Arya scowls while being pinned by her father's palm resting on her head as a way to keep her from joining her brothers in training. She never understood why she was forbidden from learning how to defend herself.
She isn't blind to the dangers of the world like her stupid sister.
She remembers following Theon one time to the brothel curious about what it was, only to flee in disgust after seeing the woman fawn over the asshole that their father wards. Not realizing that they didn't enjoy his presence either, just his coin.
"My lord." Luwin, their old smelly Maester, addresses her father with a respectful bowing of his bald head, "A raven has been sent by your brother," he then reaches into his robes pulling out a small slip of paper his wrinkled fingers slightly shaky as they hold out the flimsy paper.
Her father dutifully takes it from the Maester, she absently misses the warmth of his hand.
Arya quietly shifts her body into the shadow of the balcony they are standing under hoping that they will forget she is here, so she can listen in. She watches as his large hands dwarf the tiny scrap of writing, his eyes tracing the lines as he reads with a furrow to his brows.
"Luwin?" Her father says with a tone of confusion, "I am not misreading this am I?" He asks looking up at their Master.
Luwin shakes his head, his face just as confused, while her mother peers over her father's shoulder asking what is the issue.
Her father is quick to give her a look of reassurance, "It's nothing serious, Cat." He says gently squeezing her to his side.
"Just that Benjen is making a detour to Winterfell for unforeseen circumstances involving a foreign woman who he suspects is a princess from the land of Yi-Ti, if I'm reading this right," he looks to Luwin again for reassurance.
'A Princess?' Sansa is so going to be jealous when she hears about this first.
"I'm sorry?" Her mother asks, and Arya has to cover her mouth to stifle a laugh at her look of befuddlement.
"I am just as confused as you, my love," Her father says with a shake of his head.
"What is this even about and why is he escorting her personally to you? How do we even know this claim of being a princess is true?" Her mother fires off, her face contorted into wariness.
Her father sighs, "Benjen only said that it's important that we listen to what the foreign woman has to say and that they'll be making way in three days."
"Such short notice?" Her mother says.
"Aye, you know how difficult it is for the Blacks to get a crow outside of the walls. I've said it once, but-,"
"We need more funding for the walls, I know," her mother finishes in a tone that suggests they have had similar conversations alone.
"My lords, I admittedly don't know much about Yi-Ti culture, but it is said that the youngest prince of a hundred sons is rich enough to make Lannisters look like beggars." Luwin continues after a second, "If this lass is truly a princess of such a kingdom I would assume that at the least she can compensate you for your generosity of housing her while she was separated from her family or caravan."
"I don't care about the money," Her father says shaking his head.
"I don't care if this girl is a commoner, if my brother has felt the need to take her into his pack then that makes her mine." Arya grins, that's just like her dad.
Strong and protective of his family.
"Dear, are you sure this is wise? We don't know the motives of this girl, how do we know she isn't going to try and-" her father cuts her mother off.
"And try what? Take over? Steal Winterfell? I'm sorry my dear, but not everyone is out to take and take. My brother has taken this girl as his ward, even if he can't legally do so. " here he cups his mother's face, and his tone softens, "I must make at least hear this child out. I would never forgive myself if I didn't."
Her mother closes her eyes in defeat, "Sometimes I think you are too kind,"
"In this world, someone has to be." Her father says as they kiss, and that's Arya's cue to go.
——
Kenna being a simple baker's daughter never thought she'd be in the position that she had found herself in.
When she first started her tortur- training, she was correctly scared of Azula, or princess as the lady insisted. It's not hard to see why she would want to be addressed as such a title with her looks. She suspects Azula is a runaway Princess from the strange but vast land across the narrow she has heard of. Particularly of the Yi-Ti. They say Yi-Ti has over a hundred princes alone, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that Azula is an offspring of one of the said princes.
Shifting on her horse with discomfort, regretting her insistence on riding with her lady, she takes a peek at Azula who is riding at the head with Benjen Stark. The 'black-taking wolf' led them to his brother, the paramount of the North.
Those of the north hold the Starks in a different light than the southern folk view their liege. There is a reason they've held an uncontested reign over such a vast kingdom.
"What is it exactly that you do?" She hears Azula ask Benjen who seems to be looking at the fire-mistress with a stone gaze filled with curiosity, much like she and hers had when the little powerhouse came dismantling their daily lives.
"For the wall?" Azula clarifies, at the confused look, that it's times like this that remind her that her mistress is of a different culture, possibly even not of the known world.
"Ah, The black," Benjen says with a chuckle running a hand threw his shoulder-length hair, very handsome she might say. Flushing at that thought Kenna averts her eyes feeling foolish at her uncouth thoughts, especially to someone who isn't able to be with her.
"We of the black are those who took a vow of solitude intertwined with the wall to maintain peace for Thousands of years."
"A vow to what? The ice freaks on the other side?"
This makes everyone still.
"What do you mean?" The tone of Benjen's voice makes the hairs of Kenna's arm raise as he seems afraid of something.
She couldn't possibly be talking about-
Her thoughts are interrupted as a black riding a few paces down scoffs while spitting at the ground, "Don't tell me you're gonna believe this Bitch 'as seen an' Other!"
The man's drunk slurred speech makes the statement even more ridiculous.
"What do you mean by those ice freaks? You don't mean the wildlings do you?" She hears Benjen ask in hopes of clearing the misconception.
Azula pulls her eyes always from the guy who spoke, said Man looks like he's about to piss himself, and answers, "No, these were beings cold as ice but moved like a man, well mostly.
"Most of them were corpses of the wildlings, I had to burn them to keep them down. I would assume that what I've encountered is something that hasn't been seen in a while or is considered a myth?" Azula speaks to them as if they are stupid if they don't take her word as truth.
Benjen takes a stuttering breath, "Aye, it's a little bit of both."
"The others are a tale that holds more ground in the north than the other kingdoms, but they are a being that is said to bring death and an endless night. It's said that this happened thousands of years ago and the wall is the only thing that keeps them from invading the rest of the world, though now it's become a way of diverting wildlings from entering, but it seems they were doing so for a reason..."
She barely catches what he says as he mutters while rubbing his jaw in contemplation.
"My family has always said 'Winter is coming', I just never thought those words would be more than a reminder to keep your food stocked."
A/n:
Hello, been a minute ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
Sorry for the shorter chapter than I like to put out (2k min)
So… I thought arya would be a cute prospective, cause we know she is gonna hero worship our girl azula even if azula isn't the most stable role model.
Alright quick question, and this is sort of half assed so don't take it too seriously, but what if I give our girl Azula both Jon and Robb. Poly all the way!!
Now here me out… our girl is all about power and is super selfish, and it's my opinion that she would be greedy if the opportunity arose, also it would a sure fire way of securing absolute power.
Specifically if and when Jon's targ status gets revealed.
And I selfishly would love to see Robb with her, but I know if she had to choose she would prefer Jon cause he would be the Key to Power.
(I have a bunch of chapters written that have different directions and simply choose the one I want so I'm simply curious. If I feel that it will fit naturally and without "cheapening the story" I will end up doing the poly relationship regardless of the negative feedback fyi)
There is the easy way out of Jon/Daenerys or Robb/Daenerys, but Idk