eyes met his; she fluttered her eyes to Jamie and then settled on Prince Jon. She raised her eyebrow and the prince asked if he could accompany her to the kitchen. Gendry felt like he had been punched in the gut. The prince was going to be with Arya, alone. He wanted to stand forward and say that it was inappropriate, but Shrieen's hand on his wrist stopped him again.

"Don't worry brother. Nothing will happen to her. My guess is that she could end the lives of everyone in this room without anyone knowing what had happened." Joffrey said as quietly.

"Don't think of her my brother. We are in for a show." Myrcella said under her breath. "Grandfather is on his way over to speak with our family."

Tywin was striding across the floor and smiled warmly at his daughter and her family. Jamie and Tyrion walked slowly behind him. They had met Uncle Jamie only once, when Gendry was twelve. He had come to Storm's End when his parents had gone on their tour of all the banner men that served their house. Gendry had been amazed at his uncle and his stories. They had written one another, only five or six letters every year, but they had become friends. Uncle Tyrion was another matter. He had come to visit twice a year for as long as he could remember.

"Daughter, Robert, children! We looked for you in the train, but you were all the way in the back." Tywin said with a smile. He spoke as if there was not tension thick enough to cut with a knife.

"We wanted to give the children the opportunity to have freedom before the confinement of the castle." Cersei said. "You know how they are. They like to roam around." She embraced her father, but Gendry knew that it was a forced smile.

"Yes. Boys need space to grow. And let me see my grandsons." Tywin looked the boys over. He never spoke to Myrcella and bluntly ignored Shrieen.

"Hello Grandfather." Joffery said as he walked forward. Joffery was always the one to greet old Lord Tywin. It was their agreement. Whenever they were in the room with their grandfather Joffery took the brunt of his praise. None of the others wanted it.

"Joffery my boy. You look good, strong." Tywin smiled at him. "What are you doing with yourself? You look like a true Lion."

"Thank you Grandfather." Joffery said.

"Now let me see the rest. Gendry, always a pleasure." Tywin sneered slightly. Tywin had no love for his eldest grandson, probably because Gendry looked so much like his father.

"Lord Tywin." Gendry gave a small nod. "You remember Myrcella and our cousin Shrieen?" He made it impossible for Tywin to ignore the girls.

"Yes, girls, you look lovely as ever." He turned away from the girls and spoke to his daughter. "Your children have grown in the last two years. Joffery is becoming a fine man."

"All my children have grown father." She spat out.

"Yes, of course." Tywin smiled but turned away and walked to the King.

"That was nicely done my boy. Make my father acknowledge the girls. You have my brains I think." Tyrion said to Gendry when Tywin was across the room.

"I don't have your brains uncle. You and I both know Myrcella is the smart one." Gendry smiled and leaned down and embraced his uncle.

"And what did you get from me?" Jamie asked. He stayed away from his sister.

"I got my good looks." Gendry shot back. He hugged him as well. The anger from a moment ago vanished. He just remembered the kind uncle from his childhood.

"Ha. You look like your father." Jamie said.

"Thank the gods for that!" Robert said coming up to them. "Brothers, nice to see you again. Jamie it has been what, twenty years?"

"I have been traveling." Jamie said. "How is our sister?"

"Unstoppable." Robert smiled brightly.

Jamie was relieved that his sister had found real love. When they were younger, Cersei had convinced him she was his soul mate. He had run to the Kings Guard to get away from temptation. He had thought he loved her, but as they spent time apart he realized they had both been sad lost children. Their mother's death had affected them both hard. Their father abandoned them and all they had was each other. When they separated they had both seen their errors. He was very glad their relationship had never become more than words. Still he had avoided her all these years to make sure she had lost all feelings for him, but having watched her with Robert Jamie knew it was love between the two.

"That makes me very happy to hear." Jamie said. Robert smiled and placed his hand on Jamie shoulder and walked back to his wife.

"So, what are we going to do while we are here? Our father thinks that we need to find Jamie a wife. That Stark girl sounds like a good idea." Tyrion said to Gendry and Joffery.

Joffery looked at his brother. Gendry's jaw was clenched and he balled his hands into fists. He wanted to punch his uncles, both of them.

"The dark haired one? No, she is no good for Jamie. She would be the cock in the relationship. He needs a woman who doesn't want to be the man in the marriage." Joffery spoke before his brother broke their uncle's noses.

"Joff, I have to disagree with you." Tyrion said. "He needs someone to kick his ass every day."

"What he needs is to find someone he finds pleasant and can grow to love." Cerise said as she and Robert walked over.

"I would be alright with that. I see what love has done for you." They stood there smiling at one another. Then they both laughed and hugged.

"Good to see you brother." Cersei smiled again. She felt tears well in her eyes. She knew that her feelings for him as a child had been wrong and if not for her mistaken feelings, he would have been home. "You should have come see us sooner."

"I had things I needed to figure out. Traveling was good. I learned many things while away." Jamie said when they separated.

"It is good you have stopped moving at last." She smiled at him, squeezed his hand and walked back to her husband.

"Well now that we are all reunited we should mingle. I met the most intriguing young man. Theon Greyjoy. His sister is apparently a captain of her own ship. Ladies, would you like to meet her?" Jamie said as he felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

"A woman sea captain? How exciting. Please introduce us." Myrcella said.

"She is over there with Sansa and Rickon Stark. We can have better introductions with them as well." Tyrion said walking over to the Greyjoy's and Starks.

Gendry and his family walked over. Sansa Stark was a beautiful girl. Her red hair glowed like fire in the touch light. Joffery was watching her with wide eyes. Gendry smiled as they stopped in front of them. He was not the only one who liked a Stark girl. And the way Sansa was looking at the Greyjoy boy he suspected he would not be the only one suffering jealousy.

"You really have your own ship?" Rickon asked Asha.

"Yes. The Sea Bitch. My father thought that would be a fitting name for his daughter's ship. I wanted to change it, but he wouldn't allow me." Asha said.

"I think it is a rather fitting name. The sea is a temperamental bitch. It pounds against the rocks of Casterly Rock every year. In time, it will chip away the earth and crumble into the sea. Yes the sea is a bitch." Tyrion said joined them.

"Lord Tyrion if you like the ship so much I will trade you. Give me a different vessel and I will give you my Bitch." Asha said with a smile.

"I don't want a Bitch. I want a lover." Tyrion said with a smile. "I want to you to meet my family. Lord and Lady Baratheon and their children, Gendry, Joffery, Myrcella and their niece Shrieen."

"Nice to meet you all." Theon said with a smile on his face. "My sister was telling her tales of the high seas. She is a very good story teller."

"Watch your words brother. I'm not the story teller here." Asha said.

"Whatever you say. So have you met the Stark's?" Theon asked.

"We were introduced." Joffery said with a forced smile. He then turned to Sansa. "Lady Sansa, Lord Rickon. I hope we can get to know one another better."

"Thank you, it will be our pleasure to help you find your way around Winterfell. Arya is your families designated guide, but we are all here if you need anything." Sansa said with a smile.

"Who is showing us around?" Theon asked. "It is not you, is it Sansa?"

Sansa blushed. She liked this young man. He spoke to her as if she was a beautiful woman. She had had many admirers in the past, but the way he looked at her made her feel wanted. She had never truly felt wanted, and she wasn't going to let this go to her head. She had never truly flirted but she was going to try now.

"Rickon has that honor. But like I said we are all here to assist you in finding your ways around Winterfell." She smiled slightly at Theon.

"And who is showing us around, pray tell." Joffery asked. Sansa turned to him. She looked at him as if he was slow. She had already told them moments ago.

"Arya is the guide for the Baratheon family, as well as the Lannister's." Sansa spoke slow, as if speaking to a child. "I fear she will have her hands full with you all." Sansa smirked and Rickon snorted.

"Can I ask what is so funny about that remark?" Shrieen asked.

Rickon stopped his bubble of laughter and looked at the girl. She had a look of the Baratheon family. Dark hair and the blue eyes. She was lovely, except for the grey scale scars marring her right cheek and a slim line on her neck. It was a small blemish. Nothing truly noticeable. She kept her hair covering her face. Rickon saw the insecurities she felt, it was the same he now was plunged into with the arrive of his parents new child.

"Nothing is funny, per say." Rickon said slowly. "I just think Arya having a full plate is amusing. She always has a full plate. She and Sansa have been running Winterfell since our mother has become pregnant."

"Really? She and Sansa are the ones who have set this whole feast up?" Shrieen asked.

"Well mother has the last say in everything. But they are the ones who have arraigned everything. Down to the room arrangements. So if you have grievances with where you are placed they are to blame. If you have issue with the repair of your rooms that will fall on me. I handled the repairs of the reconstructions of the older areas that are now hospitable." Rickon said. Sansa looked at him with wide eyes. This was the most Rickon had said in the past two months.

Shrieen smiled. She was willing to continue her verbal sparring match with the younger Stark boy. She greatly enjoyed it. She never got to do this back on the Stormlands. They all treated her as if she was some wounded bird. But here she was just another girl. She liked that notion.

"So if the walls fall down on me in my sleep I know who to haunt." She said and Myrcella elbowed her in the ribs. Rickon laughed again. She joined in, but not as loudly.

"That is the most you have spoken in a long time brother." Robb said walking over with the rest of the young people of the travelers. "If I had half a mind I would keep Lady Shrieen at Winterfell. Having my brother back would be a blessing."

Shrieen blushed and looked at her feet. She felt a protective hand fall on her shoulder and knew it was Gendry. He was always protecting her from one thing or another. Her mother mostly. Having him with her made her bolder than she was normally.

"Sorry Robb, but my cousin is not staying here where it is cold enough to freeze your tits off." Gendry said, quoting a line from one of their letters. The women in the group gasped and the men laughed aloud, none more so than his father.

"Isn't that the truth son? If you will excuse your mother and I. We are going to talk to Ned and Cat. You all play nice." Robert said walking away with Cersei to speak with their hosts.

Willas had accompanied Bran and Robb Stark over to the gathering on the other youths in residence of Winterfell. The boy Robin followed Rhaenys like a lost puppy. The decision was easy for Willas. Bran was going and Tyrion was there as well. He had much to discuss with them both.

"I would be very interested in seeing the strand of wheat that would be able to prosper in this climate. I would like you to look at the seeds we are using. Lord Tyrion what type of wheat do you use in the Westerland?" Bran asked.

"The typical kind I imagine." Tyrion said. "I don't carry the seeds around with me. But I can send for some. Our head farmer will be honored with any input you could give us. He would be more than willing of sending you some of our seeds."

"Do you have a wheat that prospers with rocky soiled?" Asha asked. She was truly interested in the subject, but she also wanted to speak to Willas. She had watched him since he had offered to help them haggle for their horses and wagons. He was almost as good at it making deals as Theon. Asha also liked the way he looked. He was handsome, and close to her own age.

"Yes. We have a very invasive strand. It grows everywhere. We do not use it in our fertile lands, but this one might thrive on the islands." Willas said to her. He smiled, loving the opportunity to speak with someone new about crop growth.

"I would love to take some of the seeds back to our Islands and test your theory out." Asha said with a smile.

"I have a sample of the wheat with me. If Bran could get us a tub of rock heavy dirt I could show you it's effectiveness Lady Asha." Willas said.

Theon looked closely at his sister. He was uncertain but at the mention of her being a lady, she had blushed. Theon filed this information away to ponder over later. Right now, he had other things on his mind. Before him stood five of the most beautiful creatures the world had ever known. Sansa Stark, Myrcella Baratheon, Rhaenys Targaryen, Margaery Tyrell and Arianne Martell. He wanted to speak with them and see which one would hold his attention longest. He had been pleased with Sansa Stark. She was the most lovely to look at, and she had a mind that matched his own. But was that enough to keep him occupied for the rest of his life? He had to speak with the others to make sure he was not just going with the first attractive woman he met.

"Princess Rhaenys, your brother mentioned you have a curiosity with the sea. Perhaps I could enlighten you on her mysteries over supper?" Theon said.

"If I want answers of the sea I will ask your sister. She is the captain of her own ship after all." The princess spoke. Her tone was friendly, but Theon knew she did not want to make friends with him. If Theon had been his sister or father he would have taken this brushoff as an insult, but Theon understood it for what it was. She did not like him and he was fine with that. One down.

He was thinking of something to say to the others when Arianne asked him a question.

"Lord Theon, why do you not captain a ship in your father's fleet?"

"He is not the captain type. He is to valuable in the Great Halls of Pyke." Asha said. "His cool head keeps us out of war."

"You give me too much credit. I just speak to people." Theon said mildly. He did not want to appear pompous.

"You just speak?" Margaery asked. "What kind of words do you use? Is your tongue where your talent lies?"

These two were a handful. He didn't know what to do, so he smiled and shook his head.

"I just say what I want them to hear. They do what I want them to do. Nothing fancy. I do not have a wicked tongue but a wicked mind." He finally said.

"Oh a man with a talent with words." Arianne smiled and linked her arm with the other girls. If these two were working together, they were to much for him. He crossed them off the list. Now he had Myrcella to speak to.

"My words are nothing." He looked humble. He shot Sansa a look and she hid a smile herself. He suspected he was trying to put the two off him. If there had not been suck a more lovely option Theon would have usually leapt at the chance to spar with these two beauties, or more. But Sansa kept calling to him, like the shore to the sea. She took his lead and spoke.

"Words can change the world as effectively as the sword. Do not say you are nothing." She looked at him and he felt warmth. He decided he would forget the Baratheon girl. Sansa Stark was his match. He felt it in his bones.

"Thank you Lady. You are kind." He started to reach out his hand but Joffrey stepped forward.

"We all need to know what to say at the right time. I would like to know your secret." His face was impassive and the other boy kept looking at Sansa. Theon realized he would have competition with his plans to woo the Stark Beauty.

Before Theon could speak, Prince Jon and Arya Stark entered the room. Jon walked to his sister and cousin standing with their group. He spoke softly with them and the three walked over to the king. Arya was with her parents.

"Gathered guests the feast will commence with in the next two hours. If you would all like to change clothing our children will escort you to your rooms." Eddard said to the group.

"That would be wonderful." Elia said for the assembled visitors. "Which of the children will be our guides? I know you mentioned it to us all in the court yard, but there was so much happening."

Catelyn smiled and touched her abdomen. The child was wrestles. She wanted nothing but to sit down. She was now glad that she had so many grown children to help carry the burden. She looked at her husband for him to speak to the assembled noble families.

"Our eldest son will be escorting the royal family as well as the Martell's. Though I doubt he will be needed to escort the King and Queens. Lyanna knows Winterfell still, I hope." He smiled warmly at his sister. He had still not had time to speak with her the way he wished. "Sansa will escort the Tyrell's to their rooms. Arya will be guiding the Baratheon and Lannister families to their rooms. Bran will show Edmure and the Aryan group to their lodgings. And Rickon will show Asha and Theon Greyjoy to their accommodations."

Ned had made it a point to speak the last two names in full. He wanted to remind the assembled great families that the Greyjoy family was here. Eddard wanted to make sure that these two knew that they had his help. He had dealt with their father for many years. Balon Greyjoy was a harsh bastard. He wanted to show that these two children had friends in Winterfell.

When he spoke each of his children names, he was pleased that they walked over to the families they would be escorting. He was a little worried about Arya being with Jamie Lannister. He had seen the way the man had looked at his daughter. He was also worried about the way Roberts's eldest son was looking at her now. He hoped Robert had not put ideas in the boys head. The North had kept the fact that Arya looked like his sister a secret, but things had a way of getting out. Had Robert told Gendry to focus on Arya in a way to somehow relive his old love for Lyanna? Eddard hoped not.

Med took his wife's arm and escorted her to the stairs. She walked slow and watched as her children went about their tasks. She smiled at how effectively they all moved. She and Ned had devised their plans on which families would be assisted by each of their children. Cat felt pleasure at having properly matched the visitors with her children to provide the best experience for them all.

"I fear I must go and rest for an hour my love." She told Ned.

"That is quite alright my lady." He smiled down at her and kissed her softly on the lips. "I will explain to those who ask. Will you ne in with the loom?"

"With Arya not working there is no reason to be there. I will be in our chambers letting old Nan fuss over me." She smiled. The old woman had not stopped giving her advise on this pregnancy. Nan acted as if this was Cats first time caring a babe. For some reason she felt Old Nan would not be with them for much longer, so she would allow the old woman her pleasure in bossing her around.

"Do I need to call for Hodor to carry you up to the rooms?" Ned asked. His face was serious, but his eyes twinkled with laughter.

"You low man. You make me this way but yet you make fun. If you continue to pester me I will tell your sister and our lady stag and let them take turns beating you." She said with a smile in her lips.

"I love you my Cat. I'll be with you as soon as I can." He kissed his wife again and made his way to Robert.

Catelyn paused when she reached the halfway point on the stairway to catch her breath and to watch. She might not be thrilled with the amount of people she now had to feed, nut she loved seeing her children and the youths from all the ruling families interacting, bonding, for king friendships. She hoped in the hears to come, when winter was upon them all, they would remember their time together and assist one another when the need arouse.

Xxxxxxxx

Robb smiled at the King. The man was his uncle and it should put him at ease. But this man was the king, the man who had won the war of the Winter Rose. Robb had grown up with ideas of serving this man, this King. So standing beside him made Robb nervous.

"Your Highness. You are placed in the King's Wing. Aunt Lyanna knows the way. Your mother is in the wing as well. There are four bedchamber on that floor. Your children and your sister are on the floor below you, along with your brother in law and niece." Robb said to Rhaegar. He was pleased his voice sounded sure and strong.

"Please Robb. I am your uncle. Arianne and the other children of my wife's brothers all call me uncle. I hope that you and your siblings will call me that as well." Rhaegar said smiling warmly.

"Thank you uncle." Robb said. The title felt strange. His uncle was the king, he should be addressed as such. Lyanna walked up and slid her arm in her husbands.

"Robb you can rest assured that I will get my husband and my good mother and Elia to our rooms. You can show the others to their rooms. Be sure to warn the others about the twists in the corridors and how easy it is to get lost." She smiled warmly at him.

"I will Aunt Lyanna. Have no fear for your family. I will tell them about the grumkins lurking in the shadows as well." Robb laughed.

"And the snarks. Don't forget them." She said back. The two smiled warmly. It was a long-standing Stark family joke that the castle had snakrs and grumpkins roaming around.

"Do I want to know what that means my love?" Rhaegar asked his wife. Rhaegar loved seeing the light in her eyes and the smile on her lips. It had been many years since it had been present on her face. Lyanna glowed once again like the girl he had married all those years ago.

"It is nothing my dear. But if you find your socks in the chamber pot it was the grumpkins." Lyanna said as she kissed her husband's cheek.

"Socks in the chamber pot? That happens around there?" Rhaegar asked amused.

"It did when I was a girl. Does it still happen Robb?" Lyanna asked.

"Oh yes. All the time. To any of us who become to unruly." Robb laughed. He knew that it was one of the children playing jokes on each other but the stories were fun to make up. He suspected that Lyanna, his father and uncles pulled the same pranks on one another that he and his siblings pulled.

"Well then, I will make sure I do not become unruly while here." The king laughed. The sound rang out into the room and everyone looked at their king.

"What is so funny love?" Elia asked walking over, the children in tow.

"Grumpkins." Rhaegar said with a laugh.

"Do I want to know?" Elia raised her brow and Robb was reminded of Arya. "Robb I assume you will show our children to their rooms?"

"Yes Queen Elia. I am prepared to take the Princes and Princesses to their rooms." Robb said. He made sure to say princes and princesses because three of the people he was escorting were the children of the king but the others he was escorting deserved the title as well.

"We thank you lord Robb for shepherding our family to their rooms. I assume that their will be passage ways from our rooms to our families on the floor below ours?" Elia asked.

"There are passages from our floor to theirs Elia. That is why Ned placed them all on the floor below ours." Lyanna said smiling. "You forget I know this castle. It may be larger then the Red Keep but I still remember Winterfell's secrets. I assume that our sons will be placed together in the room directly under the king's room?"

"Yes Aunt." Robb said.

"See. There is a secret passageway from Rhaegar's room to that room. And the Queens room beside it has a passage to the room I assume the girls will be in?" Lyanna asked.

"Again you are correct. The passages were created to allow the kings of Winter easy access to the rooms of their children. They were created for this reason." Robb answered. In times past the rooms, the King and his wives were being housed were once the rooms of the Kings in The North. The old kings had wanted easy access to their family without having to traverse the many corridors between floors.

"You see, my brother has taken care of us." Lyanna smiled. The dowager queen walked over to them then. "Ah, mother. I assume you have her in the room to the right of the Queens room?"

"Aunt you must read minds. You know where everyone in your family is placed. Would you hazard a guess as to where every one else is placed?" Robb asked.

"Lord Robb, as much as I would love to hear my daughter in law try and guess where your family has placed the rest of your guests I would like to get to my room and freshen up." Rhaella said with a kindly smile. Robb liked this old woman. He never knew his own grandmothers or grandfathers. He always wanted to have one. The look on this woman face showed she was a loving woman. This look in her eyes made him wish she would be his grandmother.

"Your wish is my command." Robb said. "If Lyanna would show you to your rooms I will take the rest to theirs. Dinner will be sounded half an hour before the actual feast."

"Lovely." Rhaella said. "Would you please ask a servant to have a bath sent up to my room? The hotter the better?"

"Of course my lady." Robb said.

"Thank you." She said and looked at Lyanna. "Will you assist me my dear? I am weary after the ride."

"Yes mother. I will assist you to your room. And I will tell a servant to send a bath so Robb wont have to rush." Lyanna said with a smile to Robb.

The King and three queens of varying degrees of power walked to the stairs on the side of the great hall. Robb was now left with the rest of the group. He saw his biological cousin. He looked more like his father than Robb did. It bothered Robb that the sonbof a dragon looked like a dire wolf more than he did. But Robb knew all of his father's children, but Arya, had the look of the Tully's.

"Jon, cousin, I am glad to meet you after all these years." Robb said with a smile.

"Robb." Jon said. "Arya said you were cleaver." Jon said this cryptic remark.

Robb had been pleased at first to let his sister escape on her errand to the kitchen. However when she had beckoned to Jon to follow her he had not been pleased. He did not like anyone with his sister who he did not know. Robb still remembered the lesson he had to teach the Bolton Bastard. The boy had followed Arya around like a puppy for the week his father's most untrustworthy banner man had come to visit. The boy had become infatuated with Arya. Rickon had brought the information to Robb. The two of them had showed the bastard he was not worthy of their sister. To Robb no man was worthy of either of his sisters until they felt the sting of Winter biting their skin. Because of this fact, Robb would not embrace his aunt's child, or the other men that showed interest in Arya or Sansa.

"Arya usually speaks truthfully. But she often calls me an idiot, so I don't know what to believe." Robb said.

"Sisters are always devoted to brothers." Arianne said. "And because of that fact we can put them in their places very effectively."

Dany rolled her eyes at Rhaenys. Rhaenys laughed and Robb turned to her.

"My Lady." He held out his arm for her. It was customary for the host to lead the highest-ranking member in the group, but she didn't have to like it. She took his arm. "If you wish princess I will escort you all to your rooms."

"I didn't believe mother, but she said you Starks hold to older traditions then we do." Aegon said when he came over to his sister.

"We are an old family." Robb.

"The North Remembers." Rhaenys said as Robb lead them out of the room.

"You know our sayings?" Robb asked.

"Rhay loves your lands, always has. Lyanna has told her so often of the north that the girl probably knows its history better than you." Dany said in step beside him. "If there was a way I think she would stay in Winterfell forever. Do you have any suggestions about how to do that Lord Robb?"

Rhaenys looked like she wanted to slap her aunt. What was she thinking, speaking like that to Robb Stark? It was true Rhaenys liked the tales Lyanna had told them, but it was a part of her family's kingdom.

"Jon knows the tales as well as I do. Why don't we think of ways to keep him here instead?" Rhaenys asked, trying to shift focus from her.

"We all know you like it here as much, if not more than I do sister. Isn't that right Aeg?" Jon smiled wickedly at his brother.

"Both of them poured over everything in the Red Keeps libraries for anything northern when they were young. Rhay is the only one who still reads those tomes." Aegon said when they reached the first turn in the hall leading to their rooms.

"It is a beautiful place. I was wondering Robb, since you are assigned to be our guide if you could offer me a tour of its halls with in Winterfell?" Arianne asked. She did not like being out of the conversation or how it was centered on her cousin. She wanted the attention of the Heir of Winterfell.

"I would be pleased to show you around whenever you need princess." Robb said kindly. "It is a rather large castle."

"How about tomorrow afternoon." Arianne asked smiling her best come hither smile.

"Can we all come along?" Dany asked, sliding between Robb and Arianne. "I would love a tour. Rhay what do you say. Want a tour from Robb Stark tomorrow?"

"That would be nice. Only if Robb isn't to busy." Rhaenys said. She looked down at her hand where it still rested on his arm. She lifted her eyes and smiled. For some reason this young man made her nervous.

"Anytime you wish it my lady. Just say the word and we can go where ever you wish." He said to the group, but he spoke only to her.

"Would your bedchamber be on that list?" Arianne asked.

Dany stopped walking, as did the others in their group. Jon looked angry, Aegon looked amused. Dany wanted to take the other girl by the hair, pull her to a closet, and tell this stupid girl to shut the hells up. Rhaenys did the job for her without lifting her hand.

"I am sure lord Robb has better things to do than show you his bedchamber. He is a very busy man. He wouldn't have time for you cousin dear." Rhaenys smiled, but she let her hand drop away from Robb arm. She unconsciously took a step slightly in front of Robb, as if to protect him from her cousin's claws.

"If he is to busy for me sweet cousin he will surely be to busy for you." Arianne smiled at her.

"I assure you both I am not going to busy for either of you, any of you, while you are within the walls of Winterfell." Robb said, clearly not understanding what was happening.

"That is kind of you." Dany said trying to defuse the situation.

"When do you Northern men use the practice yard?" Aegon asked. He wanted to change the subject away from Robb Stark and his sister in his bedchamber.

"We start the day in the yard. Arya is out there as soon as it is light. We normal humans go down an hour after first light." Robb said.

"Your sister practices with the men!" Arianne said with a laugh.

"She does. All our people know how to defend themselves. It is a strange time in the north." Robb said cryptically.

Jon knew what he was referring to.

"Wildlings?"

"Yes. Their new king, The King Beyond the Wall he calls himself, is becoming to much for the Watch. He is increasing his raids on our lands." Robb answered. They continued along the corridors without speaking. He was troubled; all could see this so none spoke.

Arianne was sulking as they walked. These children were as impossible as that old woman. Why should she not try to capture this boy? Her cousins had not stopped Rhaenys from her obvious attempts. They all had aided her. It was quite unfair.

"This is the wing you shall be in for your stay. Prince Jon and Aegon will be in the first room." Robb said pointing to the door. "It is a suit. Two bedchamber and a lounge in between. The ladies have the rooms next to these. The setup is similar. We did not know if princess Arianne wanted to share rooms with the other two princesses. We have a room on this wing appointed to her next to Oberyn if she wishes." Robb told the group when then reached their destination.

"I would like the room you arranged for me near my uncle." Arianne said to him.

"It is further down the hall. I will show you the way." Robb said.

"The girls will accompany you. Women like to compare rooms for some reason." Aegon said distractedly when he and Jon reached their door. Aegon did not trust his cousin to let the son of their host leave her unmolested.

"I would like to see as much of Winterfell as much as possible. Rhay you can go along into our rooms and start dressing for the feast." Dany said when they reached their rooms. Dany usually deferred to her older niece, but in this, she was acting like the older of then two.

"Thank you Aunt." She said with a smile for her. "Robb, thank you for guiding us to our rooms." Rhaenys said to him before slipping into the room.

"You are most welcome." Robb said to the closed door. He wished she had been the one he was escorting to a room, but he knew his place. He would not slight his father's guests. "This way my ladies."

Arianne stalked beside Robb and Dany. The two of them kept up a lively conversation about the myths surrounding the creation of Winterfell.

"And you really do have heated water flowing within the walls?" Dany asked, stopping to touch the stonewall next to the door of Arianne's room.

"Yes. Bran the Builder is said to have crafted the castle from magic we have lost. This is one of the older sections of the castle. In winter the heated walls help keep us alive." Robb said with a joking smile.

"So this is it then?" Arianne asked.

"Oh, yes. Sorry princess. This is your room." Robb said to her.

"Well thank you Robb." She placed her hand on his arm and smiled. "Would you save a dance for me tonight at the feast?"

Robb blushed but told her he would. Once Arianne was inside Dany told him she could make her way back to her rooms without him and told him he to must get ready for the feast. She walked away and Robb continued down the hall to a flight of stairs and hallway that would eventually lead him to his rooms. Once he was there he went and stood before his mirror on the wall. He splashed cold water on his face and then flung himself down on the bed. Was the royal family's entire visit going to be this challenging Robb wondered. He briefly closed his eyes, but all he could see was the last smile the princess had given him before they parted ways.

Xxxxxxxx

Sansa had had a much easier time of showing her guests to their rooms. They had kept the Tyrell family on a ground level floor of the rely reconstructed part of Winterfell so lady Olenna would not have as many challenging steps to take.

"That was thoughtful of whoever placed us in these rooms." Olenna had said when Sansa explained this to the family.

"My mother and I worked on the room assignments. We tried to give everyone what they would need while here." Sansa said. She was slightly afraid of this old woman.

"That is what makes you Starks such good hosts. You think of everyone's needs before we have a reason to complain." Loras had said.

"Is the rooms close to the library?" Willas asked. He wanted to spend some time there before the feast.

"It is." Sansa answered with a smile. "I had been told that your love of books was as great as Bran's."

"A woman who understands the boy. Lady Sansa you are a treasure." Olenna said as they slowly walked.

"You truly have thought of everything to make this stay enjoyable for us." Margaery said from beside her grandmother. "Is the royal family close to us? I ever so enjoyed the company of the princesses and hoped we could continue our conversation."

"I am afraid they are in their own wing of the castle. It is far from your rooms I must admit." Sansa looked apologetic.

"That is all right girl. We will see plenty of them while we are here." The old woman corked. "How much further?"

"Just around this next corner. Lady Olenna your room is first. Margaery is next to you and there is a shared sitting room so the two of you can be close during your stay." Sansa said as they arrived at the room.

"Thank you Lady Sansa. I assume our trunks have been palced inside?" Olenna asked.

"They have. Your handmaidens were also escorted to your rooms as well." Sansa said quickly.

"Good. Now those two doors down the hall lead to the boys rooms I expect?" The old woman demanded.

"Yes. Ser Loras is in the room closest to lady Margery's. Lord Willas is in the one just beyond that. And if you continue along this hall you will come to the corridor leading to the library wing." Sansa said, anticipating the question Willas was going to ask.

"You really have thought of everything my lady." Willas said, taking her hand and kissing it. He walked slowly to his room and Sansa felt her cheeks blush. Loras kissed her hand as well and entered his room.

"They are perfect gentlemen, my brothers." Margaery said from their doorway.

"They do the male gender a credit for their kindness." Sansa said.

Margaery raised her brow. She had apparently underestimated this girl's ability to play. She had noticed that when they had all been gathered with the Greyjoy Heir. She thought the man was attractive and wanted to test him. But as soon as Sansa Stark spoke, it had been as if Margaery no longer was in the room. This girl would need to be watched. No one was going to get in her way to marry the prince. If the Starr girl could draw attention from her with just Theon Greyjoy she had no doubt Prince Aegon would fill prey to her as well.

"Thank you Sansa for being our guide while we are here. Now I must go dress for the feast." Margaery entered the room and the door shut with a thud.

Sansa had no desire to dress; there was still an hour until dinner. In that moment she was glad she and Arya had made such beautiful clothing. Everything hanging in her wardrobe would be better than anything these other girls could boast. She walked to the library and decided she was going to find Rickon.

"And this wall here had been in complete shambles. Took me and ten men four days just to get it back to this." Rickon voice was heard saying down a long flight of stairs. The Greyjoy's were placed on the floor above the Tyrell's. A fact she had not shared with Margaery Tyrell.

"How far does the foundation go down?" Asha asked. She might love the sea, but she loves the building of things, any kind of things.

"We went down as far as we could. The original is fifty feet down at least. When they built this place, they had hundreds of men working on it. We have the plans now from the original building. The paper is crazy. Even Bran doesn't understand half of what they say." Rickon was saying. Sansa waited in the stairway. Her brother had not been this talkative for months now. She waited to say what he was saying.

"Pyke was built to last as well." Theon, it could only be Theon. They were walking closer to her hiding place. "We needed sturdy walls for the on storms that break against our walls."

Sansa knew it was now the time to reveal herself. She gathered her skirts in her hand and walked from the doorway. She was pretending she had not been listening to their conversation. Sansa did not want them to know she had been spying on them.

"Lady Sansa." Theon said. He had been wishing for her to appear before the feast.

"Hello. I was on my way to get something from the library for Willas. I didn't know you would be here." She smiled widely at them.

"You knew where the Greyjoy's are here. You came out to find them." Rickon said with a devilish smile.

Asha was becoming annoyed. This girl was just what her father wanted her to find, but she was to far above their hopes. She was thinking of the niece of the Baratheon family as a wife for her brother. Sansa Stark would be to much trouble.

"Since you aren't doing anything important you can walk with us." Theon said with a smile. He held out his free arm.

"Thank you." She walked over and took the offered arm. "Willas said Bran would know what book he needed. I will leave it to Bran to find."

"Willas is an avid reader then?" Asha asked. She wanted as much information about this man as she could get. She would not say it but she liked his soft way of talking and the kindness in his eyes. He was different from all the men she knew.

"Asha you talked to the man. Any one with eyes could see that he is a scholar." Theon said to his sister as they went into a corridor that lead to their rooms.

"I talked about wheat. How could I know what he reads?" Asha demanded.

"He reads everything. Or that's the impression I got." Rickon chimed in. "He is like Bran that way."

"So he wants to be a maester?" Asha asked.

"He can't be. He is the Heir to Highgarden. It is the same reason father never gave me my own ship. Parents won't lose their heir to anything if they could help it." Theon said ruefully.

"His grandmother is a real piece of work." Rickon said. "I walked by her and she spoke to her grandson, the pretty one, saying 'There is the other wild Stark. They come in pairs in this family. Let's hope the baby is docile like the red head.' She is something."

"Lady Olenna thinks I'm docile?" Sansa asked shocked. The old woman knew nothing.

"Are you not?" Asha asked.

"All Starks are wolves. No matter what we look like we are wolves." Sansa said when they reached the door to the first room. "Theon this will be your room. It has a bedchamber and a small solar attached to the back. Asha your room has a parlor and a bedchamber. There is a connecting door. We also left a gift for you inside. Arya and I made clothing for our guests." She said.

"You made us clothing?" Asha demanded. This girl does not think we have fancy clothing, Asha thought.

"Don't worry Asha. Our mother is only happy sitting next to Arya while she works on her loom. That created a surplus of cloth. Sansa had completed all her real work weeks ago. She made as much of the extra for the servants, but as soon as they all hade three new outfits apiece she moved onto to you all." Rickon said in a happy manner.

"Really? You had enough time?" Asha asked.

"We always make clothing for the servants with in our walls. We know them, what they like. They were easy. I wanted a challenge. I hope you both like what you find." She smiled at them. They said their good byes, Sansa and Rickon walked away down the hall to their room.

"They are an interesting pair." Rickon said as they walked to the family rooms.

"They are. I am amazed at everyone, how they act. Everyone is just so different." Sansa said.

"I want them all to leave. Think of the mess we are going to have from them all. Nothing but shit." Rickon said.

"Now there is the brother I have grown used to." Sansa said with a smile, smacking him on the arm as they walked up the stairs to the family wing.

"Go stiff it Sansa." Rickon elbowed her.

"Watch it. I'm a lady." Sansa said, sticking her nose in the air the way Margaery Tyrell had done.

"No you're not. You are nothing but my sister. My little sister." Rickon joked looking down at her. She smiled at him, linked her arm around his waist, and hugged him.

"I have missed my brother." She told him.

"I know. But we all cannot stay the same forever. Isn't this growing up?" Rickon asked.

"I guess so." Sansa said sadly.

"So how do you think Bran is doing with our aunt and uncle?" Rickon asked as they walked to their rooms.

Xxxxxxxx

Robin was still shocked at the sheer size of Winterfell. And the people there, so many people. In the hours they had been in the walls of the castle, he had never seen so many people. His mother had kept him away from as many people as possible.

He desperately wanted to speak with his cousin. Bran seemed like a smart, educated young man. With his week beside his uncle, Robin learned that he was vastly undereducated. He had no idea what it took to govern a country the way his father had. He felt hopeless. While they walked, his mother prattle on about idiotic things.

"And the wall hangings Brandon. Why do they have to be so dark?" Lysa demanded. "And all this stone. It is so grey. We have white marble veined with blue decorating our castle. It is quite lovely. You could do wonders in redoing the castle in the marble." Lysa said to Bran. She was holding onto his arm as they walked.

"We could not think of taking your great castles splendor away from you. Winterfell is an old castle. It would be impossible to rebuild it now." Bran said tactfully.

"You could never take away the prestige of the Erie. We are to lofty for such a grand history as ours." Lysa said with a shrill voice. "My baby is the master of that seat."

"They do not plan on taking that away from us mother." Robin said softly.

"You heard the boy My Baby. He is trying to surpass us!" Lysa took her arm away from Bran and tried to clutch Robin to her. Robin tried for pull away, but she held him tighter.

"Aunt Lysa," Bran took a step back and held up his hands. "We will never dream of doing that to your baby." Bran shot a look at Robin for him to stay quiet. "We will be staying within our walls. We have no desire to take what is yours."

"Then tell my brother to stay away from us." Lysa wailed looking at Edmure.

"Sister, I want nothing more than to educate Lord Robert in the ways of ruling. It is my duty as his uncle." Edmure said slowly.

"No. You are just like Jon. Trying to take Robin away from me. Don't you understand my child is sick? He needs me. No one else can care for him." She yelled, her voice echoing down the halls.

"I am not sick mother." Robin told her.

"Yes, you are. You have the shaking sickness." She told him. Robin blushed and looked away.

"Robin, is that true?" Edmure demanded.

Robin finally extricated himself from his mother and stood alone in the hall. He looked from his mother to his uncle to his cousin. He had only ever told Jon of his illness. How could he tell strangers this fact? In the week of being around his uncle and the men they had traveled with, he had learned a lot. One of those lessons was honor. He could not rule his section of the realm when he came of age unless he told the truth. He squared his shoulders and looked Edmure in the eyes.

"I do suffer from the shaking sickness. They do not occur often. I am usually sickened with other ailments. I have had twenty-three seizures in my fourteen years of life. But that has not diminished my brain or my will to live." He spoke clearly and concisely, the way his father would have.

"Robin, this is nothing to be ashamed of." Edmure said.

"See Bran!" Shouted Lysa. "See how my own brother tries to take my son? Make him love Edmure more than me?" Lysa turned on her brother. "If you try to take my child you will suffer the same fate as Jon." She stalked away.

The three men on the hall stood shocked. Edmure looked after his sister and felt as if a stone had been forced down his throat. Had his sister just admitted to having something to do with Jon's death?

"Bran I beg you to take my nephew to his rooms and make sure my sister does not get lost. I need to speak to your mother right away. Where would she be?" Edmure asked.

"She would be in her rooms. Ask a servant and tell whomever you find that you are the lady of the house's brother. They will take you to her without questions." Bran told him.

"Thank you Bran." He told the boy. He turned to his other nephew, took him by the shoulders, and looked him in the eyes. "Robin, I need you to go calm your mother down and have her dress for the feast."

"But uncle, what she just said, about my father. What did she mean?" Robin demanded.

"I do not know. But I will find out. For now, stay calm. Enjoy Winterfell and get to know your family. You have been kept away from us all for too long." Edmure hugged the frail boy to him and then sent him on his way.

Bran and Robin walked after Lysa while Edmure went to find his other sister. Bran had been prepared for many things when they had learned of the upcoming visit. He read reports that his father had in his office on the families. His father thought he kept his papers under lock and key, but Bran knew how to get around locks when he wanted to.

His father had papers about Bran's aunt and uncle. Edmure had been an easy read. He was a good lord, loved by his people. The only strange thing was that he had not married. There were rumors that he had a woman whom he kept in the dungeons of Riverrun; others said that he liked men. Bran had no way to decide unless he spent more time with the man.

Lysa was a different matter. Bran had read that her marriage to Jon Aryan had not been happy. The girl, fourteen years old at the time of the wedding, had been frail. She had been vastly depressed during the wedding and the time after. The couple had suffered many miscarriages in their marriage. It was a sad tale. Jon had been foraging a cohesive kingdom with King Rhaegar. The two took the remnants of a war torn kingdom and made it into something that was a thriving nation. Lysa had been left alone for many years. Until their only surviving son was born. There had been no references to Robin of having the shaking sickness. In the ensuing years, Lysa had seemed to be better.

Then Jon died suddenly. It sent the whole kingdom into an uproar. There was still no Hand and the events surrounding Jon's death were questionable at best. After his aunts outburst the questions had grown in size. But that was not a matter for Bran to ponder over. He had to help the boy beside him whom was suffering from shock. Bran knew that deep feelings could bring on an attack of the shaking sickness.

"Robin, everything is going to be alright. Our family is strong." Bran told him as they walked.

"I am so confused Bran." Robin confessed. "Everything I thought I knew about my life has been just wrong."

"The world always gives us hardships to overcome. Or that's what my mother tells me." Bran said as they walked.

"My mother says everyone is out to kill me." Robin said with a sadness in his voice.

"In a way your mother is right. We are son's of great houses, blessed by the blood of not just one great house, but two. Men always will see us as privileged brats whose deaths would make their lives better. What we can do to prevent this idea wrong is to show the men we rule that we are just and we do care for them." Bran said softly.

Robin was silent now. He could not believe that a boy scarily older than him could sound so wise. He wanted to talk more with his cousin but they came across his mother standing in the center of the hall appearing lost.

"Oh there you are my baby. Brandon have you been keepin g him from me?" She spat as she ran to her son.

"On the contrary aunt. You went off to find your rooms so you could make yourself beautiful for the feast. Robin and I walked slowly so not to bring his sickness upon him." Bran said kindly.

"Oh Bran, you are a smart boy." Lysa said with a large smile on her face. "You must be the only child alive who is kind."

"Thank you aunt. Why don't we proceed to the rooms you will be staying in?" Bran said.

"Oh yes. My baby and I need to get pretty for the feast. We must make a good impression." Lysa said as she started to walk beside the two boys again.

Xxxxxxxx

Arya was burning to get away from the group she was showing to their rooms. Because of the bad blood between the Royal Family and the Baratheon family the later had been housed far from the Kings stare rooms and closer to the Stark families. That was all right with Arya, which gave her more time to be alone once her task was done.

Her head was still whirling from her time with her cousin. For some strange reason she felt as if she had known him her entire life. She had felt no hesitation in treating him like he was one of her brothers. Arya had been pleased with Jon's reaction to her goading of him. He had been shocked at first, but then he dished it right back to her as they hid in the balcony watching the people in the hall below them. He had made a number of references to the Baratheon heir and the Lannister's as well.

"I saw them watching you cousin dear. They looked at you as if you were meat and mead. Watch yourself." Jon had said. "I fear the lion wants to sink his teeth into your pretty flank and the stag wants to drink you down."

"Only my brothers could speak like that to me without getting their throat cut in their sleep." She had shot back.

"Than it is a good thing I'm family. You should just start calling me brother, so I don't get killed in my sleep." Than he had the audacity to muss her hair.

"I don't even allow my brothers to mess with me like that." She said as she elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"Then it is a good thing I'm going to be your most loved brother." Jon had groaned, rubbing his side.

It was at this time that they were forced to make their way back to the great hall. She had not wanted to be alone with Jamie Lannister or Gendry Baratheon. She took some comfort that they would not be alone completely. She was thankful that Lord and Lady Baratheon would be with them. Arya quite liked the lioness turned, what, deer? No that was not right for her. She was still a lioness. Arya stood to the side while the blond son, Joffrey was being chastised by his mother.

"I really would like you to not start acting like my brothers. You may be half Lannister, but you don't have to act like Tyrion." Cercei admonished.

"But mother. Tyrion is one of the smartest men in the kingdoms. Don't you want me to be that smart?" The boy asked.

"As if you could be as smart as him. We all know I'm the brains of the family." Myrcella said. "Why do you always have to remind him mother?"

"I don't want you taking on your uncles witticisms as well." The lady said shaking her head at her two blond beauties.

"Don't worry mother. I'll watch over them." Gendry told her as he smiled down at his mother.

"That is my boy. See children, this is how a Baratheon should behave." Cersei said with a smile.

"Oh sister, stop making the children feel bad about how they will never measure up to the first born in the family. Father always did that with me about you. Jamie and I were never good enough compared to the golden lioness who did her duty to the family and married well." Tyrion said walking over to them.

"If you think you have it tough try having four siblings and being the middle child." Arya said as she walked to the party with a smile.

"Lady Arya. How kind of you to meet us here." Cersei smiles at her as she walked closer to them all. Her father and Robert were talking close to the Winter Throne. "We all were introduced to your siblings while you were inquiring after the feast. You ate still a stranger. We must remedy that my dear." Arya let the older woman take her arm and pull her over to the small group.

Arya had faced many challenges. Once, when she and Robb had been out in the wolves woods two years ago she had faced down a bear. The two had gone out hunting alone. The two had shot down a deer and were field dressing the carcass when they heard noises. They had froze. A bear had walked into the clearing, drawn by the scents of the blood.

Robb had told her to run, and he did just that. But Arya had stood in that clearing with nothing but a knife in her hand while she screamed her challenge in the creatures face. With every swipe of the paw the bear took the louder she hollered. The two had danced for an hour until the final confrontation. The bear charged, Arya side stepped the creature then plunged the knife into the eye of the bear. Now she had a skin on her bedchamber floor in front of the fire. She had felt fear in that hour, but she also felt confidence. She had none now.

Arya had never been looked at, by anyone, the way these people were looking at her. They all were plainly curious about her. Her people knew her from the time of her birth. Not for the first time she wished they could build a wall across the neck.

"Did you know that you and Myrcella were born only weeks apart?" Cersei asked Arya as they all stood in a group.

"I had heard that I was close in age to Myrcella." Arya said slowly.

"Close, you two could be twins. Born on the same day, just one month apart. When the raven of your birth came to us from your father, I knew that my baby would be born soon. And she was. I hope you two will become close friends. Like your fathers." Cersei smiled to the two girls.

Gendry shuffled his feet and Arya looked her eyes over to him. He was looking down at the floor. Arya looked at him, really looked at him. He had shaggy black hair. It fell into his eyes. He had cerulean colored eyes. Arya had never seen that color blue before in someone's face. Jon had told her based on everything he had heard about the Baratheon family Gendry was making a name for himself with the people of the Stormlands.

"Shrieen is like a daughter to me." Cersei was saying. Arya glanced away, just as Gendry looked up. Their eyes met and her heart skipped a beat. Arya turned her eyes to the dark haired girl and took notice of her for the first time. "Her father is Stannis, my Robert's brother. Her mother has been ill for many years and her father does not think that he could raise a girl with no wife."

"Hello Shrieen. It is nice to meet you." Arya smiled at her. She had seen how this girl had gotten her brother to speak. If she could Arya would keep her in Winterfell until Rickon decided not to join the Watch she would. Arya liked the girl for this reason alone.

"Hello Arya. We have heard much about you. Rickon said you two are close." She said.

"Rickon and Shrieen were chatting rather a long time together. That was the most I have heard out of her mouth to anyone that isn't Myrcella or Gendry." Joffrey told her with a smile.

"It would appear that the Starks children have a way with your children sister." Ser Jamie said with a warm smile on his face for Arya.

"They are good children." Cersei said with a warm smile for Arya.

"Yes, they are very likeable." Again, he gave her a knee-melting smile.

"How is everything going on here?" Her father said walking over with Robert.

"Very well. Arya was just meeting the family." Cersei smiled warmly at her husband. She took his arm and wound it around her waist. He kissed the side of her head and she cuddled into his body.

"Robert and I are going to my study. Lady Baratheon your father said he would like a word with you in the hall once it is emptied." Ned said to the lady.

"Oh look Jamie, our sweet sister is in trouble. I wonder what she did?" Tyrion said to his brother.

"Probably nothing. She is his pride and joy. Look at her children. Because of her the Lannister family tree will continue." Jamie joked with his brother.

"Will you two stop your banter? You are teaching my children bad habits." She admonished her brothers.

"I do not think that anything we do will teach the children bad habits. They must already have them." Jamie said, smiling at his niece and nephews.

"Be that as it may, the welcome feast fast approaches. I demand that every one of you go and dress for dinner." Cersei told the group. There was a choir of yes ma'am.

"I guess this is my cue to lead you to your rooms." Arya said to the group.

"Thank you Arya." His father told her and kissed her forehead. "If you need anything ask Arya. She has orders to take care of you."

The two lords walked away and the lady walked over to her father. They quickly fell into a hushed conversation. Arya looked around at the six waiting people around her.

"I guess that we should get going to your rooms." Arya said.

"Lead sweet lady and we will follow." Joffrey said. His brother glowered at him. Arya gave a halfhearted laugh and turned away to walk to one of the stairs on the left side of the hall. They followed her like dutiful ducklings. Arya knew she should speak to them, but she had no idea what to say.

"Lady Arya do you really know all the small folk in the entire North?" Shrieen asked her after a time.

"I know every soul that lives in a hundred miles of my home and many of the leaders from every holdfast and village in this region." Arya said slowly.

"Gendry knows the people of the Stormlands the way you know the people of the North." Joffrey told her. Arya looked over at Gendry and he was looking angrily at his brother.

"Jamie has been helping people of the realm for years. In every region his name is known." Tyrion told her as he hobbled along. Arya swung her eyes to the tall golden haired man. He looked her in the eyes and spoke.

"I traveled. When I came across someone in need, I helped them. I was performing my duty as a knight. It was nothing." Jamie was still looking at her as they walked.

"If I was Sansa I would swoon at the notion of a gallant knight doing good deeds for the small, poor people of the kingdom. As it is I am not the swooning type." Arya said.

"Lucky for me." Tyrion told her. "Since I am the one next to you. If you swoon, I would not be able to catch you. Here brother, you walk next to the lady just in case." Jamie was pulled next to Arya and the momentum of the pull on Jamie bumped him into her.

She was so unprepared for being bumped by a grown man she stumbled back and felt a strong pair of hands grab her shoulders. Her back was pressed to firm chest. They all stopped walking and she looked into the deepest blue colored eyes she had ever seen.

"Are you alright Lady Arya?" Gendry asked. It was the first time she had heard his voice. It was as smooth and thick as honey.

"Yes, thank you. You broke my fall. I guess I am the swooning type." She tried to joke, the man holding her smiled back.

"What an amazing thing you have just done Lady Arya. You have made my bull headed brother smile." Myrcella said as she helped Arya arrange her skirts the right way around her ankles. "He had not truly smile since we left our home and he was told he would have to marry a stranger."

"Jamie has been that way as well. You have a magic about you Arya of Winterfell. What is your gift?" Tyrion asked as they continued walking.

"I don't have a gift. But I do have a request." Six pairs of eyes looked at her face. "If you wish to call me something please just call me Arya. I might have been born a lady, but I never became one. Much to my mother's many attempts to civilize me."

No one said a word, but a soft rumble was heard coming from Gendry's chest. He was giggling. When Arya tried to catch his eye, he looked away. She found it horribly inconvenient. She wanted to decide what shade of blue they really were. When she had been close she thought they were cobalt. She wished she knew the color.

"Arya. I would like to offer my deepest regret for bumping into you. Although it was not my doing," Jamie looked over at his brother then, "it was my body that rammed into yours. I had no control. I hope it was not an unpleasant experience."

His eyes sparkled like emeralds in the sun, clearly hoping she was too young to understand his not so hidden sexual joke. Arya didn't react the way the other two girls in the hall did. She had grown up in the mess hall of the men who guarded the Stark family. She understood the crass way that men spoke. She did what she would do to any one of her father's men.

"Do not worry yourself Ser. I did not feel a thing. It was as if nothing was there, so underwhelming that nudge was to my body." She smiled sweetly and fluttered her eyes at him. At first Jamie was shocked, then amused, then delighted.

He laughed, fully and loudly. It felt as if this was the first time he had truly laughed since he was a child and his mother was still alive. He might not have admitted to himself he liked this young girl, but seeing how she was able to keep up with his jests he started to realize he liked her. He stared down into her grey eyes and felt a part of him open up. A part of her he had locked away many years ago.

There was a sound, almost a snort, from behind them. The spell between them was over. She looked behind her to where his nephew was standing. Jamie took his time to look over at the boy. He really looked him over. He remembered the boy he met years ago. He had been a gangly thing all those years back. Since then he had come into his own.

Gendry was taller then Jamie was. He had also filled out. Gendry had muscles on top of his muscles as well. Jamie had monitored all his sisters' children. Gendry had distinguished himself in the Stormlands. His father had taken him with him on all his journeys around their lands since the boy came of age. It was true; Gendry was loved, almost revered, by all the people of his lands. Sizing up his nephew Jamie felt shame for not being half the man this boy was. Jamie had never regretted his decision of staying away from his home, or its land. Now seeing this boy he wished he would have stayed home and done more for his people, not just for the realm.

"Well this has been delightful." Joffrey said smoothly. "But we have a feast to get ready for. Arya could you continue showing us to our home whole we will be here?"

"Yes. Of course." Arya said quickly. She looked down the hall to a flight of stairs and walked ahead of their group.

Gendry hung back, wishing for a moment alone to think over the few moments that had just happened. The others walked ahead of him. His mind was still on the way Arya Stark had felt against his body in the seconds they were pressed together. Much to his father's displeasure Gendry was different from his old man. Robert had often asked his son why he was not more like he was in his youth, always when mother was not around. Gendry had no illusions as to what his father was referring to. Gendry knew of his father's wandering ways in his youth. How the great Robert Baratheon had lay with any willing woman who offered herself to him. Gendry had never taken that liberty with any woman, even when offered their bodies freely.

Now Gendry was rethinking his decisions after seeing how his world-traveled uncle spoke to Arya. Jamie had plenty of experience with women. Jamie undoubtedly knew how to please a woman. What could he, Gendry, offer to this beautiful creature that could compete with his uncle? He was so lost in thought he did not realize he was not alone in his slow walk.

"You have your work cut out for you brother." Joffrey said cheerily to him.

"Shove it up your ass." Gendry said moodily. He was in no mood for his brother's snide remarks now.

"I don't want anything shoved in me." Joffrey said back to him. "But I think you might want to shove something into someone."

"Why did I get stuck with you as my brother?" Gendry asked.

"Because I am the only one who is going to watch out for you and act in your best interest in mind." Joffrey said in a happy voice. "You are the better man Gendry. She saw that when you opened up to her."

"I hardly spoke to her. When did I open up to her?" They had reached the bottom of the stairs where the rest of their group had ascended. The pair started up the steps.

"When you looked into her eyes. I saw the way the two of you were looking at each other. It was as if you two were in your own world. I have only seen two people look at each other that way." Joffrey had no need to say who the two people were. It was their parents.

"You can't mean that I am in love with Arya Stark." Gendry whispered. Sound carried in the stairwell and he did not want anyone ahead of them to hear his words.

"If not love than something on its way to becoming love." Joffrey replied as softly. "But you have to be careful. You are father twenty years ago in looks. This girl is the mirror image of the Queen. Father fought a war over her. I don't want my brother to have to suffer from our fathers mistakes."

Gendry mulled over his brothers remarks. He had noticed the similarities between Arya and Queen Lyanna. He also knew his history. But the circumstances were different now. Vastly different. Then he thought about everything. His reaction to her, hers to him. Jamie reaction to hers and Arya's reaction to his uncle. It was another triangle. If he pursued her at the same time his uncle did they could start another war. That was the last thing on he wanted. He would hear what his brother had to say.

"I presume you have a plan?" He asked when they reached the top of the stairs.

"I do. Continue to develop your friendship with her brother. Learn about her family. Meet her people. Make them love you. She will see you for who you are. And go to the training yard at sunrise. She is often there, or so I hear." Joffrey smiled at him.

"How did you find out she is in the yard to train at sunrise?" Gendry asked.

"You can thank our sweet cousin for that. She gleaned this information from the baby brother. And on that note I don't like the way those two look at each other." Joffrey said.

Gendry laughed. Shrieen and Joffrey argued more than the sun broke into daylight everyday, but they loved each other deeply. Gendry might be protective outwardly over both his sisters, for that what he thought of his cousin as. But if Gendry was protective over the girls, Joffrey was more so. He just did not make as big of a show of it.

"We will watch them both brother." Gendry said. He looked over to their groups and they all stopped in front of a door. "I think we have made it to our rooms. We better catch up so we find up where we are sleeping."

The two picked up their pace and reached the group. The others smiled as they walked up. Shrieen looked at them and she raised her brow, singling that they needed talk. She had been with Arya while Gendry had been speaking to Joffrey. Something must have happened while Gendry were formulating their plan.

"This is where Lord Tyrion will be staying. I am sorry that it is so far from the library. But my mother thought it best of the Lannister and Baratheon family was as far from the King and his family as we could get you. We of the North remember." Arya said with a slightly sad smile.

"Your mother is wise." Tyrion said to her.

"She is crazed with hormones. She is pregnant." Arya said with a shrug of her shoulders. Gendry watched the way her body moved beneath the gown she wore. She was magic, like his uncle had said.

"Let us hope that not all women are effected that way when growing a life." Tyrion said. He looked over his shoulder to his brother, then back to Arya.

"Forgive my brother Arya, ladies. He is a nasty devil." Jamie said to the women of the party.

"Have no worries Uncle Jamie. We all know how Uncle Tyrion can be." Myrcella said with an indecipherable glint in her eye. She looked at Gendry and he knew she wanted to speak with him as well.

"The next room is for Ser Jamie." Arya said waving to the door next to Tyrion's.

"Thank you Arya for leading me to my lodgings." Jamie said with a warm smile. Arya smiled back.

"It was my duty." Arya replied.

The two Lannister brothers shared a look and Gendry knew it well. His sisters had given the look to him moments ago. He wanted to know what they spoke to each other, but he knew leaving his uncles in their room meant they would not be near Arya. And he would be.

"I will show the rest of you to your rooms. The next one is for Lord Tywin." Arya said indicating the door to the right of Jamie room.

She walked on, not looking back at Jamie Lannister. The man was over confident. However, Arya could not deny there was something about him. She walked on; knowing the four Baratheon's would be following her. She passed the next door, the room beside Tywin's. This room was reserved for the Lord and Lady Baratheon, and she told their children so.

"The room next to theirs is for Lady Myrcella and Lady Shrieen." Arya said when she stopped at the door. She smiled at two girls and they smiled back.

"Thank you Arya for bringing us to our rooms." Myrcella said. "I hope we will see each other more during our stay at Winterfell."

"You undoubtedly will." Joffrey said with a sneer.

"Oh shut up Joff." Shrieen said with a note of anger in her voice. Joff knew she was putting on an act. She wasn't really mad at him. This was all a play. But for who Joffrey was not sure.

"You know you like my playfulness." He shot back.

Arya smiled at the banter between them. It reminded her of how she acted with her own siblings. It was reassuring to see other brothers and sisters argue the way she did with her siblings. For this reason, alone she could love the Baratheon family.

"We will be sitting next to each other at the feast Myrcella. Do not fear we will have plenty of opportunity to see one another." Arya smiled at the other girl.

"Wonderful. Since my mother thinks we are meant to be friends I believe we will be thrown together quite often." Myrcella joked. Shrieen and Myrcella entered their room and Arya was left in the hall with Joffrey and Gendry.

"Let me guess the next door is our room?" Joffrey asked.

"Actually the next room is yours alone." Arya said to the blond boy.

"Oh I get my own room. How lovely." Joffrey said and bounded to his room and opened the door and entered the room.

Arya was now left alone with Gendry in the hallway. Both of them looked away from one another. She had no idea what to say to him, so they stood there in the hall, avoiding each other's eyes. Finally she spoke.

"Your room is this way." Arya said.

They walked side by side down the few steps to his door. Once they were outside it neither of them made a move to leave the hall. Gendry decided he needed to speak, so he said the first thing that entered his mind.

"I hear you wake every morning before sunrise to make your way to the practice field." He looked her full in the eyes as he spoke.

"Yes I do. What time do you wake to train?" She asked. She did not want to leave him just yet. She liked the rich sound of his voice and wanted to hear more of it.

"Sunrise as well. Despite what my brother will say my body doesn't just grow muscle in my sleep." He said, sharking a long running joke in his family with her.

"I would imagine not." Arya said looking him up and down. Gendry blushed but did not break eye contact.

"So if I arrive in the morning at sunrise in the training field I will meet you there as well?" He asked. He towered over her, but he did with most people. She did not shrink back as everyone else did. In fact, she took a step closer to him.

"Do you think you could best me?" She asked. He felt the heat of her words on his cheek. He wanted to close the distance between them and have her against him again. She had fit so nicely before.

"I would never dream of besting you mi 'lady." He said softly.

"I thought I told you I'm not a lady." Arya said back.

"To me you are everything a lady should be." He felt like an idiot for saying the first thing that came to his mind, but it was also true. He would take her scorn and he did not have to wait long for it.

"Then you must be as stubborn as an ox." She said smiling.

"Not an ox Lady. A bull." He told her.

"Well bull headed man; I will see you at first light. Bring whatever weapon you desire. I am sure I will win." She taunted.

"I am sure you will as well." He told her. Gendry was feeling bold for doing so well in his attempt to match her with words he decided to raise the stakes. "What of tonight?"

"What do you mean?" She asked confused. Her brow wrinkled and she looked baffled.

"At the feast." He answered. "Do you dance?"

"Oh I dance. I plan on showing you how in the morning." She answered back.

"Why not show me tonight?" He asked, feeling a fool.

"I don't do that kind of dancing." She said quickly.

"Then I will have to prove you wrong mi 'lady." He took great delight at the way her eyes flashed at the challenge.

"Alright. One dance. But that is all." She said slowly.

"Alright. Until the feast." Then he took her hand and placed the barest touch of his lips agonist her knuckles. To his amazement, she did not pull her hand away, but let it linger with in his. The feel of her fingers on the palm of his hand was over whelming. His mind was wheeling. He had succeeded in wooing a girl, maybe. She took her hand from his and looked deeply into his eyes. He felt a pull to her. She was everything he had never known he wanted. But he saw uncertainty in her face.

"Until tonight My Lord Bull." She said softly. She walked away from him and proceeded down the hall. Gendry did not enter his room until she came to the stairs at the end of the hall and walked out of view. Once she was out of sight, he entered his room and leaned his back against the door.

He was in hot water. He had never learned to dance. He now had one hour to master the art. He needed his sisters.

"What have I done?" Gendry murdered to himself.