Before you read this, please note that this doesn't follow the events of Game of Thrones, it just uses the characters and there are many OCs. This fanfiction and I only own my characters, the rest belong to G.R.R. Martin and HBO.

"Robert Baratheon loved our Aunt Lyanna, so when Rhaegar Targaryen stole her from Storm's End in the dead of night, he rose up in rebellion. Our father joined after the murder of his brother and father at the hands of King Aerys had them killed. The Tullys and the Arryns sided with them due to marriage. Rhaegar annulled his marriage to his wife Elia Martell and then married our Aunt Lyanna who gave birth to Jon Targaryen. At the battle of the Trident, Rhaegar defeated Robert but refused to kill him. Sir Jaime Lannister, however, slew King Aerys and Rhaegar's old wife and children were killed, but no one knows how. He was inconsolable for a time, but he soon realised that he had a broken seven kingdoms to rule, so Rhaegar became king and Aunt Lyanna became his queen. They had two more children: Visenya and Rickard." Bran read out loud as he recited the writings of our Maester, who was called Luwin. Every so often he'd look down at the notes, but he was good at remembering it.

He glanced up at me and smiled, before saying: "But Robert than married Cersei Lannister, father married mother, and now Sansa is to wed Theon." At merely two and ten, Bran knew everything. He was smart and brave as well as honourable. He dreamed of being a knight, and I knew that one day he would be a great one at that.

"Yes, she is because she's a woman of six and ten now and he's nine and ten. They're happy about it and well, who wouldn't be overjoyed to marry Sansa? After all, she's got that beautiful Tully colouring." Sansa was only a year older than me and had beautiful auburn hair and bright blue eyes opposed to my dark brown hair and light brown eyes. She looked like a girl from the south whereas I was a true northerner.

"You're beautiful, Nym," Bran said with a bright smile causing me to open my arms and let him hug me. I had always been close to my brothers, whether it was little Rickon, who was a boy of eight, Robb, who was eight and ten and the oldest or Bran, who I had always found the easiest to get along with and definitely was my favourite sibling. My little sister Arya, who was now three and ten, was very similar to me but she and I never saw eye to eye when it came to being a lady.

Yes, I fought and trained with the boys. Yes, I rode, used a sword and bow. Yes, I dressed like a boy every so often. But, I knew that I also had to marry a high lord and do my duty, but she refused to accept that.

"Nym?" Bran said cautiously, bringing my attention back to him.
"Yes, Bran?" He pointed to the doorway, causing me to look over and see Sir Rodrick Cassel standing there. Immediately, I let go of my brother and stood up. "Sir Rodrick?" He gave me a small bow and then spoke.

"A deserter has been captured south of the Wall, and Lord Eddard has decided that Brandon should come along." I nodded and looked down at Bran who was, in turn, staring at Sir Rodrick in fear and awe as he added: "My Lady, your mother wishes to see you as well."

"Very well. Bran, go with Sir Rodrick and do not look away. Father will know if you do and you are a Northerner, and you must be brave." He nodded and gave me a weak smile as I turned to Sir Rodrick and asked: "Where is My Lady Mother, Sir Rodrick?"

"She is in the great hall, My Lady." Smiling at him, I nudged Bran who walked over to Sir Rodrick, and then I smoothed down the skirt of my black dress, and then I paused, pressed a light kiss to Bran's forehead and left the library. My long hair was tied back in a messy, loose braid, but that's how I liked it.
Quickly as I could, I made my way from the library to the great hall. Passing many people, I noticed them giving me small bows before continuing their duties. I was known as the real lady of the north because I, unlike my mother and sisters, commanded the respect of the other lords due to my reasoning and fighting skills.

"Nymeria, there you are." My mother, Catelyn cried once she saw me. Sansa and Arya were also there and as well as Septa Mordane, who was glowering at me. She hated Arya and me, but she dared not say anything bad about me.

"Lady Mother, you wished to speak to me." She smiled and beckoned for me to join the rest of them. Arya looked as though she would like to be anywhere else but there. She gave me a weak smile, and a small embrace as Sansa merely nodded at me.

"Yes, Nym." She said as she glanced at the Septa and then turned back to me. She looked at me for a moment before continuing: "Your father and I have decided that both you and Arya are of age to be betrothed and in your case, ready for marriage." Arya glared at her while I began to recite that in my head.

"I beg your pardon, Lady Mother, but I don't quite comprehend. Father promised that Arya and I would have a choice when we thought that we were ready to marry." She looked at me as I added: "This is something that you and the Septa have decided."

"You should be grateful that the Seven are blessing-" I held my hand up, cutting her up and then I turned to look at the old Septa.

She looked at me in fear as I spoke. "I do not believe in the Seven. I am a Stark of Winterfell, and the blood of the first men flows through my veins. My gods are the old gods. The nameless, faceless gods of the first men and the children in the forest. The seven have nothing to do with my life, thank you very much."

She took a step back as my mother spoke. "Nymeria Stark, you are to marry, but first we have the royal visit. Your Aunt and Uncle, as well as their children and the King's siblings, Lord Baratheon and his family as well as Lord Tyrion and Sir Jaime, will also be there because of your sister's wedding. We will discuss this with King, and he will choose for you." I glowered at her and held my tongue.

Sansa chose this moment to speak. "Lady Mother, I am so grateful that King Rhaegar and Queen Lyanna will be here for my wedding." Arya gave me a look of disgust, and I smiled back at her when the doors of the great hall flew open.

My father, Eddard Stark, walked in with my brothers, Robb, Bran and Rickon, who had been with Maester Luwin. He smiled at us all and Robb rushed over to hug Arya as my father embraced me. "Sweet little Nym." He muttered as he pressed a kiss to my forehead and smiled at me. As he released me, Bran and Rickon rushed over, and I knelt to hug them both. They were almost my height now, but I did this out of habit as father embraced both mother and Sansa.

"King Rhaegar and Queen Lyanna shall be arriving tomorrow." He said clearly to us all causing mother to nod and rush to prepare everything with Sansa and Arya following her and Robb, Bran and Rickon going off to have their hair cut. I was about to follow my mother and sisters when father called: "Nym, stay."

Turning back to him, I noticed that Ice hung at his belt. He nodded sorrowfully and sighed before saying: "Come with me to the Godswood."

It wasn't a long walk to the Godswood, it never had been, but it was something that father and I always did when he had to execute someone. We lived by the old way so whoever passed sentence, swung the sword.

Once we had sat beneath the heart tree, he spoke: "I know that you're annoyed at your mother for not telling you that you'd be betrothed soon, but you know your duty, Nym." I nodded and sighed as I gently began wiping Ice's blade.

"I just wished that it wouldn't be so soon," I admitted quietly, causing him to smile.

"I know, Nym, you're the she-wolf of House Stark." He said with a smile as I cleaned Ice clearly before looking up at him.

"Winter is coming," I told him and he nodded. They were our house words, and they were the only house words that didn't speak of honour. I handed over Ice, which was our family valyrian steel sword, which he placed beside him and then he looked at me carefully.

"Yes, and on the subject of she-wolves, the boys and I found seven direwolf pups earlier. Three of them were three girls and four boys. They all got theirs, but I took this one for you." He said as he pulled out a black pup and handed her over to me as he added: "There was another one, an albino which I have decided to give to your cousin Jon when he arrives. This one reminded me of you, and I wanted to see you name her."

Looking carefully at the wolf, I looked at her black fur, which had hints of greys and silvers in it and her bright eyes, which were silver. She was stunning but definitely deadly. "Shadow. I name you Shadow." Father smiled at me.

"A she-wolf for the Stark She-wolf." He said proudly as he put Ice back in its scabbard. Then he rose and offered me his hand. Gratefully, I accepted my father's help after I had set Shadow down. She nipped at my skirt and followed as we began walking.

"So what have you been doing today, Nym?" He asked as we began walking.

"I went riding with Robb and Theon and then trained with them. After that we had lunch, and then I was in the library with Bran helping him with his studies." He smiled and nodded.

"How has Bran been with his studies?"

"He can recite everything about Robert's rebellion, but he has to look at Maester Luwin's notes, but is improving significantly. He has been getting better with a sword but favours a bow." Father nodded, apparently happy to hear that.

"He'll be a great knight one day as well as smart one." I nodded at this and then thought about something that I should've asked earlier.

"Father, who do you wish for me to be betrothed to?" His smile faded, and he sighed, not looking at me for a moment, only straight ahead and then he turned to me.

"There have been many suggestions. Arya is most likely to be betrothed to Gendry Baratheon, so you can't marry into that family. There is Lord Tyrion's son Podrick Lannister, Tyrstane Martell, Loras Tyrell and then potentially even Jon." I stopped in my tracks, as did Shadow, who stared up at me as I turned to father.

"Jon? As in my cousin, Prince Jon of House Targaryen?" I asked him in complete and utter surprise. I had never met my cousin, and I knew that many houses intermarried cousins, but still I didn't know him. He had never been to Winterfell. He was tutored by Tywin Lannister in the Westerlands before Tywin was reinstated as Hand last year.

"Yes, Jon would be a great match and a loyal husband, and you would be a princess and then queen." He muttered quietly as we left the Godswood. I sighed and pulled at my skirts. I had never desired to be a queen, but I supposed that would be up to father and mother as well as the king.

We part once we'd entered the courtyard and I wandered back to my room, telling my maid Irri that I felt ill and would like to take a bath and then go to sleep. She had only smiled at me and nodded before drawing up a bath for me. After thanking her, I had begun to remove my dress and then once it was ready, I slipped into it.

The hot water smelt like the scented mint and pine soap that I used and was relaxing against my bruised skin, my tired muscles and my restless mind. I sat there for a moment, gently unbraiding my long curly hair. It was soft and silky making the experience relaxing each time that I did that.

Then, I submerged myself in the water, completely. The water rushed over me and wrapped around me in a gentle caress. Beside the bath, Shadow let out a soft whimper, but it didn't sound sad at all. When I broke through the water again to breathe, I looked over at her to see her staring back at me. Shaking my head, I closed my eyes and attempted to think properly.

"Winter is coming, Shadow and it's coming for us all," I muttered to her as the water moved effortlessly around me.