CHAPTER 1
Lord Eddard Stark is pacing in front of the fireplace and stops looking at the fire in his study inside the Great Keep at Winterfell. The room is divided in rich worn leather chairs, a large mantle around the carved fireplace, tapestry rugs and large filled wooden bookcases lining the walls on one side of the room. On the other side of the room, a large hand carved dark wood desk piled with parchments and two smaller chairs in front of it.
He stares into the flames thinking, leaning with his arm on the mantle while in his other hand he pokes the fire with the fire iron stoker. A young twenty name days old woman sits in one of the big leather chairs in a dress with her arms resting on both sides of the chair. She had a large male direwolf pup laying at her feet. It was solid silver.
The young woman had a serious look on her face and said, "If you go south father you will die. Never has a Stark survived long going to King's Landing like my grandfather Rickard, Uncle Brandon and Aunt Lyanna. You know this. If you take the Hand of the King job they will swarm like wasps. You know he will have to go to the Lannisters next to get a Hand of the King then, say Tywin Lannister. Let him. You need to stay in the North anyway because those people don't think or behave the same as we do. There are too many people in King's Landing and plenty of cruel and craven people mixed among them that would take a penny to slit your throat as they smile while looking at you. Father, heed my warning. I beg you."
Ned Stark looked up at his daughter and said, "I know you're a very wise child, Lyarra, or I wouldn't have entrusted you to have helped me run Winterfell and the North with me. The King is hard to say no to."
Lyarra said standing up and stepping over to him, "He is just a man who likes to push and bully people to get his way. I was standing right there when I saw him pushing you to take the job. He's fickle like Aunt Lyanna said in her diary. He will plead, try to reason, bully and maneuver to get everyone to do as he wants. His tactics are unrelenting."
Ned sighed and said stoically, "That's why he is king." He looked back into the fire.
She said cocking her head and said with her eyebrow up, "At the expense of his friends, allies and the people he cares about from long ago? Father, really wake up and don't let him drag you into this. You said no to the crown before, don't take up the mantle now. He is not the same person you remember anymore. You will do all the work as he will spend all the money in the coffers dry. It's his way, even I can see it. You can see he's arrogant, selfish, drunken, lustful and a glutton. He cares for no one and nothing but being able to get what he wants from you and others. I have been paying attention since he arrived and that has only been a sennight. I can't believe you would throw yourself and your family on your sword to appease that man."
Ned said, sighing and couldn't listen anymore, "I know. Go on and find out what your brother's and sisters are up to. If you see your Uncle BenJen tell him I want to see him?" He kissed her forehead. She wrapped her arms around her father and put her head on his shoulder. The pup sat up watching her.
She said sincerely, "I truly love you so, father." He leaned his head on hers. Ned Stark adored his first born child because she was a confidant, a source of pride and from the moment he saw her born into this world she had never let him down. He let go and Lyarra smiled at him and left out of the door, closing it behind herself and her pup.
Ned sighed knowing she was right, but he was being forced into a corner by his old so-called friend. Lyarra was always right, very observant in evaluating people and had proved it many times. He trusted her because she had wisdom and instincts like nobody he had ever met before for someone so young. She was very educated and had read every book at Winterfell and Maester Luwin's books. He knew she had even borrowed books from other houses in their libraries also over the years constantly in the North and Riverrun. His daughter was highly intelligent, she was his oldest child and was different from her other brothers and sisters. Her behavior towards her siblings was motherly and always watched over them. He thought maybe if he took her with him to King's Landing, they could work together. She could be his helper on navigating the job and the people.
Lyarra was a beautiful woman with long dark auburn hair like a dark brown and red complete blend of both her parents. She had sky blue eyes that had a dark ring around the irises making them pierce right through you especially when angry. Her body was strong, muscular yet soft, attractively curved and she was tall at five foot ten inches. She was proficient with a bow, sword and knives. He had her trained in weapons because it made her happy. She learned from the septa and maester with no issue so quickly. Most of the available lords wanted her for a wife and she had turned them all down causing her mother to argue about it over the years.
Lyarra and Catelyn would bump heads now and again over another betrothal being sent about Lyarra. Over the last five years Catelyn was pressing Lyarra to pick any Lord to marry out of all of the lords in Westeros because she wouldn't settle on the northern lords. She wouldn't because she didn't want to be trapped by a man to control her every move. She had no interest in being told what to do by anyone unless asked respectfully within reason. Ned would have to get between them to stop the arguments and make Catelyn drop it. Lyarra was sick of that topic anyway. She was closer to her father because he would talk to her and reason with her on a different level than her mother who was always pressing her into doing things. It had always been a contention between them. Ned had tried to get Catelyn, over the years, to ask not to tell Lyarra what to do and it would make it easier. Catelyn learned this, but was adamant when it came to getting her to marry someone. So the arguments continued.
Lyarra heard the clanging of metal at a distance and went to see who was in the yard. She was walking into the practice yard and saw Jamie Lannister practice sparring with BenJen Stark. She walked up closer to them and leaned sideways against the wall. Her pup was at her feet watching the two men battle. She saw the difference in styles they both were using on each other and adjustments needed to be made to even the match more.
She shouted out, "BenJen, lead with your right! Watch his parry and counter attack!"
She shouted, "BenJen, raise your right elbow! Watch his footing!"
After a while the two men stopped, they sheathed their swords and looked over at Lyarra. She pushed off the wall and walked towards them with her pup following always.
Jamie asked condescendingly to her, "What do you know about sword fighting, girl? You should go back to the keep and sew something like your sisters." BenJen smiled watching to see what she would say. He always was entertained by Lyarra's reactions to other people.
Lyarra said smugly with her hand on her hip, "You say it that way because I'm a woman, right? I know more than you think even possible then, Kingslayer. You were both using two different fighting styles. I was giving him corrections to help to match yours, is all. You need to learn that just because I am female doesn't mean I don't know how to use a sword, Lannister. I can also use knives and the bow proficiently with precision. So, you can stop with your condescending male rhetoric, you're only impressing yourself here. My father's men and my family have all been at the end of my sword or matched me at best, at one time or another. Come on, Moonlight." She turned and walked away as her pup followed.
Once she was gone, Jamie asked BenJen, not believing a word she said, "She's all talk, right? Just being a nosey know it all, right? I have never met a woman who can do any of that."
BenJen said chuckling, "If my niece, Lyarra, were any other woman, I'd say yes. But not Lyarra Stark because she can prove it to you. My brother and Ser Roderick started training her at five name days old. She's tall for a girl, but that's her deception being a girl. She is very cunning, fast and agile. She wears men's clothes half the time but was told not to while the king is here. Every Lord in the North has wanted her for his wife, not for her weapons abilities, of course. They like her being very smart, but mostly for how very beautiful she is. That young woman can run an entire kingdom if she had to. She is my brother's right hand. Ned adores that girl as she does him. She is invaluable to most who know of her. Nary a bad word can be said about her except she's stubborn, you can ask anyone." Jamie never met a woman talked about like that with such esteem. He would watch her to see what she's like, while here.
Lyarra saw in the other practice yard, Jon and Robb showing Bran how to use his bow and shoot the target. Her father and mother were up above watching them all.
Jon said trying to encourage him, "Go on. Father's watching."
Jon said, adding, "And your mother." Bran tries and misses again. Everyone laughs. Bran pouts in disappointment.
Lyarra said out loud, "And which one of you was a marksman at ten? Keep practicing, Bran. Go on. You can do this. They stunk at it at first so don't let them fool you."
Jon frowned at her as she stuck her tongue out at him. Jon smiled and said to Bran, "Don't think too much, Bran."
Robb said softly, "Relax your bow arm." Bran pulls the arrow back an arrow hits the bullseye. Bran, still with his arrow in the bow stands there stunned for a moment then looks behind him. Everyone turned in surprise to see Arya, who curtsies after her perfect shot. They all laughed as Bran takes off after Arya.
Jon and Robb shout out, "Quick, Bran, faster!" Bran runs after her.
Lyarra watches him run past her, as she is smiling at them. She pushed off the wall and walked up to Jon and Robb.
She said reaching out and lightly pinching both of them making them jump, "You two stop teasing Bran. You both stank so bad at ten name days. I had to help you both at the same time to learn focus and patience. Theon too, but he wouldn't be half as good with a bow now if I hadn't stepped in. He thought just because I was a girl I knew nothing. All that pirate thinking had his mind completely clogged up in it."
Robb said chuckling, "Yeah, until you shot the arrow in the bullseye then shot a second splitting the first. He paid attention after that."
Arya and Bran came running through the practice yard at full speed. Lyarra darted out and scooped up Arya and slung her over her shoulder. Arya was laughing.
Bran stopped and said panting, "You wrecked my shot! Father and mother were watching too!"
Arya said over her sister's shoulder, "So?" Lyarra started tickling her making laugh and squeal. Robb and Jon smiled watching them.
Lyarra said laughing, "That's not nice you little wolf cub! You know you got the advantage because I was showing you how three years ago. You have three years of practice ahead of him."
Bran said to Lyarra, "I should have asked you to teach me, Lyarra."
Lyarra put her one hand on Bran's face caressing it and said softly, "Your brother's will do just fine. Don't worry about them when they laughed because they messed up and shot crooked when they started." She tickled Arya who squealed again laughing.
Lyarra said making Arya squeal again, "Just like your silly sister." That made Bran smile big so he took off to go practice some more with his brothers.
Lyarra put Arya down, kissed her forehead and said smiling, "I love you, y'know?"
Arya wrapped her arms around her waist hugging her, looked up and said, "I know. I love you back, Lyarra."
Lyarra said, smiling down caressing her little cheek, "Go play and be happy, my sweetling." Arya let go smiling, waved and ran off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day, everyone was breaking their fast and King Robert said with authority, "You know, Lady Lyarra, there are plenty of lords to marry down south and as beautiful as you are, like you Aunt Lyanna was, you could have your pick. You could marry into the most powerful and wealthiest houses in the realm." Lyarra noticed the queen glaring at her. BenJen grinned wondering like always what would come out of her mouth next.
Lyarra said indifferently, "Money isn't everything, with knowledge and abilities. They bring you power and money inevitably, your grace." She took a bite of her eggs and fried potatoes. BenJen looked at her then the King to see what he would say because he was always entertained when Lyarra was involved on his visits home from the Night Watch.
The king looked at her in surprise and said to Ned, "What have you been teaching her, Ned?"
Ned said proudly, "Anything and everything she wants to learn. Which has added up to quite a lot, your grace."
The king said gruffly to Lyarra, "That might be true, girl, but you need a man to have a place to secure your future with children."
Lyarra said, shrugging casually, "I'll make my own money, buy myself a big home and hire my own protection. Eventually, I may find a man of intelligence and strength worthy to be with me. Then have children, your grace. I'm in no big hurry." She continued eating.
The king muttered, "Stubborn and a picky little thing." She ignored him. BenJen chuckled, Lyarra looked at him and winked. He shook his head and continued eating.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Later that day, the king and Ned come walking across the ramparts to the courtyard. Robert asked, "Are you as good with a spear as you used to be?"
Ned chuckled and said, "No, but I'm still better than you."
Robert said solemnly, "I know what I'm putting you through. I only ask you because I need you. You're a loyal friend. You hear me? A loyal friend. The last one that I've got.
Ned said defeated, "Ok, I hope I'll serve you well." He was worried because Lyarra warned him and he knew he didn't listen to her.
Robert said positively, "You will. And I'll make sure you don't look so fucking grim all the time." Robert and Ned mounted their horses in a group of soldiers. He shouted, "Come on, boys, let's go kill some boar!" The king's party rode off as Ned nodded goodbye to Bran, whose wolf pup, Summer, began sniffing at his feet.
Bran smiled, waved and said, "Come on, you." He took off the broken tower.
He begins climbing up the wall of the broken tower as his wolf pup cries at the bottom of the wall. As he nears the top, he hears a woman and man moaning. Bran thinks it's a ghost moaning, goes to peep in the window and Lyarra is on the ground, looking up and throws a small rock hitting the stone next to him spraying shards getting his attention and yells at him angrily, "Bran!!! What in the Seven Hells are you doing?! You get your arse down from there right now!!!" Lyarra was scared to death in a panic watching him start to climb down.
