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The night Catelyn Stark gave birth for the second time she thought, for sure, she was dying. This time without a doubt she was dying. Her firstborn, Robb hadn't been easy either, but how could this pain last so long? Pain in her bones and cold in her skin... too cold a night to properly breathe.The sweat of her efforts only made it worse and she could not stop shivering and panting for painful breaths of frigid air. The weather had been getting worse through the past week. Summer snows came more and more often and the room, usually warm between the heated walls of Winterfell, felt like it would start to frost at any moment.They were all near the fire and surrounded by furs, and the Measter and the attendants didn’t seem to mind the weather. Perhaps she was just too tired.“One last push my lady” she heard the voice of Maester Luwin suddenly beside her.She pushed so hard she passed out. She couldn’t have been out for more than a minute. Or so she hopped but Ned was standing there when she opened her eyes again after all morning and afternoon in labor her baby was finally bundled in soft blankets and warm in Ned's arms, but quiet... Had it been the silence that woke her up? Her Lord Husband was a grim terrifying sight with his face tight and his shoulders slumped. She shivered.__________________Eddard Stark had been waiting outside with a worried, guarded expression. Eyebrows furrowed and arms crossed as he stood guard outside his own chambers. His sons were there too but sleep had taken them both. Someone had come to take them to bed hours ago but they’d returned and hidden beneath a long chair nearby, whispering as if their father could not see them clear as day, they'd fallen asleep on the floor.Eddard let them. They too, were waiting for their new sibling. He could wake them when Maester Luwin opened the doors, hopefully soon. It had been too long and every minute he worried more. One late night would do them no harm, he thought and wrapped them with his cape. Fur covered them and they moved closer to each other like cubs.When Maester Luwin finally opened the door his expression told lord Stark his worries were not unfounded. He entered the room and without delay, one of the mids assisting with the birth put a baby in his arms.“She is too weak, my lord, we thought she was… she is breathing but won't last the night.” Maester Luwin informed him, and he could see he was right. His daughter looked pale and dead, nothing like her brother had been, a rosy bundle whimpering softly in his cradle, or any other newborn he had seen before.Tears gathered in his eyes, and the air was suddenly too thick to properly breathe.
“Ned” his wife called and he froze his tears before they fell, she would need him now. He took the baby to the bed and put her in Catelyn’s outstretched arms, maester Luwin was saying the same words to her, she won't last the night. He could not bear to hear more, sadness was a numbing cold in his ears, in his mind.He looked at Catelyn, sweat on her face, ragged hair and so exhausted… The tired happiness that should be on her face, making her look exultant and beautiful like the first time with Robb, nowhere to be seen.He looked then at his newborn, so still, so quiet, and kissed his daughter's forehead. It was cold to the touch like a corpse... but she scrunched her little mouth, the first movement he'd seen her make, then it opened and a strong wailing started.The baby cried and suddenly the night was full of voices, inhuman ones. The howling was terrible and loud, impossibly near, so near it was as if wolves were inside the castle. At the strong noise one of the maids, went pale and gasped walking herself into a corner as far from Catelyn and the baby as she could.Maester Luwin, always calm, put himself together after a first startled sound and went to take the take the child from her mothers arms, a second assesment was needed, but he looked around while walking as if the walls could tell him the reason for this strange phenomenon.“Ned the wolves, why are they here, Ned? make them go away” A chill ran visibly through his wife, afraid for her baby and delirius with exertion.
“It's all right, Cat, they are outside.” And it was a beautiful sound the choir that steered his daughter much-needed cry.As suddenly as it began the howling stopped and there was only a baby crying. Catelyn was exhausted and shocked, she tried to feed her daughter with help of Maester Lewin but his daughter was marvelously loud and didn't appear to be willing to feed, still there was colour in her cheeks. Maester Luwin took her again and her wailing decreased a little, he was trying to take her pulse one more time.“It seems my lord that your daughter is stronger than it appeared, her heart is steady. She may yet survive.”Eddard had always loved the sound of the howling pack. It was calling home gathering the family he thought as his children's little heads appeared at the door looking for their new sister.__________________Her daughters were as different as they could get, Catelyn thought. Sansa the proper lady always polite and quick to please and with all her own Tully countenance. Nadja was polite too, but she didn't care to please and she was not exactly a proper lady.Not that Catelyn was lax in her education, not at all. As the oldest Stark girl she needed to be educated in all the arts of a true highborn for when she’d marry, and she was. Just like Sansa, she knew all the proper words and greetings and bows, they knew how to administer a household, and at least a bit of poetry, music, and dancing.But she didn't speak platitudes as often as Sansa, did not dance as often as Sansa, and her lessons were much less interesting to her than the books in healing of Maester Luwin, she would do embroidery for five minutes before seeking the library, and she would spend hours in those dark gloomy halls, her sister pleads for company unlikely to sway her away from the old pages.
Her main problem, however, was a mind too inquisitive that would often ask improper questions and speak too freely. Fortunately, the one thing that Nadja had inherited from Catelyn —if perhaps the only one for her looks were completely Stark— was the sense of practicality. She knew it was easier to get time at the library after finishing her duties than be banned from entering if the Septa caught her skipping.Catelyn wasn't too worried about her, she was not willful or irresponsible only a bit odd for a lady but in the north that may still find a good home. Her real concern was her Arya, so unruly and wild and unwilling to put on a facade for the benefit of anyone. Too honest with herself and all the others.But as she sees Arya run away from Bran after hitting the mark instead of him at her brother's training, mocking him in front of everyone, proving herself as good a marksman as her brother and Nadja and the oldest two, all laughing together, she thinks that these two daughters are northern girls in and out, Direwolves of Winterfell and her southern manners maybe would never suit them as they do Sansa.She hopes a good northern lord would be accepting of their wild and odd sides. And if not… well they were the daughters of Lord Eddard Stark Warden of the North. Marriage would not save the man who mistreated his daughters.But Catelyn hopes for a happy life for her children. She knows about the Bear Island of the Mormonts, where women are warriors. And although one day she may have tought about it as scandalous and uncivilized, looking at Arya she is glad now that her child was born a Stark. In these strange lands, they all may scold her for her mischief, but no one will mistreat her for being just what she is, Arya Underfoot, the little She-Wolf of Winterfell.She is glad, but will not tell that to Arya, she knows she will never win this battle with her daughter, and truly, she does not wish to. But Catelyn still will try to put into her head all the good manners she can manage.She glances beneath, at Nadja talking with Jon Snow, happy and enthusiastic about something. She can't help how her face hardens at the sight, and as if alerted by some unatural sing, Nadja is taking him away from her gaze. She was always her siblings', since that first night when the wolves answered to her crying and Nadja would not feed or stop crying until her brothers were carrying her in their little arms. Catelyn always had the irrational fear that one day the pack would take her baby away.____________________
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“Can I go too, Father?” Was asking Nadja as they readied the horses.“That's not a sight for a lady Nan, stay with your sisters” she frowned but didn't reply, and Ned was tempted to ask for someone to watch her.Nan was not sweet and obedient like his Sansa but she would often choose to bargain and plead with him rather than outright disobedience unless she was not interested enough in which case she would let it go. But there were also those rare occasions on which she would become stubborn and if she saw no hope in convincing her father she would stop her pleading and quietly do as she pleased.Lord Eddard was always at a loss as to which was the case. Her bright eyes were twinkling gray and blue but was it mischief or supplication he could not tell. Fortunately, his sons were not confused at all.“She will follow us” Robb informed him when they were passing the gates.“Without a doubt” confirmed Jon.He let out a sigh and asked Jory to watch the rear for Nan.“Yes, my lord,” said Jory with only the barest hint of amusement.Jory did stop Nadja in her tracks when they reached the location. Keeping her on her mount far enough that she could see the distant figures of the men gathered around a stump place for the execution. The man who was about to receive the justice of the king looked very small from where she was.She sulked and waited for it to be over.“I'm older than Bran, and I know what it looks like already” she complained“Then you should have no need to be here, my lady” replied Jory“It's not the same thing looking in the drawings than looking at the real thing”“You shouldn't even be looking at drawings. Didn't your lady mother forbid it?”“Is not like I can unsee them now” she said “and Maester Luwin said that they are important knowledge for saving people's lives”“Knowledge that a lady don’t need. The healing arts are good and all but you should stick to herbs and ointments like Lady Stark said.”“I’m learning that too,” she whined.“Why do you even need to learn about a head anyway? a wound there and you are done for.”“Not always! There was this warrior in one of Maester Luwin's books that had a spear gone through and he lived!”"You jest, little lady" Jory accused her"I don't! Ask Maester Lewin, the warrior was alive for a month before the infection killed him.""See this kind of talk is why your Lady mother forbids you from learning.""You are a warrior, Jory, you can't be bothered by — Oh, look, they are done."
Jory finally let go of her rains and she spurred her horse to her father and brothers. She was near enough to hear Theon's laugh when the head rode off to his feet and she watched him kick it. Nan felt a sudden sense of unease and then her father's grey eyes heavy upon her. He was now near enough that she could notice the grim cast of his eyes and felt her cheeks flush hot with shame. Bran looked a little pale and both his older brothers were uncharacteristically solemn. The fallen man didn't look all that interesting after all. Nan felt childish and let Rob guide her horse, River, alongside his and away from the place where the snow was a brilliant red.
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On the way back, to break the solemn silence that seemed to be haunting Bran, she told her brothers about the dead stag she'd seen.“You really should stop talking about corpses Nan, or you’ll never get married” Said Rob mockingly.“No, no, this one was weird, gutted but not eaten, why wouldn't it be eaten? It was very big too.”That picked their interest. "Perhaps it was ill, animals can tell that sort of thing" Jon suggested.
She told them where she'd seen it and they rode ahead losing themselves in the whites and greens of the forest. She stayed back, her little brother’s pony could not keep up and her father didn't seem very happy with her, he would surely scold her when they arrived home, in the meantime she would try not to get in any more trouble and listened while her father talked to Bran.
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“Do you understand why I did it?”“He was a wilding” said Bran “They carry off women and sell them to the Others” their Lord father smiled“Old Nan has been telling you stories again” he looked at Nadja then“He was a brother from the Watch?” she tried “All black clothes” her father nodded“No man is more dangerous than an oathbreaker, but you both mistake me. The question wasn’t why the man had to die but why I must do it”“King Robert has a headsman” said Bran voicing their confusion.“He does, as did the Targaryen, yet our way is the older way we hold to the belief that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword, if you would take a man's life you own it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.” the siblings went quiet savoring the words.From all his children Eddard knew that these two were the clever ones. Not that the others weren’t smart but none like Bran and Nan would learn a lesson and use it at their convenience. Bran would be an outstanding Lord one day, wise and fair for he was born with a gentle disposition. And he could only hope Nan would marry someone willing to listen to a woman's advice.
Many years back she had asked him about her future marriage, it was during the harvest feast and she had approached with childish concern on her face. The guests' merry eyes upon her in poorly concealed amusement.
“Father, can I choose who to marry?” Eddard answered cautiously, he would try not to lie even to her six year old child, even in the middle of a celebration, he knew children had longer memories than they were credited for.
“Within reason, you will have a say. I will not force you into a marriage with someone you truly dislike, but you are a daughter of Winterfell and you have a duty to your house.” She mulled this over a few long seconds, thoughtful even in her infancy.“Alright," she declared "but I want it to be a northern house” Eddard smiled at this and his guests' thunderous laughter told him they were still listening.
“You want to marry a Northman? Why not a Southerner?” she scrunched her nose in apparent distaste.“I don't like them, Father! I hear it at the party, they have strange manners and don’t seem valiant at all like in the songs.”“Your mother is from the south”“I know but mother doesnt’ count. Lady Mormont said she was as tough as any northerner.” she announced proudly “And then she was telling me about her cousin that married a lord from highgarden and how they would not let her wear any armour, or practice fencing, or hunting without a bird, and its so hot she can’t stand outside a shade without her skin burning red and she is miserable” Ned and the rest of the hall were laughing by the end of her speech much to her outrage.“Father!” she wined.
“Yes, yes. Promise me to find an honorable, loyal man and you can marry however you want to marry, Nan” She beamed at him and kissed his cheek before running off."Now, that's a dangerous promise to make, my lord," Lady Mormont said "I almost feel guilty, in a few years she will be bringing to you any no-name boy and declaring him an honorable man.""Nonesense, an honorable man is a man from a noble house of the North, the girl is wise beyond her years" Lord Karstark joked. No doubt already counting his sons among those honorable men that would be able to marry into his house. Rickard Karstark had a temper but he was a good man, Ned didn't know his sons well enough, he should make a point of greeting them later, even if he thought them all too old for any of his daughters. It was too early to be thinking about such things anyway.
Later that day Sansa and Arya were running at him demanding the same conditions that Nadja had. He gave his word knowing what an extraordinarily bad idea that was. But then again an honorable man was a rare sight to find.
Nadja would soon be a woman, and no talk about marriage had been brought again but for that strange afternoon in the godswood when she was nine. That day she told him she wanted to marry Jojen but Jojen said it wasn't possible. At first, Lord Eddard had thought Jojen was one of the children she used to play with but that wasn’t a name he had heard in Winterfell before.“Who is Jojen Nan?”“Jojen Reed, of course, he is nice and from a noble family like you wanted, but he said we couldn't because he would die too young. But he is not sick anymore. Why would he say that father?”Lord Eddard didn’t know how to respond to that, Howland Reed heir was indeed a child about Nadja’s age and his name could very well be Jojen Reed but there had been no communication with his old friend since the news of his birth was delivered, and he never talked about him.“When did he say that Nan?”“Last night” Nadja had been feverish the last three nights without apparent reason and sleeping almost all day long until that morning when she appeared completely recovered. All this talk must have been her daughter's fever dreams. But Eddard Stark knew his daughter and the little odd things she sometimes knew. He wrote a letter to his old friend asking for his health and that of his family, and the replay some weeks later informed his son Jojen had been gravely ill for many days but was now recovering his health.Nadja was now thirteen and no more talk of Jojen had happened but the memory still made him uneasy. Too often his daughter appeared to know things she shouldn’t. Strange fitful dreams she sometimes mentioned, the greensight Old Nan said and then said no more when Cat had heard about it.
He watched her turn to him her eyes of ice and snow, asking without words to catch up to her older brothers ahead. He gestured to Bran with his head."Come, Bran, let us find our brothers," she said and kept her horse at pace with Bran's trotting pony.They were barely out of sight when Jon's horse came out of the trees to meet them, an arm waving for the whole party to gather. Jory waited for his assent and they all guided their horses to the path his children made.
Mere minutes later, they found not the dead deer Nan had mentioned but the enormous corpse of a Direwolf.
Some way ahead Robb and Nan were standing together cradling something in their arms, Jon helping Bran to hurry down from his mount to join them.
"It's a freak," Theon said.
Jon put one of the cubs in Bran's arms who passed from shocked at the size of the dead mother, to delighted at the soft and small pup. Nan scurried a bit further gathering the rest of the litter with Jon's help.
It was barely a fight before Ned gave in and allowed them to keep the pups when
John renounced his right to a pup. Jon and Nan both, constant reminders of people long lost, sometimes painfully so and on those times Eddard Stark found it difficult to deny them anything.
They were already moving on when Jon pulled away and Nan followed suit.“Can you hear it?” he asked, she shook her head she was already mounted again, Rob was helping her to carefully fasten her black pup to her chest with her coat so she could carry another.
"Hear what?" Bran asked, a pup in each arm.
Jon walked away only to come up a second later with a white-furred, red-eyed cub. A direwolf for each one of the Ned's children. It was a good thing that he wasn't given to superstition or he may have worried about the antler buried deep into the dead mother.
__________________The visit of the king was a noisy business, everybody had something to arrange before the arrival. The queen and her family were traveling too and it was all Sansa could talk about. Arya was excited too, she wanted to see all the knights. Nadja had been excited at first too, with all the comings and goings until it didn't stop for days and she hid herself in the godswood or the library to escape the constant noise and movement.Of course she was also curious about the visitors, the king was a friend of her father, a great warrior they said, the queen was rumored to be a great beauty and her brothers stirred all kinds of rumors from the servants.She listened and asked about it. Asking her mother had not been a great idea, she reprimanded her for saying scandalous things about her future guests, so she decided not to ask father since he did not like gossip to begin with, and went directly to Maester Luwin who was her main source of answers anyway.“Why does everybody call him the imp? Is it true that the king is as good a warrior as father? why do the Southerners have so many knights? there is no difference with our swordsmen, is it? is Ser Jaime a better sword than the king? is it true that the Lannisters are the richest family in the seven kingdoms? does the crown own that money because is the crown or is it because the queen is a Lannister? Where exactly was Casterly Rock again? how long is the journey? how long will they stay? will Ser Barristan be coming? how old is he now?”Maester Luwin answered as he always did with infinite patience and a little bit of either amusement or exasperation depending on the subject. The patient old man was always willing to share with her his books and his words. He often scolded her about one thing or the other, but even then there was a tender warm in his words and he never truly denied her knowledge. Even when her Lady mother prohibited some subjects he may hide his books from her but he would still answer most of her questions however reluctantly.
Her mother only truly forbade the most gruesome topics of the healing arts. It was too morbid, she said, for a highborn lady to pass her hours looking at pictures of body parts. So Maester Luwin tried to control the flow of her curiosity to things practical and more suited for a lady, medicinal herbs and how to make infusions and salves, dress wounds, and the dangers of dirt. He would distract her with history and legends that he knew she enjoyed before they got lost in the lessons, naturally following the subjects of her interests.
________When they finally arrived everyone was excited and smiling at the sight of the Southerners, it looked like the North suddenly had a wider range of colors.The king was the first to greet them and paused for a second at the sight of Nadja. Eddard knew exactly what he saw. The living memory of his lost love. He knew just how much like his late sister she was, a ghost walked the halls of Winterfell. But after years of looking at his daughter he could spot the differences better than the similarities, Nadja was not his sister.She was much shorter, her skin was white as milk not the warmer tone of Lyanna, and her eyes were large and of striking pale color, gray or blue depending on the light. Her hair was also much darker, raven dark. She had, however, Lyanna's nose and chin and cheekbones, her delicate hands, and the shape of her lips, the deep set of the Stark eyes.He took the king to the crypt and there he told him what he already suspected. The king was here to take him south, Lord Eddard was not happy, could he reject it? Should he? Was Robert still the brother he remembered? The second offer however prompted him to speak.“I have a son. You have a daughter. My Joff and your Nadja shall join our houses.”“Nadja may not be the best choice." the memory of long ago prompted him to speak, a foolish promise made to a child "She loathes the idea of marriage. She is just a child and she may change her mind in time but she may not. Her sister Sansa may be better suited.” Sansa may be too sweet-tempered for life as a princess, too eager to please to be ready to rule. But Eddard didn't know if Nadja would change her mind or Sansa would grow in strength, he at least could attempt to give them the chance of a choice.
“Doesn’t matter, as long as is yours. You have three girls, at least one of them may get along with my son."
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John watched his family enter the banquet hall with their royal guests, first the queen with his father and lady Catelyn with the king, and then his half brothers and sisters.Robb was escorting Princess Myrcella and for some reason, Sansa was with the crown Prince Joffrey. The tall boy had a bored, arrogant look on his face. Maybe it was because of it that Nadja had instead chosen to walk with Prince Tommen, Sansa was much less likely to take offense from unpleasant people, and with Sansa being so tall and Nadja so short they were of a height, nobody should take much notice if the first daughter walked behind the second. The queen's brothers came last, a tall handsome man and a short ugly one. They were both hard not to look at in very different ways.He drank a lot with the squires for a good while of the banquet until his uncle Benjen of the night’s watch came to sit with him, checking on him most likely. He asked about his pup, Ghost, who was eating an entire chicken at his feet.He was probably one or two beers too far to mind his words much and at the first mention of the Watch he asked to go with to take the black. Benjen of course said he was too young but John, undeterred was babbling about Daeron Targaryen when Nan showed up“Daeron Targaryen was only fourteen when he conquered Dorne” he was saying, compelling proof that age does not matter, and Nan appeared from nowhere snickering in his ear“Dorne was never really conquered. Daeron victory only lasted a summer and he lost a lot of men, he wasn’t very smart” Said his know-it-all little sister, his uncle was smiling warmly“Your sister is right, also Daeron Targaryen was only eighteen when he died or have you forgotten that part?”“I forget nothing” he answered boldly and a wicked smile appeared on his sister's face before asking mockingly“Are you drunk?” he ignored her“I want to serve in the Night’s Watch uncle” The discussion grew hotly from that when his uncle refused again.“Come to me again when you fathered some bastards of your own” and that was it for Jon“I will never father a bastard. Never!” he spat and then he realized how silent the table had grown. He excused himself and went out.He ran with Ghost at his heels and didn’t realize that Nan had followed him until Whisper trotted past him. His sister was frowning in that very soft way she had, if annoyed or worried he could never tell. She opened her tensed lips to say something when a voice interrupted her.“Boy, is that animal a wolf?” Nan approached and made a curtsey to the Imp, the queen’s younger brother.“Direwolves, my lord” She answered politely. Their emotions forgotten for a moment as the strange little man talked without formality about how vomiting at a feast was bad manners.He wasn’t rude exactly, only a bit foulmouthed for speaking to a Lady, then again Nadja was too small to be regarded as anything but a child and he was after all the Queen’s brother. He seemed courteous enough to Nadja as he spoke and brother and sister were equally intrigued by him.“My lady, might I have a closer look at your wolves?” he jumped from the height he had been standing and their pups retreated. he laughed then “I believed I frightened your wolves. My apologies” Nan laughed too, a hand on Whisper's head.“They are just pups now, they will grow bigger than a pony”“And they are not scared,” said Jon instead and called Ghost so Tyrion Lannister could approach, the wolf bared his teeth but Jon ordered him to stay still so the Lannister could touch his white fur. Whisper was not so timid, she sniffed at him and nosed the stretched hand for a second before sitting at Nan’s feet, her curiosity satisfied, and made no move when Lord Tyrion approached her, glancing at him with bored eyes.He finally looked at Jon and the talk that followed was not appreciated. That could happen speaking so blatantly about being a bastard. Definitely not polite, but not untrue either Nadja just listened, it was probably good advice. Jon was maybe too drunk or too young to understand, but they both were a bit stunned watching him walk away.“He seems nice,” said Nan____________Tyrion entered the godswood feeling more like an intruder than he ever felt in his whole life. Even by daylight, it was dark, the trees too close and tall for the sunlight to pass through, the earthy smell cold in his nose, but he wanted to see its heart so he walked on, the feeling of being an overstepping outsider growing with each step. He finally caught a glimpse of red amidst all the green, from the leaves of the heart tree. The pale weirwood was gigantic even from a distance, its roots growing above ground, keeping the rest of the trees at bay.He kept walking to see its face until he noticed a black spot of fur between the roots of the tree, as if feeling his stare the wolf looked up straight at him and bared his teeth.“Hello, there,” he said uncertainly, hoping that the wolf would be as uninterested in him as it had been last night.“Hello, Lord Tyrion,” said a voice from above. Perched in one of the branches of the heart tree, right above her wolf, was little Nadja Stark with a book in her hands as comfortable as he would be in a chair.She went down the tree one-handed, clutching her book, her bare feet making a soft sound when she easily landed, and straightening herself and trying to smooth the skirt of her dress. She made a small graceful courtesy, as if unsure of what was appropriate after such a display.Tyrion himself wasn't too sure but nodded back in greeting “Lady Nadja, is good you are here, I would rather not be maimed so early in the morning,” he said looking at Whisper who was now quiet and relaxed beside her master but with her eyes still on him.“Oh, I don’t believe she would… They follow us everywhere anyway,” she said after a small pause like she really didn’t know.“Safer that way for everyone. Won’t you catch a cold going barefoot?” she looked a little shy, the slightest flush coloring her cheeks and she bit her lips together“I won’t but I might catch a scolding”“Well your lady mother doesn’t have to know then” She smiled brightly.Tyrion often found children harder to deal with than adults, still too blunt on their curiosity and many got scared with his looks, but once in a while was the type of child that still cared very little about looks and had not learned yet to despise the ugly.Nadja Stark appeared to be one of those, she smiled with warmth and it was a rare sight for him. He glanced at the title of her book“Songs and Tales of Old” he read “I’m afraid I'm not familiar with this work.”“Do you like old stories? But you wouldn't be familiar with this one, Maester Luwin said is very rare” and her smile only got wider as she spoke “There are only around four known copies of it I think they have one at the Wall we aren't sure, our library has a lot of this rare books about the history of the North and the arrival of the Andals, this one is just songs though” She said convincingly shattering the quiet girl image that Tyrion had made of her the night of the feast.“I make a point to know a little bit of everything, but I must admit I find old stories very entertaining. I have not yet visited your library but I do intend to. As you see I am admiring your castle very thoroughly” he said signaling the godswood with an ample gesture of his hand “I don’t believe I saw a bigger godswood” Which was a bit obvious since Tyrion didn’t travel North frequently.“Well, legend says that this godswood is more than ten thousand years old, Brandon the Builder built Winterfell around the grove and the hot springs. Have you seen the hot springs? we have many ponds from the streams. They run through the castle walls and keep it warm even in winter. This one is cold though, obviously” she said pointing to the freezing pool beside the weirdwood “Is it true that there are no weirdwoods south from the neck?”Tyrion found himself feeling better with her casual chatter even if the sinister red face of the tree was as fascinating as it was uncomfortable. This was her home and she didn't seem to mind him being there.
“I saw one of your ponds on my way here it looked quite cozy but I don’t think I’d fancy to get out of scalding water in this cold weather, and no, is not completely true. The Andals did cut down most of them but a few of the oldest houses still have their godswood with weirdwoods at the heart, the Blackwaters in the Riverlands, for example, still prefer the Old Gods rather than the faith of the seven. The Red Keep however does not have a weirdwood in its godswood and that is the case for most of the noble houses of the south, and I dare say none of them have one as big as this one.”She followed his gaze to the red face and moved aside to let him approach the tree, Tyrion did not touch it but stared at it “This is the biggest one I ever seen” he said softly“Uncle Benjen says that north of the wall they are everywhere and much bigger than this.” she continued watching him curiously “It is said that one can not lie in the face of a heart tree.”“Better get out of its face then,” said Tyrion and she escorted him out of the place chatting with the familiarity and confidence of a highborn child. He wasn’t sure if she accompanied him out of courtesy or if she was on her way back but he was a bit grateful for it. He felt much more at ease with a Stark and a Direwolf at his side.He had the opportunity to talk with Nan many times during his stay at Winterfell for they both spent much of their time in the library, one of the warmest places of the castle. She also knew the placement of most of the books better than the young septon of Winterfell and helped him enthusiastically.He would find her there at late hours, probably past her bedtime, and she always welcomed him with a simile before resuming her reading or chattering with him about her books. Many about plants properties and the healing arts. Tyrion didn’t mind the chatter or the infinite stream of questions. The little girl was smart and if he needed quiet he could just go to his own chambers.The first night he went up the stairs to find her fast asleep with her head in a book, it was surely way past her bedtime and Tyrion walked to her intending to wake her up but he couldn't take a step closer. The ever-present black wolf baring her teeth, he tried calling out her name but apparently, she was a heavy sleeper.“Well now, Whisper I'm sure you don't want your master catching a cold in here, so why don’t you let me pass—” He talked to the wolf but apparently it was as bad idea as he had assume because she stood and showed her teeth again when he dared to take a second step.
Fortunately, Jon appeared behind him with his Ghost “My lord” he looked at him, severe and solemn even as a boy, a face just like his father.“Good, I was trying to figure out how to wake your sister without losing a finger”“I wouldn’t recommend you to try, my lord,” he said walking up to Nadja. Whisper had calmed down at his presence and made no move to stop him from shaking her shoulder, she grunted and opened a pair of unfocussed pale eyes.“Come on” he said obviously used to the task “your neck will hurt if you stay here.” She let herself be carried putting her arms around Jon’s neck, almost as sleep as they had found her and Tyrion tried not to laugh when she looked at him and tried to curtsy from within her brother’s arms before closing her eyes again.She was also at the library when Bran fell. It was a curious event, Tyrion was sitting himself in a comfy chair near Nan, she had been reading and stopped in the middle of turning a page lifting her head alarmed, Whisper mirroring her movements like they had heard something he didn’t.And then the howling of a wolf tore the silence and Whisper answered the call. Inside the walls of the library, Tyrion felt a chill running through his back at the sound, loud and oddly sad. Nan didn’t say a word and left in a hurry no time for her usual attempts at manners.He felt little for the boy he knew just by sight, but he did spare a tough for the child that wasn’t chattering anymore, or reading with a smile on her face or humming in the tree branches, and now just glumly passed by.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The road to King's Landing was wonderful, the Stark sisters were excited with the novelty of it all. Sansa was still entranced by the golden royal family, Arya with the knights and new people, and Nan with the road. As farewell gifts Sansa had received many new gowns from their mother; Arya had received Needle from Jon; and from Maester Luwin Nan had received a beautiful book on the medicinal plants of the southern parts of the seven realms and a young raven so she could write home when she needed.
Most of the time Nan would ride and look for herbs to compare to the drawings in her book sometimes with Arya's help. They were still too far from the neck for the foliage to start changing and so far she had only found familiar herbs and flowers but they didn't mind. Arya liked having an excuse to run ahead of the caravan and Sansa was always happy when they came back with flowers for her.Nan and Arya would ride until they found enough greenery to dismount and search together some mornings. Whisper and Nymeria always flanking her horse. Nan's silver dapple, River, had been meant for Robb. A warhorse for his name day two years past, but it had been Nan who had been there for the birth of the foal, and River had followed her like a pup the moment he was weaned. Robb had asked her to name it and gave it to her right after. And now River was taking her to the Red Keep and away from Robb and all the rest of her brothers.
When Nan wasn't riding with Arya she would ride alone, keeping in sight of Jory or her Father. Sansa didn't like riding and Nan didn't like the wheelhouse and they were traveling so slowly that she could open a book right on her saddle and let River guide himself.
"You are brooding, my lady," Jory told her.
"Am not" she told him petulantlyJory smiled his amusement and didn't fight her "Your Lord Father is looking for you, by the raven cages"
"Thank you, Jory," she said and turned River toward the cages.
*
Sansa was especially excited that morning, they had an appointment with Princess Myrcella and the Queen to ride in the wheelhouse. She looked beautiful in her blue silks that contrasted just right with her auburn hair.Nan had not yet dressed for the occasion, she was still wearing her riding clothes and not feeling very enthusiastic about the prospect. Her lack of enthusiasm had nothing on Arya's.
“I know it's boring but is just a day Arya." she pleaded "We have to be on good terms with the King's family now that Father is the Hand of the king”“Why? we are not the hand of the king”“Why would you want to ride a horse and get all sore and sweaty when you could recline on feather pillows and eat cakes with the queen?” argued Sansa unhelpfully.“I don’t like the queen.”“Well me neither and I'm still going,” said Nan ignoring Sansa's scandalized face."Then you shouldn't go either," Arya said crossing her arms with a stubborn set of her jaw."She is the queen, Arya, it would be rude not to go" she tried again only to be met by Arya's unmovable resolve.
She let out a sigh. "Fine but you are the one telling Father"
Nan hoped it didn’t matter that much, Arya had enough tasks she hated already and it would only get worse at the Red Keep so she walked Sansa back to the inn where they were staying for the night.
"You spoil her" Sansa accused her,
“and how could you say that about the queen? she is so kind and beautiful.”"She is very beautiful" she conceded "I still would prefer to go riding.” Sansa gaped horrified.
Nan sometimes thought that Sansa was as much trouble as Arya, just for very different reasons. Her mother would have known how to tell Sansa that she didn't like the queen without making her cry. Nan only knew how to placate her, she smiled and took Sansa's hand gently.
“Forgive me, sister, I am being terribly rude. Would you help me choose my gown for today? You have better sense than me” Sansa smiled at that, she loved choosing what to wear. Whisper and Lady trailed after them.
They were interrupted on their way to the inn by a crowd surrounding the newly arriving Knights. Sansa was startled by the sight of an odd-looking man and lost her footing but before Nan could do anything Sandor Clegane had her in his grasp“you are Shaking girl do I frighten you so much” said his dark mocking voice.“Pardon my sister Ser she just lost her footing” Said Nan with studied courtesy but Sansa had dropped to her knees to wrap her arms around Lady, still shaking. “Sister?”Sansa did not answer and the sound of laughter from the crowd only made it worse. Attention was drawn to the wolves and two impressive-looking Knights, one young and handsome and the other old and noble-looking, were approaching with hands in their swords. Nan took a step towards them.“The wolves belong to us, they are harmless, ser.”Lady was growling softly enough in Sansa’s arms and Whisper was alert at her side, waiting. Still, they looked doubtfully at them and Sansa looked even more scared now. Nan wasn't sure what to do, should she call for her Father? Should would Robb do? Before she could get any ideas the voice of the queen parted the crown around them.
“Joffrey, go to her”And of course in the presence of her prince, all of Sansa's woes and sorrows vanished. As soon as she was able to speak Sansa was saying all the right words to dissipate the tension. Nan also thanked the queen. The old knight in white was Ser Barristan Selmy, he seemed gentle and had kind words for them. And if Nan wasn't misremembering, he had been loyal to the mad king until the end.When Joffrey invited them to ride, Nan excused herself as best as she could, happy to have a few hours to herself and not have to actually spend time with the queen or her children.
Nan didn’t know how in the few hours she had let go of her sisters, Arya had gone missing, Sansa wouldn’t talk to her, and the queen was ordering their direwolves to be killed.She joined the search of Arya the second day. Her Father wasn't around to ask him permision but he had left Jory with her and Sansa and Nan convinced him that
Whisper could find Arya. She wasn't sure if that was true, she hadn't tried it before but the direwolves were more intelligent than an average dog and she didn't want to leave Whisper behind. Jory, for whatever reason, took pity on her and helped her take Whisper into the woods. She showed Whisper one of Arya's riding gloves and repeted her name until Whisper took off towards the woods, it wasn't long until they found her sister and Nymeria."You'll have to leave them, little lady"
Jory warned her, after he had given Arya water and an apple.Nan knew he was right, this was probably the reason he had accepted to take her with him. The queen wanted all of their wolves dead.
They were in the woods, they knew how to hunt. She held Arya very tight and cried. Nymeria and Whisper didn't want to go until she took out a wool scarf from her saddle and showed it to to Whisper"Bran, Whisper, find Bran" she asked. Whisper gave her a long look with her emerald eyes but finally she turned and ran, Nymeria at her heels.They made their way back without their direwolves.
"Is stole Bran's scarf" Arya said in a toneless voice "do you think they'll make it home?"
"I don't know, but maybe they will go North. Coser to home."
"They are direwolves, my lady, they will be safe, no much that can kill one like that" no much but the queen.
"We should bring Lady too" she said, Jory didn't answer but his frown told Nan enough, they may not have time or they may be ordered not to "Arya, what happen? Why did Nymeria attacked Joffrey?"
Arya told them the story before they arrived and Nan wondered why Sansa wasn't speaking to her but she didn't much time to ask her. Jory didn't leave them but they were forcibly escorted before the
king despite his protest that they should be taken to her father. The queen, Joffrey, Ser Barristan and Renly Baratheon were there but her father wasn't.
“Child what happened?” the king asked her before her father even arrived.“I wasn't there, Your Grace, but my sister says the prince attacked her. And our wolves have never attacked anyone, Your Grace.” A derisive sound from somewhere in the room was her only answer."obviously they did" The queen said in clipped cold tones.
Then Arya told her story, Joffrey told lies, and then Sansa said she did not remember. Nadja went cold with anger, and didn't move an inch when Arya threw herself at Sansa and started hitting her.The King seemed to want to end the ugly business but the queen did not. Just as Jory warned her she demanded the wolves be killed. The only one left was Lady.“Your Grace, please—" she started to beg"Enough Stark,
“Damn you Cersei quiet already” Interrupted the king but he still did not listen. Direwolves were not pets.
*Ned did it. When it was done Nan sat beside him her eyes were misty and her lips trembling while she tried not to cry reaching for him, he embraced her daughter and asked Jory to take Lady to Winterfell. He was greatful that they had send the other two away, killing one of the pups was bad enough. Ned wasn't a stranger to dead but he had always tried to keep his hands from the blood of the inocent.
“We should've stayed home” she whispered in his arms like a bad omen.Nan didn’t talk to Sansa at all for days on end, Sansa wouldn’t talk to them either. Arya was always expressive and violent in her anger and she kept sending Sansa murderous glares, Nan brooded. Ned wasn't used to his daughter being so silent, even when she had her head between the pages of some great volume she would always emerge full of questions and new knowledge she would try to share with the first willing ear. She had learned to contain herself and be mindful of her siblings interest, she would talk battles with Arya and the boys, flowers with Sansa, history with Bran. For everything else she had always had Maester Luwin and Ned himself, he wasn't a scholar but he always took joy from listening to his daughter. Nan was quiet. She had been quiet after Bran's fall but recovered some of her energy during the travel, now a fornight after losoing her wolf she was still quiet and angry. She sometimes would snap at Sansa with cutting words during their meals.
“We have to take care of each other Nan, I know you are lonely, and I'm sorry. But you will have to forget your anger at some point. When the snow falls and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives” He told her after that, the old saying of the north. She looked at him with those big sad eyes and noded her head. She didn't snap at Sansa anymore and she started helping Arya with her Needle but she was still too quiet for Ned's liking. Perhaps it was growing up, he thought and felt infinitly sad at the notion.
The arrival at King’s Landing wasn’t much better, people stopped being exciting and Nan was getting nightmares, she saw shadows everywhere. Sansa and Arya were better now, but Nadja only seemed to get more and more restless.“Dad, I want to go back home” Me too, he thought.“Nan... It will take us all some time to adjust” he said instead “Please make an effort, Sansa seems happy with her engagement”“The prince is horrible, everyone here is horrible.”Many months later in a dark cell drowning in regrets, not listening to his daughter plea was one of the biggest ones. But truly the worst one came later, when he was in front of a bloodthirsty crowd and at the mercy of an even more violent crowned child. Leaving his daughters in the hands of so many horrible people was indeed his biggest regret.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
For weeks it had been hard to get out of bed. It was fortunate she didn’t need to do it often. After her father’s death, they'd kept her in her chambers, separated from Sansa and with only the maids for company. She didn't know them and they didn’t talk much and the ones that did, she didn’t trust. And she had being angry, too angry to talk.At first, when her father had been injured by Jaime Lannister, it was only fear that she felt. Fear for his father's injured leg and tears to mourn the others, to mourn Jory and the northerner guards that were killed on the streets. Fear for her father's worried face and the eyes that followed him wherever he went. The court had eyes on them, ravenous eyes and smiles with too many teeth that made her shiver.Her father had known it too, he’d tried to take them to safety. She didn't know, what had happened, why his plan didn't work. She didn’t know the how or the why but the when seemed clear. It all had gone to seven frozen hells with Robert Baratheon’s death. Nan hadn't liked the man, he'd looked at her for too long with a sad face, it was his fault that they had to travel south, and he had let the queen kill Lady. But at least the late king had liked her father, at his death, it seemed, the Starks were without allies. And Nan was now a prisoner.At least Arya had escaped, but she feared for her too. How would she escape the city by herself, how would she survive? Thinking about Arya made her feel helpless, her chest too tight to breathe. Thinking that maybe she was in more danger now than she would have been as a prisoner. What was she eating? There was nothing she could do about it. Not now. She had done for her the only thing she could.When they went after them she had run to the sister she knew exactly where to find and dragged her away from Syrio Forel, bless the man. He had also died trying to save them. They had run to the stables, and when the stable boy showed up and her little sister put her sword in front of her, shocked and frightened at the blood, Nadja had put and arrow through his eye. She had taken her by the shoulders and shaken her “It wasn’t you, I killed him, it wasn’t you. You need to run, Arya” she had said looking her in the eyes and stuffing jewelry on her pants as fast as she could.
"We can take River," Arya said
"No, we can't hide River." She could hear guards approaching, “Arya you have to run, run now.” and she had.
Dressed in her dirty pants and brown shirt she may have been any common child and had a chance not catching anyones eye. Especially after she took a horse and made a run for the main doors, the ones crawling with guards. All of them were on her in a second, chasing after her horse, they took the reins easy enough but she struggled, she kicked and screamed and hoped no one would notice the scrawny little girl running for her life.
When Cersei Lannister herself went to see her on her chambers a few days later she pointedly asked where her sisters where. She knew Arya had escaped, the maidens whispered when they tough she was sleeping. One of the Stark sisters was missing. Cersei didn’t tell her anything. She asked her to write a letter, then she could know about her sisters. She didn’t write the letter. “My father is not a traitor” was the only other thing she said in her presence.
After that they had kept her in her chamber until the day they cut her father's head. And then she wasn't afraid anymore. She was angry, so angry she screamed and trashed her chambers. But after days on end of nothingness, her anger was mostly gone. What was happening outside? Where was Sansa? were they going to be traded? She was going mad and dread settled on her stomach like a stone, she hadn't been able to eat properly in weeks. She needed to know.
Her nightmares stopped, replaced by sleepless nights. She would read if she could but mostly she just stared out of her window wondering. The stars at least… the stars at least were the same. She needed to know.
The Red Keep warded its secrets fiercely. That first day, way before her father's death, when she and Arya found the tunnel that led outside they hadn’t had the time to realize what it was. But Nad had nothing but time, now. Not by day, no, by day she slept and drank and ate whatever she could stomach.At night, when she was sure no one would look for her she searched. She wanted to get out badly. It took her five nights of careful search and in truth, she had given up hope at the third one, but she had nothing better to do. So she searched and searched again. Every cranny and stone, she ran her hands over every wall and floor, quiet and slow. Until finally, near dawn on the fifth night, the wall at the back of her fireplace moved. She smiled for the first time since her Father's injury. She carefully cleaned herself from the soot, it wasn't much, she couldn't stand the heat and never asked for a fire preferring the chill of the night. Once clean she went to sleep, she slept most of the day by night she was awake and ready.
After that, every night she walked the walls of the Red keep.It was so intricate it seemed impossible. She didn’t know where she was most of the time, and the opening of every door was terrifying, always in fear that it would lead to someone’s chamber and she’ll be caught. But Nadja kept at it, she drew a map on the border of different pages, just lines so it would not look like a map unless you put the pages just at the right angle, and she scribbled poetry on them for good measure.Every night she advanced a little bit more. She counted in her head, for not to lose track of time in the darkness and counted the turns and stairs and little doors. She found her way to the kitchens and to the tower of the hand, she found her way to one of the yards, but mostly she found her way to other rooms, many times there weren't doors just peepholes. People she didn’t know, servants and nobles she didn’t care about. After a month of looking, she still couldn’t find Sansa’s room or the small chamber, or any way out of the Keep. Not the one she had found with Arya and not any other. She soon lost the excitement of the first night and wanted to cry after every night lost in those dark tunnels. It was getting harder to do anything but sleep by day and walk at night.Nadja often lurked at night near the kitchens. Between the walls of the red keep she could hear the servants talk freely among themselves and the amount of gossip on all the inhabitants of King’s Landing was as impressive as confusing. After a few nights she heard the same rumor on and on, Stannis Baratheon claimed Joffrey was a bastard product of incest. Something like that was sure to be repeated. A low blow from Stannis in this dirty war of too many kings, Nan dearly hoped Joffrey would hear about it. But Nan could not get it out of her head after that. It would explain some things.When they finally left her out of her room she could see Sansa it was like seeing sunlight after a long deprivation. Her sister was unharmed and happy to see her, they let them wander the castle now, there was always someone watching them but they could walk the gardens hand in hand and eat together. They had never been shy of physical contact with any of her siblings but now they clung to each other. The downside was Joffrey.
Joffrey beats Sansa the most, he enjoys her tears and screams and begging. Nadja doesn't cry or scream, she tries not to make a sound. She tries to stand straight and stare him down even when he is so much taller, tries to make him feel small. Like the craven he is. But sometimes they would beat her legs and her legs would give up. Sometimes they would beat at her stomach and she would gasp for breath.Everyone averted their gaze, all the nobles that once were so eager to compliment her dress and her hair now looked the other way when she walked by. Now they laughed at every cruel and witless thing Joffrey said. Or now they thought they had the right to mock her too. They do not. So when Lancel Lannister makes what he believes is a funny remark at her expense she looks at him and smiles, she smiles sweetly, and then trips him on the floor. She does it quickly and walks away, because he is a Lannister and if it hadn't been the hound who was watching her that day, instead of a laughter she would have received a beating.
But her father was no liar, she was not weak, or maybe she was, she was a prisoner after all, but she would not cry in front of them. That’s why Joffrey beats Sansa the most. Because he could hurt her the most and she would show it. But in this Red Hell of stone she was her only family. And whenever they were together, whenever she could Nan would take the beating. If Joffrey was in the mood for it she would make fun of him and take it before his eyes strayed to Sansa. It was just slightly effective.
She lost weight, she lost color and Sansa was no better. Sansa still smiled prettily, she was good at playing the part, Nan rather have the beatings than play nice with Joffey and she couldn't have smiled if she tried. But Sansa could and sometimes she smiled and spoke prettily enough that Joffrey forgot to beat them. Nan didn’t smile at Sansa either. She had told her about the letter. Tears running down her cheeks while she told her how the queen had been so good to her and how she had promised they would all be alright… she just needed to betray her father and they all would be alright.
“If our brother ever declares our father a traitor I’ll jump from my window. Good thing he is not that stupid.” she told her coldly and didn't speak to her again that day.
She only ever smiled at Tommen and Myrcella, they probably weren't very bright smiles but they were the only people in all the Red Keep that she could look at without wanting to hurt them badly.Them and Clegane, she did not like the Hound precisely but at least he was no liar, and surprisingly the hideous man had proven himself to be the only one with a speck of something resembling honor. Joffrey did not ask him to beat them and Nan noticed that he would often, offhandedly diverge Joffrey’s attention from her and Sansa.
Tyrion arrived at the Red Keep the day of the tournament in honor of Joffrey’s name day with a horde of savages and a sellsword that moved like a cat. He greeted his youngest niece and nephew and then Joffrey before turning to Nadja and Sansa.
“My ladies I’m sorry for your losses, truly the gods are cruel.” Joffrey and the children were distracted and moving to go away, already tired of the sad attempt of a tournament, leaving them alone with him.“Are you?” she said, ice in her voice and a little surprised at herself for the unnecessary outburst.“I am” he answered softly but she would not meet his eyes “Is it grief for your father what have you both so sad?”“Our father was a traitor I am loyal to my beloved Joffrey” Sansa recited like a reflex“As loyal as a deer surrounded by wolves”“lions” whispered Sansa startling herself. Nan stood up.“That our Father died under such circumstances pains us greatly, my Lord,” said Nan in the same emotionless tone of voice. An answer that could be openly interpreted “Forgive my sister, such savagery happening in the realm makes her scared.”“I am only a little lion child and I vow I shall not savage you” they did not believe him. Nan took her sister's hand and started to make her way back to their rooms with a cursory glance at the sellsword.
Tyrion did not miss a detail. Not the way she hadn’t been looking at her sister even when helping her out, nor the way Sansa kept her distance from her. No one else was likely to notice that, no one who had not seen them before. The Starks children walked close to each other, always brushing arms, bumping into each other, and keeping each other warm and safe in their winter lands.He wondered why not now in their times of grief. He had his answer from Cersei when she told him Sansa was the one to tell her about Lord Stark's plans, causing his imprisonment and demise. No wonder they were not that close anymore. Poor girls. Fortunately, the Starks were not his problem.
Nadja wasn’t going to warm up to him again. Not after his family had killed her father. And that was for the better he had many other matters to attend. The Stark girls were someone else's problem. Or so he thought.Tyrion went down from breaking his fast with Maester Pycelle after giving him the task of sending a confidential letter. Lets see how long remains confidential . and saw Bron reclined on a well and near him, Nadja Stark. He approached and attempted a joyful greeting
“My Lady Nadja, good morning”“Morning, My Lord,” she replied blandly with barely a glance and no courtesy.“May I introduce you to Bron, the chief of my personal guard” She looked at him much longer than the glance she half directed to Tyrion and inclined her head in greeting “May I ask what are you doing here, Nadja?” she frowned at the familiarity but finally turned to look at him, a calculating unsmiling gaze.“There is very little I’m allowed. Holding a sword is certainly not one of those.”“So you look at them instead?” said Bronn and her eyes darted to his.“As you do,” she said, and after a nod and a with your leave quickly departed. A Kingsguard behind her with a scowl. Tyrion made a pensive sound.
“Why do you watch them Bronn?” The sellsword took his sweet time to respond.“The boy with the three eyes on his shield. He is the best of them, but he falls into a rhythm. That will be the dead of him the day he faces me.”“Interesting… Bronn keep an eye on her whenever you can”“She seems pretty well guarded”“I know, you don’t have to follow her around but if she happened to be in danger and you happened to pass by, you are to protect her”“Sounds troublesome. That one of the Stark girls ain't she?”“Hard not to notice the northerners these days. You just need to look for the most pale and miserable ones ”
She truly looked miserable, Nadja was there again when he held court for the first time, indifferent to everyone around her she stood out like a sore thumb in the crowd, too pale, too short, too solemn, too cold for Kings Landing. Even too proud among so many nobles. He called ser Cleos and Nan’s eyes were sharp in attention, when he announced that the Stark sisters were not going be given away he looked at her and she returned his gaze. Cold as the wall. He felt a stab of pity for the sisters and unwarranted guilt. It really wasn’t his fault, what could he do? He still tried not to look at her when Ser Alliser Thorne came to speak of his frozen dead hand and he had to dismiss him. She was still paying attention.He just needed to stop looking. Nadja hated him now anyway so no good could come from worry about the child. She seemed well enough, a bit too sickly but it may be the weather... The weather and her grief and her lack of friends and allies and gods knew what else.
stop looking
he had enough to worry about with Shae and the realm and his sister. Especially his sister.
Nadja dreams of trees. Not her tall trees of Winterfell, not the frozen morning dew that shined like diamonds, but the woods of the south warm and full of prey. She dreams of running fast and strong. That was most nights, some nights she dreamed she was flying, and others she was roaming the walls of the Red Keep silent and agile and almost invisible. There were nights she would wake up screaming.
It was one of those rare occasions when Joffrey summoned both. Sandor Clegane had come for her and Sansa.“What is this about?” she asked, she only ever talked willingly to Clegane.“Your kingly brother”“Robb is a traitor, we had no part in what he did,” said Sansa and Nadja frowned, she also only frowned at her sister in front of Clegane, he was not brutal like the others, only worse mannered. She didn’t like that others knew they were fighting, sort of. Nan knew that being mad at Sansa was childish and bad for them both, Sansa too was trying to survive in the only way she could. And she should keep doing it. It was just the letter she could not forget about. But she needed to.The Hound snorted his response
“They trained you well little bird, you not so much, wolf girl. It's going to get you killed”“I received an exemplary education” he snorted again. A little reprieve before what was coming.The imbecil was condemning them both for Robbs last win in the field. She was happy about it, proud, a small amount of joy in the hall full of enemies and pitying looks. Robb was fighting back, and winning. The king in the north was fighting and she was not bound in any way to this one or any of the inhabitants of the Red Keep. She had another king. Joffrey could make his knights beat her if he wanted.When the fool, Ser Dontos was it? came at them with his rotten melon she did nothing to stop him but send him a glare at the first blow, he targeted Sansa instead covering her in sticky fruit in front of the court. Everybody laughed except for Joffrey. When Boros and Meryn advanced she smiled sharp and raised her voice in a mocking tone.
“Why your Highness, is it so little trouble to defeat your enemies that you and your valiant Knights have the time to take care of two unarmed maidens? I am impressed, war affairs must be such a trifle for you.”
That did it. One of them held her still while the other punched her in the gut, no mercy shown in the blow. She gasped for air and made pitiful sounds at every blow, but she did not scream. Sansa did that for her. At first, she refused to yell but at the end, she simply couldn’t. Could barely stand on her own when they started hitting her with the flat of the blade across her tights.
“Enough” she heard the raspy sound of the hound's voice. fool “No it isn’t” said the hateful voice of Joffrey.
When Boros stripped her dress she attempted, even though she felt her legs might break, and stood as tall and still as she could. Her beating from last time was there for everyone to see. Let them see . Their stares could not touch her. The whispers and the snickering, it all could be ignored. She just needed to close her eyes, it was like reading a book, focus on something and the world around disappeared. But Sansa was crying and screaming.“Please, please, your Highness, please” Don’t beg Sansa, not for me The pain was terrible and she really wanted someone to stop it, but Joffrey probably wouldn't kill her. Sansa had always been scared of multitudes, she feared the public scorn, she felt shame she felt mocked. And begging only ever made Joffrey more eager.“Leave her alone,” she said without breath when Meryn approached her sister, and he laughed on her face.“Put a hand on my sister and I’ll cut it” He laughed again and when he reached to reap Sansa’s dress Nadja reached for his sword, still in his shit, and cut his wrist.It wasn’t a clean cut, the chainmail didn’t allow her scrawny arms to do that but it was deep enough to make him back off wailing. She kept the sword ready, stupid, stupid, stupid she knew she should let go of the sword but she was so angry… and Joffrey was so close ... let go, let go Boros was approaching her furiously. what happens if I kill him?
“What's the meaning of this!” A familiar voice said and there it was Tyrion Lannister taking the scene in. The Stark sisters, beat up and covered in tatters and rotten fruit. His voice was like a whip. “What sort of knight beats helpless maids”“The sort that serves his king, Imp” the sellsword, Bronn, was by her side in a second taking the sword. She let go. Meryn Trant was joining Boros in his fighting stand. Swordless.“Careful with those, you don’t want to get more blood on those pretty white clothes” Mocked the sellsword.“Someone give the girl something to cover herself with,” Lord Tyrion said in the same angry voice. The hound put his cape around Sansa and Bron handed her over his red cape.“Have you no regard for their honor?” he demands from his nephew“I'm punishing them! they have the wolf blood, traitor's blood!” Joffrey spat furiously.“And you have the wits of a goose”“You can’t talk to me like that. I’m the king! A king can do what he wants”“Aeris did what he wanted, do you know what happened to him?”“Are you threatening your king, imp?” said Boros red in the face“I'm not threatening the king I’m educating my nephew. Bronn, Timett, if Ser Boros opens his mouth again kill him. See the difference? Brutality will not win you the love of your people or your queen”“I don’t need their love is better that they fear us, mother said so. She fears me” he yells pointing at Sansa, shaking and sobbing.“It's a shame Stannis and Renly are not twelve years old girls. Bronn, Timett bring the girls”
Nan didn’t need more prompting than that. She walked away with him, her legs hurting and shaking but she followed him. She followed him because there was no one else who would say a word on her behalf, no one who would spare her anything but a pitiful glance. It felt uncomfortably like surrender.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
They took the Stark sisters to the tower of the hand and she left herself be bathed and tended by the maids, Sansa was there too but she did not want to look at her, she could hear her soft sobbing fading and she knew she should go to her, try to comfort her, but she was too sore and so tired. And what was this now? Tyrion Lannister had been nothing but kind and it leave her feeling uneasy, a fear that not the queen and not Joffrey had managed.
Maester Frenken tended to her wounds and give her dreamwine. When she woke up Sansa was not there and it was dark. A serving girl brought her food that she did not touch.
She felt clearer now after resting, Tyrion was playing too. There was no love lost between him and his nephew or hir sister as far as she could tell and the Stark girls on his hands were probably some sort of power move. It was all right, he didn’t give the impression of being the type to physically mistreat them and Joffrey would probably have less access to them both.
On the other hand, whatever endgame he or the queen were aiming for it could only end bad for Robb, and the queen could be ruthless yes, but Tyrion was clever. In the long game it was probably better for the queen to make the decisions and for Tyrion to sit back. But she had to left Robb’s problems to Robb. She wanted to survive too. If Tyrion was going to use them in some way it would at least spare her and Sansa some beatings. Hopefully.
Tyrion knocked at the door before entering. The look she gave him was Ice cold, Steel hard. Her expression completely blank. Nadja had the Stark face, he thought, long, solemn and guarded but once she had smiled and it had been clear and true like a welcoming morning. Not now.
“My Lady I hope I'm not disturbing you”“Where is Sansa?”“In the chambers across the hall, you might see her whenever you want” she still revealed nothing in her face but nodded“Are we your prisoners now My lord Hand?”“My guests” she quirked an eyebrow at him“How do you call an unwilling guest?”“A well treated prisoner” he attempted, she was right after all “I tough we might talk”“As my lord commands” she said. was it mocking or simply tired?
“Are the food and garments to your satisfaction? if there’s anything else you want you need only ask”She remained silent for too long but finally spoke just when he was about to“Joffrey was not very specific as to what was the reason of his royal displeasure” she said offhandlely like she really didn’t care that much. Sansa entered the room and crossed the room to hug her sister, an inkling of a smile touched Nadja’s face. “are you alright Sansa?” she asked softly“they hurt you so much Nan” she said almost sobbing again“I'm fine the maester said so. Now sit sister, the Lord Hand wants to talk with us”“Indeed, and as for your question your brother Robb won a crushing victory against my uncle Stafford not three days ride of casterly rock six nights ago.”
Nan made a thoughtful hum like taste testing a bite of something.“that’s terrible my lord” said Sansa nervously looking at her sister and trying hard not to stare at him “our brother is a vile traitor” Tyrion smiled and talked with detail about the battle, Nan listened eagerly. Almost like before when he answered her infinite questions.“Well Robb’s my fathers bane Joffrey is mine. Do you still want to be wed to him?”“I love him with all my heart”“Truly?” said Tyrion with an sceptical smile“Our feelings for Joffrey are stronger than ever I assure you” Said Nan and Tyrion laugh heartily at that.“well children if is any solace I don’t intent to marry you to Joffrey.” He said and he wasn’t sure why did he expected an answer “You grown quiet is that what you want child?” he tried talking to Sansa“I.. Only want to be loyal” she said in a scared little voice, Nadja was staring at him suspiciously“Loyal and far from any Lannister. Can scarcely blame you I wanted the same at your age. You both can stay here I’ll put some of my personal guard at your door”“no” said Sansa “please no my lord the wildlings frighten me”
“me too but more importantly they scare Joffrey”“I couldn't sleep here my lord, My father’s men died in this tower I would see them everywhere. I rather go back to my rooms”“I see, I’m no stranger to nightmares” Sansa sighted relief and Nan was looking at her with rapt attention, like she wanted to see the nightmares inside her head “Nadja I would recommend you stayed at least until you are completely healed, the maester did not seemed happy about your general health…”
she nodded “Very well then I’ll let you get some rest, Chella will scort your sister safely to her chambers”
Nan passed the day searching the new chambers. One she hasn’t been at through the walls but the tower of the hand had many exits and she hadn’t have time to explore them all. One as big as this probably had a secret door.She found nothing the first day but she only searched half the room. Maybe tomorrow. She was in pain from the beating and crawling through the floors wasn’t making her better. Nadja eat a few bites and went to sleep.
She was as light as a feather, her steps made no sound on the tall border of the stone wall. She was invisible, the tall shadows in the garden beneath could not see her. She just needed to be quiet. There was a familiar smell inside, near the light where the light could make her visible, but only if she wasn’t quiet enough. And she was silence. She jumped to the tree branch and not a leaf moved. Walked closer to the window, the smell made her curious. A smell that should not be here, not know. But it was familiar, just a bit, like something she had once passed by and could not place.
“I heard a lovely story about the gallant rescue of the Stark girls”“Easy to appear gallant went all the rest have the honor of a thief. You should have done something about that, the poor girls were going to end dead or crippled in one of Joffrey's fits”“It would have been a tragedy my lord, but what can a poor spider do about the will of the king. The queen was already aware”“That was too much even for Cersei’s standards. Not to mention foolish we need the Stark girls. Their dead will only make our relationship with the northerners worst”“Indeed. But dare I say, I don’t believe the queen thought her dear son capable of going that far”“Or she didn’t care. But she does love her little monster.”“either way I can only hope things will be better now that you are here my lord hand”“better for whom?”“the kingdom of course”
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Tyrion found her quiet and apparently relaxed, still cold towards him. But oddly polite to his clansmen, she seemed much more comfortable with them than apparently with any other inhabitant of the Red Keep. He supposed it made sense,the clansman where as different from the people that hurt her and her sister as they could get. “My lady are you better this morning?”“I am”“good. remember you need only ask”“Can I ask who?”“who?”“who if not joffrey are you planning on marrying Sansa to?”“when the war is over I plan to return both of you to your home”“when the king in the north bend the knee you mean?”“Yes my lady, the next time you go to the godswood you may want to pray for your brother to bend the knee” he said trying to be gentle but there was no masking the truth “may his last win not misguide you, a battle is not a war”“I know that. You must also know. I could pray my whole life and my brother would not bend the knee nor he will exchange us for your brother. He is young not stupid”“Do you resent him for that?” She looked at him with a confused stare“I’m proud of him for that” this is the fearlessness that allow her to draw a sword in that hall. It will only make things more difficult to you child… “Even if he were to surrender, my return home would not be unmarried would it?”
She asked after a minute of silence“Probably not, you are of age I think? you sister could easily return for your family to found her a suitable marriage since the braking of a betrothal would be.. inconvenient for a while. But you are not betrothed, eligible and the eldest daughter. You would be returned with a possible suitor. Amending the relationship between the north and the crown will be of importance. Your marriage will suit those purposes. But I am sure your family would have a say in those” She sighed heavily.“You are surprisingly optimistic my Lord. Can I ask why did my mother took you prisoner? Father never told me”“Well… Lady Stark was under the impression that I had something to do with… Have someone told you? your mother claims someone attempted to murder you brother while he was still bedridden. He is safe though your mother manage to protect him and his wolf apparently eat the attacker. Or mauled him whichever version you prefer.”“No one told me”“Well your mother was under the impression I had something to do with that”“did you?” she asked“No, of course no. I have never wished your brother Bran any harm”“Why did she tough so?”“I am not sure Nadja” he said “but you should know by now, how the word twist on places like this. Beware what you hear and who you believe”
He left her wondering if she believed him. She was not a trusting child anymore but she was still a child. He went to Varys. They had planned to put Shae on Nadja’s service so she could be on the castle as she wanted. Tyrion didn’t like the plan but Shae would not stop talking about it. She couldn’t know how danger was on every corner of this place, how cruel his father could be and how unsparing Cersei. He needed to keep her a secret. Nadja was a sweet child maybe she would even like her.Tyrion was quite disappointed about that optimistic assumption. Shae hated being Nadja’s maid. But it wasn’t about Nadja as much as it was about the work itself.
“She’s frigid that one. The others maids said she never talks even when they try to be nice. Only because she is highborne, like her house hasn’t fallen already. She is just a prisoner now.”“She is just a kid, and is going through very difficult times”“She is not. She bleeds already she can be married. But it could be worse I guess. She doesn’t make a lot of work. likes to be alone so we are dismissed most of the day.”“see? you’ll get use to this very soon”
Hopefully it was truth. He could keep an eye on the girl through Shae without having to do much. As long as Varys kept quiet there was no reason for Cersei to find out. The Stark girls would be safe under his care, Shae would remain hidden and he could invest himself on rescuing Jaime. He already was planning on it. Cersei didn’t trusted him of course but at least on this they could agree to work together. A prisoner exchange was out of the question, two little girls had no value on this war and the Stark boy knew it. Nadja was right he would not yield. Not after cutting Ned Stark head. He had told the same to his father. And the easy way he agreed left him a little unsettled.
But that was not his problem. His immediate concern was a very satisfying visit to Pycells chambers. The old fool was Cersei spy. He had told how he was planning on marrying Myrcella to Dorne. Which was a much better option than most of them had with Stannis treat approaching the city. The small folk was already upset for the food shortage and the increasing prices. He could not see the solution to that. He was planning on how to protect them and keep them from starving.
Returning to the Red Keep from Myrcella’s departure Sansa was riding with Joffrey as befitted his betrothed even when the proposal for the king to marry the Tyrell girl was already sent. Nadja was riding not beside him but carefully near Bronn in a black palfrey
Tyrion had noticed she much prefer the company of his personal guard. And also, everybody could felt the mood of the crowd. A cheer here and there but their faces showed no joy in the presence of the royal house. Nadja willed her mount near Sansa and Clegane. And there she was when it all went wrong.
“Who threw that? Dog bring me his head! “ yelled Joffrey and the crowd seemed so close now“Stay he must be long gone” Nadja said with a hand on the Hound’s arm. She could see the disaster too. But Clegane dismounted and Joffrey kept Yelling
“Clegane leave off” tried Tyrion“I want him¡ Dog cut through them” And the angry roar drowned his words.“To the castle now. Ride ” ordered Tyrion and for a few anguished minutes he saw things in a blur, chopped hands, some of his companions being pulled down of his horses, Clegane's horse beside him galloping riderless.
Once safe behind the walls of the Keep he could listen to his nephew no more“you blind bloody fool “ he yelled at him and slapped him “you just killed Clegane and gods know how many more and yet you are unscathered! damn you!” he kicked him on the grown once before Bronn was stopping him and the other knights appeared beside the king“how many are still out there” they started to name people and then he realised “where is Nadja? where are the Stark girls?” he yelled“Sansa was riding by me but then she wasn't there, Nadja went back for her” said Joffrey reluctant. He was about to yell some more but Cercei spoke first“Boros, Meryn go back and find the girls” she knew as well as him that if anything happened to the Starks Jaime was as good as dead.“Your Grace the sight of our white cloaks may enrage the mob”“The Others take you fucking cloaks¡ take them off if you are afraid but find me the Stark girls or I swear I’ll have Shagga split that ugly head of yours” He said“you dare call me ugly”“stop it, you will do as ordered or we’ll find someone else to wear that cloak” said his queenly sister“there they are¡” Yelled Joffrey
And there it was Sandor Clegane astride Nadja’s black horse Sansa Stark was mounting behind him a gash on her scalp. Nadja in the front of the palfrey was holding onto Clegane as hard as she could. She looked incredibly small against Clegane. Her head against his chest. Tyrion could not see if she was unharmed but on her hands, where her knuckles were white from the force of her grip, was blood.“My ladies are you alright?” Sandor dismounted easily with Nadja still holding onto him and put her on the floor. She had blood in her face, hands, and the front of her gown.“I believe none of that is hers” he said while lifting Sansa of the horse “she bite off the ear of the poor sod that had her cornered” he said with a raspy laugh “but the little bird is bleeding someone take them to the maester to see to their wounds” The maester hurried up to the girls first to Nadja the most alarming looking but she slapped his hand away“I'm fine” she said her voice steady and cold “see to Sansa” Frenken obeyed and see to Sansa who was babbling a bit in shock while the Hound kept giving the account of those he saw dead“Where’s my horse. If anything happen to him someone's going to pay” he yelled“he was riding with us for a while but I did not see what happened to him afterwards” answered Tyrion Still looking at Nadja "Did you just said she bite someones ear off?" "She was working on a throat when I arrived" He answered amused.