"Let me tell you something about wolves, child. When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. Summer is the time for squabbles. In winter, we must protect one another, keep each other warm, share our strengths."

Ned Stark to Arya Stark, A Game of Thrones

In the seventeen summers she had been alive, Lyarra Snow had been through many trials from being a known bastard of the North. The older twin of Jon Snow, she has been spat upon by her 'stepmother' and her little cronies, nearly sold to a whorehouse by said woman, and has had to endure the leers and taunts of the fucking Greyjoy. She refused to be a damsel in distress, and if her dreams were to be believed, she had much to prepare for as ice-blue eyes followed her in her nightmares.

Training as a swordswoman from the time she could swing a sword, she was taught by many mentors. From a former imperial general from Yi Ti to a Braavosi water dancer, and of course the Westerosi style of fighting, she quickly excelled at her training as her mentors claimed she was Queen Visenya reborn. That compliment always amused her, considering her heritage. She knew she and her brother were the children of Rhaegar Targaryen and their supposed aunt, Lyanna Stark, having seen their marriage and subsequent birth of both her and Jon in the Tower of Joy.

As the rightful heirs to the Iron Throne, she quickly told her brother the truth even though he didn't want to believe it. But he knew his sister, his twin, would never lie to him. So, when they were eleven summers, they confronted their uncle with the truth. When he tried to deny them, she revealed that she saw their marriage and knew their true names. She was Visenya II Targaryen, while Jon was Aegon VII Targaryen, as they were named by their mother. And he knew then, that she must have the Sight. That was the only explanation for the knowledge she had.

Since that day, their adoptive father upped their training, wanting them to be prepared for when the day came that their identities would be revealed. Though he loved Robert, he was his brother in all but blood, but even he could see that the years had changed him. Once a charismatic and handsome lord, he was now known as an obese whoremongering king who would rather eat, drink, and fuck his way to an early grave than rule the Seven Kingdoms. Eddard Stark knew war would break out once he was dead, but considering the alternative, he knew that he would support whatever the twins would decide to do.

With her suggestion, he decided to tell his eldest son the truth of the matter when they were three and ten, respecting Lyarra's decision to not tell his wife as he knew of the animosity between both women. When Robb Stark entered his father's solar, he was surprised to see the twins standing there with solemn faces. He knew it had to be serious if they were there.

"Father, you called for me?" Robb asked confused as he knew he wasn't in trouble.

"Yes, son," Ned Stark gave a small smile to his eldest boy. "Please sit. We have much to discuss." As soon as his son sat down in the chair, he continued the conversation, "What I'm about to tell you must not leave this room. You cannot tell anyone, especially your mother and Theon."

"Is everything okay?" He asked concerned for his father, seeing the weight on his shoulders from whatever was bothering him.

"When I brought Lyarra and Jon back with me after the war, I lied to your mother. I lied to everyone. They are not your siblings," he revealed to his son's shock. "They are your cousins by my sister. And Rhaegar Targaryen's blood."

"What?!" Robb exclaimed in his shock, a part of him furious at his father for hiding this from them for so long. Especially from his mother who felt shamed by her husband having two bastards in her home. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I promised my sister I would protect them, with my life," Ned told him. "I only knew your mother for a few days before I went to war. I didn't trust her with this information, I couldn't trust anyone but those who were with me in Dorne with it. And now I worry that it's too late to tell her now. There is so much bitterness between them now, that I don't know if she'll tell Robert out of spite for the secret I kept." He gave his son a knowing look, "You know your mother's temper as much as I do."

Sighing in acceptance, the Stark heir couldn't argue with that. His mother's temper could be as volatile as the color of her hair. "But why couldn't you tell us?" He asked, referring to his children. "We all love Lyarra and Jon, even if Sansa doesn't show it."

"If by chance word had gotten out," his father explained, "our family could plead ignorance to my supposed crime. I would gladly lose my head if it meant the safety of all of you."

Silence passed between the four of them as Lord Stark and the twins watched Robb digest the news. Stepping toward her cousin in her dark green dress, Lyarra decided to speak up, "Change is coming, cousin. War will soon be upon us as the King doesn't have long left in this world. I've seen it."

"You have the Sight?" Their cousin asked shocked. Like all Northern children, he grew up on tales of wargs and greenseers. His mother despised the stories, but his father quickly shut her down when she tried to get Old Nan to stop telling them. He remembered what his father told her, 'These stories are our history and I refuse to let them be forgotten because of your unwillingness to learn our ways.'

Since that day there was a tension between the Lord and his Lady that not even their children could bridge. Though he built a sept in Winterfell for his wife to worship her gods in, the decision caused quite a bit of backlash from the other Northern lords. Especially after the previous Lord Stark had spurned their daughters for Southern matches for his children.

"I do," she confirmed. "I have had dreams for many years now showing me the battles of the Long Night, the fall of Valyria, the Dance of Dragons, and Robert's Rebellion. The reason we're telling you this is because a war is brewing. I've seen it. When King Robert dies, the realm will bleed once again. We can't let that happen."

"You mean to take the throne for yourself," Robb stated the obvious.

"I must," she told him. "Our enemy in the Far North is stirring once again. If we are not united against this threat, the world of man will fall. If the world of men is to survive, a Targaryen must be seated on the Iron Throne. A King or Queen, strong enough to unite the realm against the cold and the dark. Aegon the Conqueror called his dream 'The Song of Ice and Fire.' This was why he invaded Westeros. Not for power or glory. He wanted to save the world from its doom."

"A prophecy?"

"A dragon dream," Lyarra corrected. "Like Daenys the Dreamer who saved her family from the Doom of Valyria, Aegon had his vision. Valyrians were known for their brand of magic as were the First Men. Even the Rhoynar have their magic. It is the Andals and their faith that have made our natural gifts so ostracized in Westeros. They seem to forget that our beliefs go back farther than theirs."

"Alright, then we need to prepare," Robb declared. "What do you suggest we do?"

"One, I would suggest betrothing you to a Northern house, the Mormonts maybe," she offered her idea. "Lady Maege has a daughter around your age named Lyra that I believe will be a good match. As the heir to the North, I don't want your marriage to be used as a bartering tool by those who would use you. You deserve to find someone that will make you happy."

"Lord Stark could offer to foster her here in Winterfell for a few years," Jon finally spoke up as the idea circled in his head. "It'll give you time to get to know her."

"I'm open to the idea, Father if you are," Robb told his father. He knew Lyra Mormont by reputation. She was a budding beauty and a fierce warrior at two and ten following in the footsteps of her mother and older sisters. She would be a good Lady Stark in his opinion.

"Your mother won't be happy about it," Ned Stark told him. "She was hoping for a Southern wife for you, but I agree with Lyarra that a Northern wife would be best. My father, the good man that he was, made a lot of bannermen unhappy with his ambitions in the South. To have two generations of Southern Lady Starks would cause an uproar." He sighed as he knew what he was going to do would make his wife angry but he had to think of his House, "I'll write Lady Mormont to see if she'll be open to us fostering and betrothing her third daughter to you. You wouldn't marry until you are seven and ten, and she six and ten."

"I accept those terms," his son agreed with a smile.

"Now with that settled," Lyarra got their attention, "I would also suggest upping our training with known battle commanders to train us in strategy and tactics, as well as demoralization. This will be essential in the future war."

"Rickard Karstark was one of my commanders during the rebellion," Ned mused to himself. "And Greatjon Umber has much experience fighting the wildings up north. Howland Reed's crannogmen use guerrilla tactics against their enemies which would be useful and they would understand your dreams better than I. We could send you three on rotations with them to learn."

"That would be agreeable to me, uncle," Lyarra told him with a smile.

"And us as well," her brother and cousin agreed with her.

"Then I will write to them with my offer to have them train you for a few moons. Lyarra, I'll have you go to Greywater Watch first. Howland has the Sight as well and could help you with your skills. Jon, I'll send you to Last Hearth as they are fearsome warriors that will help you hone your skills with the sword."

"And you will need that when you go to the Wall," Lyarra told her brother with a sad smile.

"Why would he need to go to the Wall?" Robb asked confused.

"His destiny is not here with us," she answered him. "He must unite the wildings north of the Wall for us to have the numbers we need to stop the White Walkers. He'll serve for a time in the Night's Watch, then be reborn and come back home. He will not be there forever."

"House Umber will not like this," her uncle warned her. "They've lost much to the wildings over the years and won't take this lying down."

"During that time, brother," Lyarra spoke to him, "you will need to capture a wight, a reanimated corpse of the dead, to show them the true threat. One time in history we were one people, and their ancestors sacrificed their lives and comfort to chase the Dead north of the Wall to give Bran the Builder and the Children of the Forest the time they needed to create it. And yet they stayed to be the vanguard, the first line of defense for when the time came they rose again."

"I won't let you down, sister," Jon vowed with a determined glint in his eyes.

"You never will," she told him with a smile.

"Then Robb," their uncle continued, "you'll be sent to Karhold as Rickard is a brilliant tactician. You'll learn much from him."

"Yes, father," his son agreed with a bow of his head.

"Now," Lord Stark folded his hands on his desk, "the hour is late, and I don't have to tell you to keep this to yourselves for all our sakes. Supper should be soon, so clean up and meet back at the dining hall."

The three children bowed, or curtseyed in Lyarra's sake, and left the solar to get ready to have their evening meal with their family. Silence passed between them as the two young men digested the information they were bombarded with. The female of the group had a soft smile on her face, content that some of the pieces were falling into place.

She didn't just see the past, but the possible futures if she didn't interfere. She has seen many of her family die, or change for the worse, in the future. The war will be inevitable after the Usurper dies, but she wants to prepare her family for what is to come. The first fate she'll change is Robb's, whose rigid sense of honor caused his doom. Jon would still have to go to the Wall, but she would at least make sure he was more prepared for what he'd experience since the Umbers dealt with the most wilding attacks than anyone else in the North.

Later that night as she slept, she dreamt of battles between sigils, most of them against lions: lions against wolves, stags against stags, stags against lions, dragons against lions, roses against lions, and spears against lions. She knew what each of those sigils represented: the lions - House Lannister, the wolves - House Stark, the stags - House Baratheon, the dragons - House Targaryen, the roses - House Tyrell, and the spears - House Martell.

Time will tell if she will be able to change anything. But she thinks the Martells deserve to know the truth of the rebellion. She'll discuss it with her uncle tomorrow as she found the letters her mother left in the Stark crypt of her correspondence between her, Rhaegar, and Elia. The three of them were lovers, and Elia would have joined them if the Mad King hadn't caught her and her children leaving King's Landing.

She also found something else: two dragon eggs and the sword of Queen Visenya, Dark Sister. A black egg which was larger and a red egg, that she kept on the coals and logs in her fireplace to warm them. Knowing how to hatch them from her dreams of times long past, she planned to follow through with it within the next couple of months. First, she had to find a place for them to hide as they get bigger, a cave or something. Then she'll begin to show her enemies fire and blood, for winter was coming for them.

The next few years passed by with Lyra Mormont being fostered at Winterfell, despite Lady Stark's objections to the possible betrothal between the young lady and her son. Robb first spent his time in Winterfell to get to know his betrothed and to say he was smitten was, to put it mildly. When she laid him on his ass in the tiltyard after a spar, he looked at her like she hung the moon. Soon after, they were set to get married when she turned six and ten, as agreed. Jon and Lyarra left at this time for their short fostering with House Umber and House Reed, respectively. Robb soon followed with his with House Karstark, and they would interchange over the next two years.

During this time, when she was in White Harbor with House Reed for business, she met Aurane Waters, bastard brother of Monford Velaryon, Lord of Driftmark, and three years her senior. There on business as well, she could admit she was enamoured with him and she learned the meaning of pleasure as she took him to her bed, wanting her first time to be with someone of her choice. From their union of flesh and pleasure, she became pregnant. Giving birth eight moons later to twins, a boy and a girl, she was blessed at four and ten with motherhood. Naming them Vaegon and Valaena, she gave them their father's last name Waters after she was able to send a raven with the news of their birth.

Though not physically there most of their young lives, he never failed to write letters or send gifts to all three of them. He sent three people to watch over her and the children, knowing how Lady Stark treated his lover. Sara Snow, a bastard of Ser Wylis Manderly with blonde hair, became the children's nanny as she watched over them when she couldn't. Serena Pyke, a baseborn cousin of Theon's through his uncle Euron Greyjoy, was sent as a companion as well as protector. Last but not least, Torrhen Snow. The tall and handsome man was the bastard of Lord Gregor Forrester of Ironrath, sent to protect his children and lover from his enemies. Both foreign and domestic.

Two years later, Vaella Waters was born when Aurane told her his half-brother had banned him from coming to the North, having been told about his children with Lord Stark's acknowledged bastard daughter, even though he knew the truth. But he knew better than to tell his trueborn brother that Rhaegar Targaryen has two living children. Monford is ambitious, and will not hesitate to report Lyarra and Jon to the King to advance himself. He would probably put his daughter Laena to be betrothed to the Crown Prince in return as his reward.

So he decided to listen. Leaving a letter for her and each of their children, Aurane Waters kept to the south and east but never failed to have someone deliver letters and presents to his children. Though the more expensive presents Lady Stark tried to give to her children, especially Sansa, Lord Stark put a stop to that as he overheard her say to Lyarra that they would be wasted on a bastard and her whelps. When the young mother tried to defend herself, the older woman slapped her so hard that she nearly dropped baby Vaella from the force. Sansa stood to the side with a smirk, believing her mother was right and green with envy at the expensive silks and velvets her bastard sister was getting.

From that day forward, both Lady Stark and Sansa had no control of the household, leaving it in Lyarra's hands as she dismissed all the southern servants that her stepmother had been smuggling in to take over Winterfell. Replacing them with loyal northern men and women, the only one of Lady Stark's household that remained was Septa Mordane as she allowed the three women to continue their religious practices. The northern lords were secretly relieved that their lord's wife didn't have her power anymore, as she kept trying to convert many ladies and lords of the north to the Faith of the Seven. She wasn't allowed near the other children, other than Sansa who chose to stay with her mother. Lord Stark didn't want her bad influence to affect his other children.

Arya and Brandon were secretly glad as Lyarra allowed them to practice their skills, with the younger girl in the tiltyard learning from her and Brandon climbing with supervision. She also taught her younger cousin how to stitch, emphasizing mending clothing and stitching wounds. Seeing the practical applications, Arya didn't have much to say about needlework. In her martial training, Lyarra observed that with her smaller stature, her younger cousin would benefit from the Braavosi water dancing and taught her the basics to get her started. Jon started with Bran's training since the young boy wanted to be a knight of the Kingsguard. Time went on, and peace came over Winterfell as the influence of the trout lessened. When seventeen years passed since the end of Robert's Rebellion, the game of thrones now truly began.