Chapter Text
“Torrhen’s Square just sent a letter.” Catelyn said, causing Ned to nearly jump out of his skin. His lady wife had not spoken to him in nearly a fortnight. Ever since Jon had gotten sick, and he found her praying over his bed. He could not in good conscious allow her to ask for Jon’s legitimization without telling her the full truth. She was not as angry as he thought she would be but… she did not take his lying well. However, now that she knew she treated with the boy much more. With his nephew almost dying the perfect excuse for her change in demeanor towards him had presented itself.
“Oh?” He asked as he looked off the balcony at all of his children, even Sansa, watching the older three boys spar. Arya and Bran started cheering on Jon as Robb and Theon teamed up on him as they realized they would not be able to match him one-on-one despite him recovering from illness.
“Lord Royce and his son arrived last night… Ned… I think you should ask him to allow the boy to squire for him.” She said, and Ned whipped around to see his wife holding her hands up in a sign of peace.
“What?” he hissed.
“Ned, please hear me out.” She said, and Ned looked back down to the courtyard trying to not let his anger to show visibly. “Look at the boy. He is good. No, he is excellent. He needs somewhere to actually utilize his skills. You do not plan on putting him on the Throne, and while I do not know him very well personally, I do know he will not want to depend on Robb for the rest of his life. Where else is there for him to go? The Night’s Watch?”
A fortnight ago she would have been overjoyed to have the boy to join the Night’s Watch. But now… it was a glorified Penal Colony. Not a place for a child, not a place for Ned’s kin. There was no way that Lyanna would want that for a child of hers, rape or no rape. “Ned, if you want to protect him this makes sense. You have drawn more attention to him by bringing him in like this.”
Ned sighed, “I promised…”
“You promised her that you would watch over him.” Catelyn said, rubbing his arm. “He is… welcome here but what kind of life is this?”
“You are right.” Ned said, sadly. “There have been plenty of bastards who have become knights in their own right.”
“I… must ask you not to ask Robert to give him your name.” She said, while most of her… antagonism towards the boy himself faded, this one fact is still true. “You trust the boy. The children trust him as well. I am… trying, but if he has your name and decides to have children can we trust them? Or can we trust the mother he chooses to have them with?”
“I understand. I would have never asked you for that.” Eddard answered honestly. She was correct and it would look too conspicuous to give him the Stark name while he still had numerous trueborn children. “Maybe a household knight in the future or maybe he will impress Robert and become a member of his Kingsguard. Although I always wished for Moat Cailin to be rebuilt.”
“He can start a cadet house possibly?” Catelyn said, this way any children of his own would be given their own inheritance and they would not look towards her own grandchildren’s.
Eddard laughed, “Yes, maybe. How about the Redstark’s?”
Catelyn smiled at the fact he was laughing at his own joke. “You are not as funny as you think you are husband mine.” She chirped as the children started to realize they were there. “It does truly roll off the tongue though does it not?” she added causing him to laugh again.
“I do not think our Bolton neighbors would appreciate that. Although, we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it.” He smiled and Catelyn sighed at how he actually looked his age when he was not so grim. Ever since he told her the full truth about the Tower of Joy it was as if a load came off his stoic husband’s shoulders. “However, My Lady, I am surprised. We can always give him a holdfast, and give Bran or Baby Rickon Moat Cailin?” He punctuated this by rubbing her belly.
“We cannot give Moat Cailin to Bran until Robb gets an heir, and I doubt that we will end up giving Baby Minisa such an important foothold in the North.” She replied cheekily. Honestly, she did not care whether the child was a girl or a boy, but she enjoyed teasing her husband about it. Then as an ironic echo she added “As for what will do with their futures… We can cross that bridge when we come to it.”
“There is something else we should speak of My Lady.” Ned said, his face darkening and Catelyn did not like the look of that. “I think once she turns eight, we should send Arya to foster with the Mormont’s.”
A terror seized her, but she calmed it down. Bear Island was known for its warrior women as well as, and due to, the Iron born attacks. Her husband wanted to send Arya there?
“I know what you are going to say.” Ned said, before she could voice her objections. “I agree, she needs to learn how to be a lady. However, the Septa is not making any headway in teaching Arya her studies, depending on Sansa keeping her sister in check. That will only cause tension in their relationship that can be avoided. However, if anyone could get her to learn her lady like curtsies it will be Maege Mormont.”
“I understand Ned but still…” Catelyn said, she held nothing against the women of Bear Island however it was hard to imagine them as ladies sometimes.
Seeing the look on her face he chuckled, “The women of Bear Island are formidable yes but they know their duties just as well as any southern lady. I would like to see someone imply otherwise. This is what she needs. I have seen what happens when the Wolf’s blood is repressed.” He looked at Jon, “It does not end well for anyone. Maybe this way we can all get what we want.”
~~~
Jon was curious. In all of his eleven years he had never been called to his father’s solar alone. Every other time he had Robb or his other siblings with him. Lord Stark always made sure to include him when he was giving leading lessons to Robb. They did not get those lessons from him directly regularly but when they did Jon went out of his way to treasure them.
Jon had a thought hit him. What if he called him here to speak about his mother? He had asked, every year near his name day, about her yet got nothing in response. He understood that his existence was a blight on his father’s honor, but he thought that he could at least get a little information on her. Did he not deserve that at the very least?
Feeling energized at the thought that he might be receiving knowledge about his mother Jon started to run up the steps that led to his father’s solar. The last fortnight or so he had not the freedom to move about willingly and he could feel it. He expended what seemed to be all of his energy during his spar with Theon and Robb this morning, he barely won. Now he could not even make it up a set of stairs without hunching over onto his knees. Damn the pox!
“Jon?” A voice said, as arms grabbed his shoulders. Despite himself Jon could not help but to jump. “Are you alright?”
“Y- Yes, Lady Stark.” He said, eyes widening at the woman married to his father. Ever since he got sick she had been almost eerily nice to him. He was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. “I- I am fine.”
“You need to be careful.” Catelyn admonished him. “The Maester said that it would take a few weeks to get your stamina back. You do not want to end back up in the medical wing so soon.”
Jon was not proud of it but he just stared at her in shock. He could not believe she was actually speaking to him directly. If he is not mistaken, he believes that this is the most she has ever said to him in his entire life. In the past he was never able to even look at her without her scaring him off.
“Let us go.” Catelyn sighed at his reaction while gathering up her skirts. “Your Lord Father is waiting for us.”
Jon’s heart sank. If she were to be in this meeting, there was only one reason behind it. He was being sent away. It was no secret that Lady Catelyn wanted him gone since she stepped foot in Winterfell. All the children had heard the arguments. Now that he had been sick and could have infected her other children she got all the evidence she needed for his father to send him away from his home. Maybe to one of his Bannermen or maybe he will join Uncle Benjen up at the wall…
“Jon?” His father’s voice interrupted his spiraling train of thoughts. “Jon, are you listening to me?”
“I- I am sorry father.” Jon said as he realized he must have let his mind wonder.
“Lord Yohn Royce shall be here in a few days. If you would like, I will ask him if he would be willing to have you squire under him.” His father said, and he seemed so far while he was behind his desk. “He is an excellent fighter and a celebrated tourney knight but more importantly he is a good man. I believe you will be able to learn a lot from him.”
Jon felt a jolt of panic go through him. Sure, his father and Catelyn were offering to have him squired but it was clear that it was a way to get rid of him. He knew that his father had stopped her attempts to get her sent away but he guessed that she had finally wittled him down.
“I… Uh…” Jon said, hesitating.
“Jon.” Catelyn said, grabbing Jon’s attention. It has been nearly eleven years and he thinks she has said his name more in the last sennight than she did in the last decade. “I… You are welcome here. You do not have to go if you do not want to. I swear it on the Old gods and the New. However, it is what is best for you. You need to be thinking about your future. If you become a knight this allows you to set up that future independent of your family.”
“And he may always say no.” His father said, letting him know not to get his hopes up. “He may be a good friend, but he is under no obligation to accept.”
Jon looked down at his feet as his debated his options. He had heard of Bronze Yohn Royce and acting as a squire to him would be a boon. Everything his father said about him was well known and in addition he was one of the top commanders during Robert’s Rebellion. The only downside was that he spends much of his time split between King’s Landing and the Vale, so he would not be near his siblings often, nor his father. Even Lady Catelyn who seemed to be warming up to him. But she was right. He could not stay in Winterfell forever.
He could make a name for himself. A knight of well renown. He knew how good he was with a sword already and someone with Bronze Yohn’s skill could refine his own skills to the degree of the Dragonknight or Arthur Dayne. Finally he repressed a sigh and asked, “…When does Lord Royce get here?”
Five Years later
“Mother, mother, mother!”
Catelyn looked up from the letter from the Grand Maester and the letter from Jon she just received as Bran skipped into the room.
“Dear Seven!” Catelyn said, jumping up. “Bran what is that!”
“It’s a Direwolf!” Bran said, excitedly. “We found six of them! One for all of us! Four boys, two girls!”
“Six?” She said, incredulously. She knew that the Direwolf was the sigil of the house, but these things were ferocious beasts. They could hurt the children!
“But Mother guess what?” he said, tugging her arm, “Guess what, guess what, guess what?”
“What Bran?” She said, sighing as he led them to his siblings.
“Robb received a Soul-mark!” He said, grinning and a smile appeared on Catelyn’s face.
Soul-marks were extremely rare. She in all her life had only ever seen one and that was only after one of the partners had died and the mark had mostly faded away. But now her son had one? This was beyond a miracle.
“He did, did he?” She said, cocking an eyebrow. “Although I must admit I am upset. Why did he not tell this to me?”
“He…” Bran said, as he realized he may have overstepped his bounds. “He’s giving the girls and Rickon their pups.”
“Did he know that you were going to tell me?” Catelyn said, annoyed that they happened to find the pups the fortnight that Arya happened to be back in Winterfell with Maege. That one was the child she would need to watch out for when they got their wolf pup. Then again if the pup was on Bear Island it was one less she would have to deal with in Winterfell.
“No, mother…” Bran sighed dejectedly. Catelyn sighed as well.
“Very well. Bring me to them….”
As the neared the kitchen, Catelyn and Bran heard various cries of pain from her daughters and she started running. Both of her daughters were gripping their own wristed in pain, Arya her left and Sansa her right, and Rickon was forcing himself as far away from Robb as possible. Robb himself was holding the three pups, one in each hand and the other on his knee as he struggled to stay upright. “What happened?” Catelyn asked.
“As soon as they touched the pups, they felt pain! Nearly dropped the pups!” Robb explained, as he handed a pup to Catelyn. Her eyes narrowed as the one with golden eyes yawned and showed no teeth. How did it hurt the girls?
“Like what you felt?” Bran asked, and Robb nodded and subconsciously looked at his wrist. Catelyn looked to see the marking of a weirwood leaf colored purple on his wrist. She realized what must’ve happened and quickly turned to her girls.
“Girls your wrists!” She said, grabbing for them and there she saw that they too had Soul-marks.
“Mother…” Sansa said, apprehensively. “Are these?”
“Soul-marks.” Catelyn said, nodding. Sansa looked ecstatic, while Arya frowned.
“I don’t wanna marry some stupid boy no matter what my wrist says!” She declared.
Sansa sighed, rolling her eyes. “You won’t have a choice! This is a message from the gods! They found the…”
“Hmmph!” Arya said, and right before they could start arguing Catelyn interrupted. The distance did not help the girls get along whatsoever as everyone else in the Household quickly came to learn.
“Girls!” Catelyn warned as she knelt in front of them.
She looked at them more closely to get more details about her future good sons. Sansa’s was pretty straight forward; it was a blue winter rose with a broken stem. She did not know who it was, but all things considered it was likely that they would find out in a few days as they were most likely northern. The North is the only place that can grow Winter Roses, and Soul-marks were required to be reported to the mark’s liege lords immediately. Catelyn could not say she wasn’t disappointed. She so wanted her daughter marrying south and she knew that Sansa wanted that as well.
It was her other two children marks were more worrisome. She had no idea what Robb’s could possibly be connected too. Robb’s weirwood leaf was obviously representing him but why purple? No one else of the North had purple in their sigils that she could remember and Soul-marks usually came from the same region as those marked. Maybe his soulmate came from the south instead of Sansa’s?
And of course, Arya’s was the one that would give her the biggest headache. Her little problem child… It barely looked like a Soul-mark! Just what seemed to be a group of dots that together looked like a Direwolf running. Gods, what if she has a southern soulmate? Arya was not much of what southerners thought of as a proper lady. How would Sansa react if Arya got a southern soulmate while she had a northern? She did not know, and she doubted anyone else in Winterfell wanted to find out either.
“Rickon, sweetling…” She said looking at her terrified little boy as the black Direwolf pup crawled on the floor in front of him. “Did you receive one as well?”
“No!” Rickon near shouted in panic.
“He didn’t touch the wolf.” Arya huffed crossing her arms.
“What?”
“We all received our marks as soon as we touched the Direwolves, mother.” Robb explained, and Rickon let out a terrified screech as the pup got closer to him.
Catelyn pulled her youngest little wolf into her lap. She whispered in her ear “Mama’s here Rickon. I need you to be brave, like your father.”
Her little boy looked at her terrified as he held out a shaky hand. Catelyn murmured sweet assurances as the pup finally licked his palm. Rickon yelped and yanked his arm into his chest, before giggling and pulling the pup to him.
“Gentle! Rickon, gentle!” his older sibling sounded, horrified expressions upon their faces at his rough handling of the pup.
As her youngest cooed at the pup, Catelyn twisted his wrist out gently to look at the new mark. Oh! Well his match couldn’t be better!