Dear Inkdrops,
thank you all so much for reading, following/favouriting and commenting!
Instead of Jumping forward in time as intended the muse made me write another chapter closer after Harrenhal -lots of foreshadowing and that sort of thing... I hope you enjoy.

This chapters inoficial title is "Love and other follies".

Just for your Information: In this timeline Lyanna is born 264 or 265 AC which makes her only slightly younger than Natalia. It is never stated that Cat was at Harrenhal but also never that she wasn't. As her mother was a Whent, I think it can be assumed that she was.

Obviously most of my parings are already planned, but I would still like to know from you which couples (no matter whetehr it is GOT/GOT or Marvel/GOT or Marvel/Marvel) you would like to see. Of course any other feedback is appreciaated too.

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything.

Winterfell, 279 AC

Natalia

"Sooo…," Lyanna drawled lazily from where she was sitting on her bed and Natalia knew she was in trouble.
Big trouble. Her lady's face held this special expression, mischivous but also determined and the red-head knew there was an interrogation coming. The bastard girl had always been a formidable liar, growing up rather unloved had made her harden up fairly early, but Lyanna had a way of seeing through her bullshit. Also, the girl didn't want to lie to her.

"What's the matter?" she asked back, trying to sound nonchalantly but judging by the other girl's laugh, failing spectacularly.

"We haven't talked about what happened at Harrenhal. Yet."

It was true, they hadn't, all the implications were still hanging in between the two friends like thick grey fog. All the way back home from the event, people had been around them and if, by chance, they had been left in peace, Natalia had not really known where to begin.

"No Lya, we haven't," she therefore agreed, sitting down on the bed next to her.

The wolf-girl turned towards her, eyes shining brightly.

"Which knight do you deem the most handsome?" she wanted to know, "or wait, no, which five knights did you find the most attractive?"

Natalia pondered about that question, it was nothing she had lost sleep over so far, therefore it took her a moment to come up with an answer.

"Well, alright, Ser Steven Starshield, Ser Jaime Lannister, Rhaegar Targaryen, Oberyn Martell and Brandon."

Pretending to faint dramatically, Lyanna fell back onto the bed before rolling to her side to look up at Natalia.

"Explain!" she ordered. Natalia took a deep breath.

"Ser Steven is handsome and has a nice smile and he gets flustered easily and has no idea how to talk to women which is kind of endearing I think. I never thought I would say this and I will deny it until my dying day but from a neutral point of view I think Ser Jaime is as dashing as people say, emerald eyes and golden hair and a pearly smile. I find his arrogance however rather annoying and not very flattering. Rhaegar Targaryen is very good-looking and I doubt you will fight me on that, but his eyes are giving me the creeps, seriously! Prince Oberyn…" she sighed dreamily, obviously exaggerating, "I know now why they call him the Red Viper. He is so fast, I love the way he moves and you know what they say about men who move like that…"

She grinned saliciously when Lyanna gasped scandalized and threw a pillow at her head that she caught easily.

"Naty, where did you hear things like that?!"

"I was sitting next to Brandon, Robert Barratheon and my brother at the feast. Does that explain things?"

"I guess it does," the lady muttered under her breath, "dirty minds, all of you!"

"Look who is talking Lya," Natalia remarked, "I saw the way you were looking at a certain knight and Robert Baratheon was basically undressing you with his eyes the whole time."

The other girl sighed.

"But Prince Rhaegar is simply beautiful! I don't know what problem you have with his eyes! When he gave me that crown of winter roses… Naty, when he gave it to me, I didn't know what to do! My heart was beating so loudly I felt Ned must have heard it next to me and I was so happy that the prince actually took notice of me but I also know it was wrong and it should have been Elia Martell who was crowned. And nobody was smiling anymore, everyone was suddenly so afraid, even you and Ned and Brandon, I could see it. That scrared me most of all! But his attention still felt so nice."

Natalia hummed in understanding, it was what she often had felt like around Ned - Dizzy on his attention, on his smiles and too aware that she was on dangerous terrain.

"You know you can't have him though, your prince, he is already a husband!"

Even though she seemed a bit reluctant, Lyanna finally nodded in understanding.

"Yes, I know you are right. But there is also something else: Most people with eyes in their head can see that Robert Baratheon wants me. But you and me both know that even if - when- he makes me Lady of Storm's End, he will always stray from my bed. Ned says he loves me and maybe he does, but who says that will last? And who says that will be enough to make this marriage work? I don't want to be one of many, Naty."

Her red-haired friend laid back until she could bed her head on the pillow next to Lyanna's, looking at her with a far-away expression. She was wondering how to comfort the other girl but how to be honest at the same time.

"You know," she began, "after seeing Robert again at Harrenhal, I am convinced he definitely wants you and I am inclined to believe Ned that he loves you. Though he only knows you on the surface so he can only love what he knows: Your beauty, your wit, your good heart. He has no idea about your iron backbone, your stubborness, your warrior spirit, all the things that make you so precious to your family. That will either scare him away or keep him in your bed on the long run. I think he is a good man though and would never hurt you or let somebody else raise a hand against you and that is more than a lot of women can say about their husbands."

After a moment of consideration she added, her voice only a whisper in the quiet room: "And if he is too distracted, you could always get yourself some distraction, too. You are smart, you could pull that off. But better don't get pregnant and choose someone dark-haired, just in case. You don't want to have to explain why you suddenly have a blonde son."

Lyanna seemed to be a bit dumbfounded by the recklessness and the callousness of the consideration, but finally nodded, looking a bit relieved.

"Thank you," she whispered back, "I had never seen it that way but it feels good to have a plan in case the worst happens. You have given that quite some thought, haven't you?"

When the other one only nodded, the wolf-girl grabbed her hand, holding it.

"Will you come to Storm's End with me?" she asked pleadingly, grey eyes wide and soft.

Natalia met them with her fern-green orbs.

"Lya, I don't know whether I can."

"Why not?" the other girl asked confused, "your Lord Father doesn't have any ambition to keep you close, you are even staying here when your brother is visiting him at Howling Falls. So there is nothing holding you here- unless…"

A smirk started to grow on the lady's face and Natalia could feel her face heating up.

"Did my brother dear finally get his bearings together, put his courage to the sticking place and proposed to you?"

"Well," the other one began to explain, "as you and Bucky had so conveniently disappeared at Harrenhal, we went for a walk"

-"and he asked you to marry him?"

"No, not exactly," Natalia went on, "he gave me a wonderful nameday present and he was unnecessarily jealous about Ser Steven dancing with me and he was rambling so I kissed him to shut him up"

-" and then he asked you?" the lady all but screeched, ignoring her friend's hectic signs to please be quiet.

"No Lya, let me finish!" she hissed, "he rather… stated he would marry me and I agreed."

The next moment, Natalia was tackled on the bed, Lyanna joyfully hugging her.

"Naty, I am so happy for you," she mumbled into the bushy red locks, "you are probably the only one who deserves him. And I know you have been in love with him for years and he has been mooning over you probably just as long." She pulled away to lay down next to her, popped up at one ellbow. "You're aware though that this is so unlike Ned, causing a scandal. And there will be a scandal Naty, you know that and he knows that and he wants to marry you anyway. Are you sure you didn't fuck his brains out?"

Blushing as crimson as her hair, Natalia hid her face in the pillows, her shoulders shaken with giggles.

"No," she finally said when she could look at Lyanna again, "I didn't, I mean we didn't… but hey, now you are the one using crude language! And I know it will be a scandal and people will hate me but honestly - I don't care so much."

Lyanna nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, Ned is not the heir and with Brandon marrying Catelyn Tully and me and Robert, the family is well connected. Also, a Barnes-match isn't a stupid one and my father likes you, so maybe they will forgive you."

Then her friend scrunched her nose.

"What do you make of Catelyn Tully?"

"As you know I only spoke to her shortly when you were standing next to me. She was perfectly polite, the true Lady of Riverrun and no doubt the pride of the family. She probably breathes their motto, all duty and honour. She was charming to Brandon, nice enough to Ned and Ben and pleasant to you. But when she was talking to me, her eyes were cold. I think she deems herself better than me and can't understand why you keep me around as company. She would probably have been all smiles if I were Lady Barnes though," Natalia stated.

There was definitely bitterness in her voice now, whether she wanted to admit it or not. Suddenly, Lyanna wrapped her in her arms again and pulled her close into a hug.

"I keep you little spit-fire around because you are my sister if not by blood and I love you and I would fight the world for you and you would do the same for me. And if Catelyn Tully can't see that you are wonderful then she is a fool. Also I think she is jealous because you are so incredibly beautiful and Bran likes you. As you said, Catelyn is all duty and probably afraid you will steal her husband."

Hugging the dark-haired girl back, the red-head had to laugh.

"As if I were ever interested in Brandon! Seriously! What will Catelyn Tully say when she finds out I am planning to become her sister-by-law by marrying Ned, the man I love, just to mention."

"She will probably faint," Lyanna giggled, "being connected to you, even just by marriage, how will she stand it? So you better wait with the wedding for when Brandon has her wedded and bedded, Robert won't particularly mind Ned's choice of bride anyway."

Natalia nodded, her thoughts drifting up into the realm of possibilities, of what Ned and her could become, imagining a boy with his dark hair and her green eyes and a little girl with a face like Lyanna's but hair the colour of dying embers. Slowly she was nodding off in the huge bed that was so much softer than her own but just before sleep could claim her, a thought startled her.

"Lya, but if I marry Ned, I will have to share Winterfell with Catelyn!"

Seeing her panicked facial expression, the lady bursted out laughing again, making the other girl frown.

"That is not funny!"

"You are right, it isn't, but it could be worse. Brandon could have been engaged to Cersei Lannister."

"OMG writer-chick, this is SO MUCH FORESHADOWING it is nearly embarassing! Subtlety isn't your strong suit is it darling?"

Excuse me, who is speaking?

"Pool, Dead - Deadpool. But you could call me Wade Wilson, writer-chick."

Oh gosh no, not you! Why come up now? What do you want from me?

"Well, it is just soooo amusing how even in fanfiction "smart" characters out of two universes don't realize they could simply break the fourth wall. So, my darling writer-chick, I decided to do this!"

You are aware that I am writing YOU too?! And don't call me writer-chick, my name is -

"Yes yes whatever… Honestly what kind of name is SilverInk?"

I thought it was cool at the time. And honestly what kind of name is Deadpool?

"Fair enough Silvy, now let's talk business: We all know that those cute girls here are going to do some incredibly stupid things and some incredibly horrible things are going to happen to them, right? And it is also already quite obvious that Nat is going to be Jon's mum and the whole Stark children are going to be her children too, because Sansa has red hair just like her and Robb too and Arya is very spirited just like her. I have to admit, this is perfect. Now you only have to kill Cat and Brandon and be done with it. I can help you if you like!"

Thanks but no thanks, I do the killing myself. Besides, you don't even know what you are talking about as you are a very unreliable narrator!

"Aww but you will integrate Natalia in the Stark family, right? When they kill Ned, then she is the Red Widow lol. Reminds me of Red Wedding... no idea where that idea came from…"

Oh shush Wade, if you keep annyoing me you will never be part of the story!

"You would make me part of it? Really? REALLY?"

I might have some ideas, but stop buggering me!

"Alright Sylvie, I'll be good - for now!"