'The late Lord Rickon Stark. The late Lord Rickon Stark,' That part kept ringing in my head as Cregan and Uncle Bennard walked down the path to the throne, my breathing unsteady as I forced myself to calm down.
Did I mishear that? Did he perhaps mean the name of someone else? Does 'late' just mean sick in this world and Uncle Bennard is filling in for him?
Maybe I'm just hearing things, but no matter how many times I tried to twist the words in my mind, I frowned as the truth continued to rear its head time and time again.
'My father is dead. I thought I wouldn't have felt anything for my old family since I first woke up, but...I guess the feelings of love that Torrhen had for his family is still there.'
"Your Grace, I apologise that we took so long to answer the message, but the passing of my brother delayed us," Uncle Bennard spoke and I frowned slightly as I heard the slight tremor in his voice.
Glancing at Cregan, I frowned at the shift in his demeanour as his usual stoic look was replaced by a stone cold gaze, his demeanour matching that of Father's when the man was being the Lord of Winterfell.
"There is no need to apologize for mourning your brother, Lord Regent. May I ask how he passed?"
"The flu, your Grace. It affected both Lord and Lady of Winterfell and unfortunately, despite the Maester's help, they did not survive," Uncle Bennard spoke with a bow, to which Viserys grimaced while I stayed quiet as I watched Cregan clenching his jaw.
"This is not a happy day. Lord Rickon was a good man and the realm grieves his passing. May the old gods and the new grant you strength in the times to come."
"Thank you, your Grace, but it is a Stark's duty to stand strong even in grief," Cregan spoke up with a bow, his sharp yet firm tone surprising me before he rose as Viserys smiled.
"Indeed, it is. In any case, I am pleased that you answered my call to court in your time of mourning, but I fear that what we wish to discuss is meant to be discussed in private. Instead, my daughter and her betrothed will show Cregan around the castle while you and I discuss the matters at hand."
"As you wish, your Grace," Uncle Bennard spoke with a slight smile and a bow of his head, Cregan bowing with the man before I stepped forward and let Helaena take my hand.
Without saying anything, I simply placed a hand on his shoulder in a firm grip and took it off, feeling him relax for a brief moment as he turned and followed after us.
Both Helaena and I ignored the whispers of the crowd while Cregan didn't care for them, the two of us guiding him through the long corridors of the Red Keep until we walked out into the sun shining down upon the heart tree in the centre of the keep's godswood.
Even as he tried his best not to show any discomfort, I smiled as I saw the slight droplets of sweat on his face, knowing just how the summer sun of the south felt while in the thick coats of the North.
"I'll see if we can find you better clothing later," I spoke with a smile as we walked under the heart tree to sit in his shade, Helaena sitting down while Cregan nodded.
"I appreciate it. I assume they are your guards while you are here?", He asked while looking at Erryk and Arryk standing just a few paces away, to which I shook my head while Helaena answered.
"No, they guard over me on the orders of my father and mother. They do not trust Torrhen yet, but he is slowly winning over their favour."
"And here I thought your charm would have been enough to convince them of your innocence by the time that I next see you," Cregan spoke and I chuckled before surprising him as I reached forward and pulled him into a hug.
"It's good to see you, brother."
"...It's good to see you too, brother," he murmured as he hugged me back, holding on for a few seconds longer before letting go and patting my shoulders with a grin.
"Look at you. Still as scrawny as you were before," Cregan said with a crooked smile, to which I snorted and shoved him lightly.
"I'll have you know that I've been training quite intensely in the yard every morning."
"Is that the truth?"
"Of course not. I just lazed away and read my books," I said with a scoff, a soft chuckle escaping his lips before he turned his gaze to Helaena and bowed his head.
"Apologies for not greeting you earlier, Princess. I am-"
"Cregan Stark, Heir to House Stark of Winterfell and the older twin brother to Torrhen here. You know, Arryk and Erryk look alike and yet, you two do not look the same."
"Well, I have always been the handsome one and Torrhen the little one so it would be harsh for one to expect him to be as good-looking as I am."
"We're 13 years old. Why is your ego this big?"
"Because one of us has to carry the Stark pride while the other hides behind his books and magic."
"Okay, and who's the one who keeps losing at cyvasse?"
"That's because you're inventing new rules everyday."
"No, I'm just reminding you of the rules that are already established. It's not my fault that you can't follow them."
"I take back what I said. You two are definitely the same," Helaena spoke up and we looked at her before I smiled at her giggles, glancing over at the twin Kingsguard knights who just gave knowing looks to each other.
"Do they remind you of someone, brother?"
"Oh, they do indeed," Arryk responded and I subtly rolled my eyes and placed my hands behind my back while Cregan crossed his arms with a smirk.
"Do you two always bicker like this?"
"If it's not about which one is more handsome or smarter, it's about who's better with swords, spears, books or simply in general," I said, Cregan nodding in agreement as Helaena hummed before I noticed the solemn look appearing in his eyes once again.
"Did they suffer?", I asked, Cregan looking at me before he smiled softly and shook his head.
"No, Maester Arwin gave them a tonic and they passed in their sleep."
"That's good. What of Uncle Bennard? I assume that he didn't like having to become Lord of Winterfell."
"Surprisingly, not in the slightest. He fits well into the role and handles it quite well. Sure, he does not have the same grace and skill that Father had, but Winterfell is in good hands until I need to take charge when I come of age."
'That's not what I remember,' I thought with a grimace hidden behind my smile, remembering from the few notes in the ASOIAF books that spoke of Cregan having to confine Uncle Bennard and his sons to their rooms when the man didn't want to give leadership over.
'Let's hope it's not the same case in this universe, too. Who knows? Maybe our conversation when he escorted me to the south may have changed his mind.'
"What of you? Last I heard, you had taken a knife to the lung and was hanging onto your life by a thread," Cregan's voice pulled me from my thoughts and I looked at my twin to see him looking at me with a slight frown.
"That was the case, yes, but thankfully, the old gods and the new had given me another chance to become a better person than I already am."
"Good, I was dreading coming to the south and finding you being gone along with mother and father, but thankfully, it appears that is not the case."
"If i had went, who would be here to curb your pride and keep your arrogance in check?", I spoke with a smirk, to which he chuckled before Helaena spoke up with a smile.
"The spirits rejoice at the lone wolf finally being with his pack."
"Does she have magic?"
"No, she simply likes to speak in cryptic messages instead of speaking clearly."
"Simply because the spirits dance to my song does not mean that I will change it so that others will do the same."
"And I do not mind your songs. They are as complex as they are mesmerizing."
"She is definitely a good fit to you," Cregan spoke with a smirk, to which I chuckled as he leaned against the heart tree and I watched its presence slowly wrapping around his form.
"Perhaps, but I think she's the better of us two."
"Indeed she is. May I ask that you keep an eye on my brother when possible, Princess? He may seem smart and wise, but there are times where I wonder otherwise."
"Torrhen is a soul that is unbounded by the threads that plague everyone else, but perhaps that is also why he attracts the problems of the world. I will do my best to keep him from making mistakes that will cost him dearly."
"...I want to deny that statement, but at the same time, I also believe you," I murmured, Cregan chuckling as he patted my shoulder with a smile.
"Uncle Bennard will most likely want to talk to you later. For now, I think I'm going to find a bite to eat. Is there any place nearby?"
"Come, we will show you," Helaena spoke as she stood up and I chuckled as she interlocked her arm with mine before Cregan followed beside us with a smirk.
"Is this your way of flaunting your betrothal in my face?"
"If you want, we could ask Uncle Bennard if he can't find you a betrothal partner."
"No, because then I'd have every young girl in the North after the title of Lady Stark. At least with you, you're rising up in the ranks of our society."
'Right, I keep forgetting that it's kill or be killed in this world when it comes to political power.'
"Oh, forgot about that part. Well, then I'll leave the choice of the future Lady Stark to you," I spoke with a smile, to which he rolled his eyes as Helaena and I led him to the kitchen.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"It's good to see you, Torrhen," Uncle Bennard spoke with a smile as he hugged me and I hugged him back with a soft chuckle as the man patted my back.
"Good to see you too, Uncle. Last we spoke, you were going back north and leaving me to get married off in Harrenhal," I spoke with a grin and he chuckled at my words as Cregan sat in a chair beside us.
"Indeed that is. I also vaguely remember you talking about how you're going to be enjoying your time in the south, but I think the letter we received said otherwise."
"Right, that was just my Stark honour wanting me to save someone and then paying the price for making that choice."
"Oh, I'm not reprimanding you for it. By the gods above, I would have done the same thing, but I must ask that you consider all options next time something like this happens before jumping in front of the knife."
"I most definitely will. Being forced to lie in a bed for three weeks was enough for me to not want to go through that again," I spoke with a smirk as I sat down next to Cregan, Uncle Bennard nodding as he walked around and sat in the chair behind the desk.
"Well, other than my sons, we are the only ones with Stark blood left in Winterfell. It is our duty to make sure that the family doesn't die out with us."
'Yeah, I already know where this is going.'
"Therefore, Cregan, I am going to give you the chance-"
"I know. A list of matches to choose the next Lady of Winterfell from, yes?"
"No. If you are to get married now and something happens to you, your wife would become the Lady of Winterfell with her father becoming the Lord Regent," Uncle Bennard spoke with a shake of his head, to which I nodded in agreement as Cregan blinked in surprise.
"So...you are not marrying me off for a few years to have more years as Lord Stark?"
"Hahaha! No Like I told Torrhen when I first brought him here, being the Lord of Winterfell was a dream I wanted until I grew up and now I don't truly care for being lord. However, since I am the oldest Stark left that is a relative to your father, I must unfortunately take lead.
Also, Lord Bolton has nothing but praise about your presence in the Dreadfort and I do wish for you to stay a bit longer to learn more from him on how to be a lord and to forge a better relationship between House Stark and House Bolton."
"Oh. I half-expected you to marry me off, but thank you, Uncle. I'll continue to do what I've been doing," Cregan spoke with a smile and Uncle Bennard nodded before I straightened as the man looked to me.
"As for you, no more jumping in front of knives. My heart can't take that kind of news anymore. Secondly, I've seen how much the members of House Targaryen and his Grace the King have come to like your presence. Therefore, I will follow your father's wishes and keep the marriage betrothal in place."
"I don't think you can break it considering how the king specifically wanted it. That and it would look bad for House Stark to break an agreement, even if we had the perfect reason to do so," I spoke with a smirk and he shook his head as Cregan snickered at my words.
"Of course. Finally, I want you to be careful of the South. A Stark in the South has been a death sentence for most Starks that come here so I want you to do what you can to survive."
"Does that mean you give me permission to take out any enemy that attack me first?"
"Yes. As your father and every Lord of House Stark before him liked to say, 'Winter is coming. When it does, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.' Do what you can to ensure that you come back to the pack and survive with us. That is your order not from me as your uncle, but as the lord of House Stark and Warden of the North. Am I understood?"
"Clearly. With that said, I am already doing what I can to make sure that no one can break up the pack."
"What does that mean?", Uncle Bennard asked with narrowed eyes and a smirk, to which I just smiled and shrugged.
"You'll see what I mean. Now, how long are you two here? Perhaps we can go train like we used to?"
"I would not mind winning a few sparring rounds," Cregan spoke with a smirk and I scoffed as Uncle Bennard raised an eyebrow.
"I cannot remember a single time where I lost against you."
"There is a first time for everything."
"Ooh~ I would not mind seeing Cregan get his behind handed to him," I spoke with a smirk, to which Uncle Bennard smirked as Cregan narrowed his eyes at me.
"Just for that, you're fighting with me too."
"I agree or otherwise, it would not be as entertaining."
"...I hate you both."
A/N: A bit of a cutesy get-together chapter with no planning, just calmness.
Because next chapter, we're heading into chaos.
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Ba-Bye~!