Chapter One
Yvette's hands worked carefully through the red strands of hair of her oldest niece. Sansa was overjoyed of the royal family's journey to Winterfell and she kept bragging about it to her aunt as she begged Yvette to braid her hair.
The youngest daughter of Hoster Tully loved braiding her sisters' hair, even though she did it more to Catelyn, Lysa rarely letting Yvette to touch her hair. And now she had a new doll she could style and pamper.
Sansa was truly an angel, but that didn't stop her from spending endless hours with Arya and the boys. Even the ward, Theon and the bastard, Jon.
A smile crept on Sansa's face watching her new braid in the mirror. She looked at her aunt and then back at her reflection. The announce of the King's arrival made Sansa's excitement grow.
"Is my dress alright, aunt Yvette?" Sansa pointed to the gown she had just got in.
Yvette smiled brightly at the girl "You're perfect, my sweet"
The Tully looked at the door for a moment and remembered that they were needed. "Come, we must not make ourselves awaited, your mother wouldn't like that." Yvette gave her arm to Sansa just as the ladies did in the stories Yvette read to a little Sansa so she would go to sleep.
Just as Yvette thought, their whole family was waiting for them. Approaching, she gave Jon an encouraging smile in the process of realising that Arya was missing. That wild child will make herself seen, Yvette mused, leading Sansa next to Robb and flashing a small smile to him too, before taking her place next to Catelyn.
Her sister scanned her attire, tutted and fixed the back of Yvette's blue skirt. "Stop it" she whispered to Cat, sighting the royal family at the gates of the castle. "I'm not a little child anymore"
Catelyn only stared amused at her sister's acts.
The king stopped his horse and got off it with the help of his squire. With quick, heavy steps, he approached Ned.
Yvette's gaze went to little Rickon, who was barely able to hold himself from not falling, still confused of everything at the moment, her hand getting a grip of his small one, helping him to regain balance, as they got up at the King's gesture.
"Your Grace" Ned nodded at his old friend
"You've got fat" The King observed
Ned rose a brow before giving Robert's own big belly a look before beginning to laugh with him and embracing.
"Cat!" He beamed, also wrapping his hands around Catelyn
"Your Grace" She greeted back
Robert ruffles Rickon's hair and caught Yvette by surprise by hugging her too "Grew up since last I saw you" He laughed, pressing himself against her.
Yvette smiled at the King "You Grace" She nodded as the King set his attention on Ned once more. Her dress felt like rot on her flesh. Robert didn't miss her, he had no damn reason to hug her. For the first and last time she saw him, was at Cat's wedding, when she was not older than ten. Maybe it was just the manly urge to feel the curve of hips and perk of teats, she thought, swallowing the knot in her throat.
"Nine years! Why haven't I seen you? Where the hell have you been?" He asked
"Guarding the North for you, Your Grace. Winterfell is yours" Ned answered
Yvette's attention was now more on the Queen, who was just left her carriage along with her children and various ladies. Anyone would rather look at Cersei Lannister than Robert. Every step of her screamed elegance and wealth and with it came a kind of arrogance.
"Who have we here?" Robert's exclamation disturbed her staring at the Queen
"You must be Robb" He shook her nephew's hand
"My, you're a pretty one" Robert complimented, walking by Sansa. You could read all over her expression the joy the King's comment brought.
"You're name is?" The King bent down to Arya, who quickly gavr him her name
"Oh, show us your muscles" He said to Bran "You'll be a soldier"
"That's Jaime Lannister. The Queen's twin brother" Yvette followed the gaze of Arya to the Kingsguard.
Under his pretty face he shared not only features with his sister, but also his smugness, Yvette remarked, yet as any lady eyed him for a moment until the Queen walked up to them.
"Will you please shut up?" Sansa snapped, not wanting for Arya to make her look like a fool in front of the Queen.
Cersei smirked, giving Ned her hand to kiss "My Queen"
"My Queen" Catelyn's voice soon followed with a bow
"Take me to your crypt, I want to pay my respects" Robert commanded
Something on the Queen's face changed "We've been riding for a month, my love, surely the dead can wait"
"Ned" The King reminded his friend of his demand
The people in the yard finally began accommodating to the place, Cat helping the royal family with their given chambers. Seeing Yvette finally alone, Jon approached the Tully, as he got no time to talk to her before.
"Oh, what have they done to you?" Yvette frowned, putting her hand on Jon's bare face
"It'll grow back, aunt Yves" He assured her
Yves. She somehow despised it. All of her nephews and nieces knew about this and none of them called her other than 'aunt Yves', except for Sansa, who also preferred 'Yvette'.
She smiled at her nephew. They were not bound by blood, he wasn't Cat's son, but she loved him all the same. Someone had to.
Looking over his shoulder, Yvette catches a glimpse of the Queen's brother already staring at her. Quickly moving her gaze, forcing herself just not to think about it, Yvette takes Jon's hand.
"Come, it's getting cold. You need to help me with the fire" Jon squeezed Yvette's hand, ready to help his aunt with whatever she needed.
hello! this story and other of my completed GoT ffs can be found on ao3 or on wattpad (where i also go by vrshxw), as i find both more practical and have more activity there, as only today i started work here. this might be only a teaser, because i believe it would be more conventional to me to only advertise my stories here than also publishing them.
all that be said-if you actually found this chapter appealing i invite you to read it whole on wattpad /ao3