The morning after her arrival in Winterfell Lady Meria woke up in a better mood than she had been in the previous days, despite the nightmare she had. The night before, however, she had dreamt of arriving in Winterfell and finding only a huge direwolf with coppery fur waiting for her, and when she had approached the beast in curiosity, not at all intimidated, the animal had licked her hand and then stared at her with its blue eyes. Later when she had met Robb Stark who like her was late for the start of the banquet he had reminded her of the beast from her dream and she had suddenly felt both safe and attracted.

In seventeen years Meria had never really wanted a man. Of course she had felt attracted to the opposite sex and for a time had a crush on her cousin Lancel, but nothing serious, perhaps also because of the conditions of her birth because she was sadly aware that she could hardly make a good marriage or even get married and then Renly had arrived.

The queen was right about one thing, although the maiden would never give her the satisfaction of admitting it aloud: she was lucky to have married a man like Renly, the lord of a castle belonging to an important family in the kingdom and who was kind to her. Too bad only that he could never love her. Her heart already belonged to Loras and even if it didn't, the problem remained that she didn't own a cock.

"After breakfast I would like to go and talk to Maester Luwyn." She said as Lily set the table for breakfast. They had a habit of sharing meals with her friend when they were alone was one of the many things her aunt would have disapproved of had she known about it, but they both had to eat and she didn't like to eat her meals with Lily, possibly hungry, watching her. It made her feel uncomfortable and it was nice to chat together and behave for a few minutes as if they were just two ordinary maidens.

"Alright." The servant agreed and sat down on a chair after she had finished setting the table. Meria sat down next to her and they started to eat because Lily always waited until they were both seated at the table and joked that it was already inappropriate for her to sit at the same table as her lady and so it was only right that she waited before starting to eat. At first Meria had tried to change her mind however without success.

"It's too cold here." Said Meria turning towards the window and staring at the view. "It looks so different here than in the capital though so... Quiet." She added with a sigh. "When Orys is older I would like to take him to see the North." She continued.

"And when that happens will it really be the North you want to see again or Robb Stark?" The maid asked. Another noble woman might have been angry at her impudence, but not she who preferred her servant to be honest and tell her everything that was on her mind no matter how unpleasant it might sound to her ears.

"Both." She replied without hesitation. "Maybe more Robb." She added to be completely honest.

"I think it would be wiser to stay away from him since you are married and in a few years he will be married too."

"I know, but don't worry I'm not going to sleep with a married man." She replied. As the Heir of Winterfell it was obvious that he would marry sooner or later since it was his duty to have legitimate children who could one day inherit Winterfell or at least attempt to have them. "Now let us finish eating and then go to Maester Luwyn." She continued, changing the subject.

A short while later she was in the Maester's flats in the castle. Maester Luwyn was a man rather advanced in years, he was receding hairline and had a short beard. He wore a gray robe and around his neck he wore the chain symbolized by the order to which he belonged. The Maesters studied at the Citadel for years and as soon as they knew a subject well, they would cast a link in the chain. Each ring was a different color and depicted a different topic. Just as the members of the Kingsguard did not marry, inherit land or beget children, they devoted their entire lives to knowledge.

"Lady Meria, what can I do for you?" Asked the man after welcoming her into his small sun. A large bookcase covered an entire wall, in the center of the room was a table with various objects and books on it, there was then a second one leaning against a wall and finally there were shelves and a door that the girl imagined led to the room where the man of science slept.

"Forgive the disturbance Maester Luwyn, but I have a medical matter to put to you." She said kindly.

"Yes, explain what the matter is and I will try to help you." The elder replied helpful. The girl's lips curved into a smile.

"Three months ago I gave birth to a son and until a few weeks ago I nursed him personally, but then I had to part with him to accompany the king and queen here to the North." She explained. The man nodded his head in assent. "You see the birth was difficult and I was told that I will not be able to have any more children." He continued.

"I am sorry. Would you like a second opinion? You know you had just given birth when you were told you could no longer have children and your body was not in good condition. I don't want to question the competence of the Maester in question but even we can make mistakes." He said in a cautious tone.

"The Maester of Storm's End is a man far ahead in years, perhaps older than you and he has delivered hundreds of children including my husband and his siblings." She replied in a firm voice.

"Even the most experienced Maester can make mistakes, everyone can make mistakes." Luwyn replied calmly. "Prudence Lady Meria I would advise you to use caution if you do not want to run the risk of finding yourself with an infant in your arms too soon." He continued, his tone of voice becoming serious. The young woman did not flinch.

"My Moonblood... I have not bled since giving birth." She confessed that was why she had come because she wondered if it was normal or depended on the fact that she had become infertile.

"You said that you are breastfeeding and sometimes it happens that the Moonblood takes a long time to reach breastfeeding women." The Maester replied. "Will you allow me to visit you? Just to get a better idea." He continued in a cautious tone.

"I think I will also wait because I feel good, despite the breast ache. You know I'm taking herbs to decrease milk production, although during the day I get... Leaks of milk." She said feeling a little embarrassed. Instead Luwyn did not flinch, she had probably heard even more embarrassing things than a mother leaking milk.

"It is normal Lady Meria, perhaps you have already been told though that there is a danger that those herbs will make your milk go completely away and you will no longer be able to breastfeed." He commented. "If you need advice on breastfeeding you can ask Lady Catelyn because Lady Stark breastfed all her children." He continued and she nodded her head in assent.

"Thank you, maybe I will speak to her." She replied. "To Lady Stark when did the Moonblood return after nursing?" She demanded to receive more precise answers.

"Lady Meria every lactation is different, but it seems to me that after every pregnancy she started bleeding again no sooner than six months." He said after a short reflection.

"Thank you, Maester Luwyn, you have been very kind." She said, She turned her back to him and made to leave however the man spoke again.

"If you do not want another child I would advise you to be cautious because the Maester of Storm's End might be wrong or you might be lucky." He said. The girl turned and her lips curved into a sardonic smile.

"I don't think I'd mind getting pregnant again. You know the truth is that I didn't realize how much I wanted to become a mother until I was told I could no longer have children." She confessed a veil of sadness in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, but don't lose hope." He advised and she nodded in response then took her leave of him and went in search of Robb who had promised to show her the castle and its surroundings.

Robb Stark was handsome, Renly was handsome too, but the Stark had the impression that he had something more, though she couldn't say exactly what it was and then she wasn't indifferent to him and she had the feeling that unlike her husband Robb liked women very much. He too had blue eyes only his didn't change color depending on what he wore but she adored him, although she feared she was in danger of losing herself in those eyes.

Robb Stark was waiting for her in the entrance of the castle and when he saw her coming he smiled at her and she smiled back. She had chosen to wear a dark dress with the hem at the bottom of the sleeves and around the neckline furred. Around her neck she wore a necklace that Tyrion had given her.

"Lady Meria, did you sleep well?" He asked when she had approached.

"Yes, thank you, and you?" She asked.

"Fine, thank you even though it took me a long time to fall asleep."

"How come? Were you thinking of some woman?" She asked, looking him in the eyes.

"To one who kissed me and then ran away like she was burnt." He replied. She felt her cheeks flush. She had no idea what had jumped into her mind the night before, maybe it had been the attraction she felt for him and she had a feeling it was growing every minute. Hell that night she had even dreamt about him and it hadn't exactly been an innocent dream and at the thought she blushed even more.

"Why did you do it?" He asked.

"I don't know, I'm sorry it was a crazy gesture and I hope I didn't offend or hurt you." She replied, fearing that her inappropriate gesture had been taken in a negative way and that the Heir of Winterfell was sad or worse angry.

"No, you have not offended me more. I am confused by the fact that you kissed me and then ran away." He replied. "Did I do something wrong Lady Meria?"

"No, if anything it was me who did something wrong. I should not have kissed you. It was inconsiderate as well as inappropriate." She affirmed in a sorry tone. "I am sorry and I will understand if you do not want to keep your commitment to show me your family's property." She added. She would regret not being able to visit the place, however she would understand if he no longer wanted to stay close to her. The night before she had felt thrilled after kissing him, however now in the sunlight she realized that Lily was right and that she had behaved like a real fool.

"No, I intend to keep my commitment and... I am happy to spend time with you." He replied. "If you want we can also take the horses so we can get further away. I can show you the villages near Winterfell and the forest. There are some beautiful places near here." He proposed and she felt as if her heart had missed a beat. She stared at him for a long time in silence unable to utter a word then finally seemed to recover the use of her voice.

"Alright, I'm curious to see these wonderful places you're talking about." She replied with a sweet smile and he smiled back.

"I'd say let's start with a tour of the castle." He affirmed and together they walked out of the foyer.

He showed her everything about the castle, starting with the great hall, which she had indeed seen the night before but had not been able to observe carefully, then he showed her the armory, the library, the highest tower of the castle from which one could see all the surroundings, the catacombs where his ancestors rested, other places, and then he led her to the greenhouses of Winterfell where among the various plants grew roses with blue petals, and he told her the legend that was linked to his family and those roses, which told of a young Stark girl who fell in love with a bard by whom she had a son who became Lord of Winterfell. She and her beloved were forced to separate and after he became the King beyond the Wall, the son killed him and she, who had never stopped loving him, took her own life. A very sad love story.

Meria's mare seemed happy to see her when the girl approached the animal that had been in a pen with other horses. Meria smiled at the mare and stroked her muzzle after approaching.

"Is a beautiful animal." Commented Robb who had remained outside the corral but had approached and was watching her from behind the fence.

"Her name is Vhagar." She said without taking her eyes off the mare.

"That name is not new to me." Replied the boy, assuming a thoughtful air.

"It was the name of Queen Visenya's dragoness." Replied the blonde. "My father gave it to me shortly after I went to live in Casterly Rock, I think he was trying to cheer me up. You know my mother had recently died and I was in a place surrounded by strangers even though they had the same blood as me." She admitted grimly.

"That must have been very difficult." Commented the redhead sombrely.

"Yes, it was." She confirmed. "My mother and I did not have a horse and I only learned to ride after I went to live with the Lannisters." She said, "And not just that." She added, stopping petting the beast.

"What else did you learn?" He asked. She smiled and walked away to return a few minutes later carrying a blanket, a saddle and the reins. A servant chased after her with breathless air, trying to convince her to allow him to saddle her mare.

"I will saddle my mare." She said in a rude tone that it was not like her to be rude. She was usually always kind to everyone including the servants and had never felt superior to them also because her mongrel status put her more or less on the same level as them in the hierarchical scale. "I have been taking care of her since they gave her to me when I was a child and I have no intention of stopping." She exclaimed, adjusting the blanket on the animal and putting the saddle on her. After making sure that everything was in place and that the greenhouse was not too tight or even too little then she slipped the reins to Vhagar.

"Fair enough." Robb replied. She smiled at him and then led the animal out of the corral. "I'll fetch my horse." He continued and she nodded her head in assent.

The Heir of Winterfell returned some ten minutes later on the back of a gray horse. Meria had climbed into the saddle as she waited and tightened the reins.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, where shall we go?"

"First I would say let's go see the villages or would you prefer to see the forest first?" He asked. The blonde did not hesitate before answering.

"The village, I am curious to meet your people."

"As you wish." He replied and they headed towards the nearest village. No one seemed to pay any attention to them as they exited the walls surrounding the castle.

In a few minutes they reached the village, which consisted of dozens and dozens of houses more or less all the same size and somewhat similar to each other. They tied their horses to a tree not far from the first houses and then entered the small town.

People seemed happy to see them and Meria had approached a stall to take the cake the woman was handing her and took a bite of the small cake

"It is very good thank you." She said then added. "I'll buy some." She said, The woman nodded her head in assent and wrapped the cakes before giving them to her. Meria paid and then walked away with Robb who had stood beside her the whole time staring at the scene in silence, although he had responded to the woman when she had greeted him.

"I like this place. It is very cold but so different from the capital." She said, She and Robb had settled on a bench and were both eating a dessert, finishing what the woman had offered her to be precise. "People here seem so cheerful and happy. In the capital everything is so... chaotic, everyone seems to be in a hurry and every week there are I don't know how many robberies and murders there are. Instead, this place reminds me of the village where I grew up." She said nostalgically.

"I grew up here and this is the only reality I know, I have never been to the capital even though my father is the ruler's best friend." He confessed. "Some say that wolves are not suitable to live in the South."

"To think that I could now be in the much warmer Dorne and grow up in Sunspear bathing in the Water Gardens my mother told me about and grew up eating freshly picked oranges and lemons." She said, thinking that her life would have been very different if her father had sent her to Dorne. Orys would not have been born or in any case her father would not have been Robert Baratheon.

"But then we would never have met." He looked into her eyes. She did not reply, instead taking another bite of the cake in an attempt to stall.

"No, I guess not." She replied. They stared at each other for a few seconds. "Shall we go to the woods?" She proposed without thinking. He nodded and they got up from the bench. They had finished eating their sweets.

Before leaving the village she gave some of the sweets she had bought to some poor children dressed in rags who were begging and also gave them some coins. The children stared at her full of gratitude and continued to say thank you. As soon as they were able to say goodbye to the children, who did not seem to want to let them go, they returned to their horses and rode off into the woods.

Robb led her to a small lake with three waterfalls that lay deep in the forest. He was right when he had told her it was a beautiful place. After tying up the horses she dismounted and approached the water of the lake. The loud roar of the water caused by the waterfalls could be heard.

"There is a cave behind the waterfall in the middle, but you have to swim to reach it." Said Robb as she approached.

"Too bad the water will be too cold." Replied the blonde. Robb smiled amused and she stared at him puzzled.

"Try touching the water and you will tell me if it really is as cold as you thought." He said. Confused, she took two more steps towards the water and bent over her legs. When she touched the water she felt its great warmth and surprised she stood up.

"It's warm." She exclaimed.

"It's a natural hot spring. People come here to bathe." Robb explained. When she turned to look at him she stared at him surprised to see that he had taken off his tunic and was shirtless.

"What are you doing?" She asked incredulously.

"Taking a bath." He answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and after taking off his trousers and being completely naked he rushed towards the water. Meria had stood motionless, shocked by what had just happened and was trying to think clearly when the boy spoke again. "Then won't you join me? The water is very warm and I swear I will not even lay a finger on you, of course unless you ask me to." He affirmed with a teasing smile. The blonde stared at him in amazement. She was challenging her and wanted to see how she would react to his provocation. She assumed a serious expression then pulled at the laces of her dress and took it off, leaving her shift and bodice on. She also removed the bodice. The Stark looked at her initially surprised then smiled and she could not help smiling back as she headed towards the lake.