Chapter 9

  CREGAN STARK

  Cregan had long pted on just how much to divulge to his father, and in the end, he had decided to tell him enough to figure out how mu his own. For all his faults, Eddard Stark loved his children and kin, and he hoped the man would take his warnings about Joffrey to heart.

  He had tried to influence Sansa as much as he could, but he had been away from her and the rest of his siblings for years, aers could only affect them so much. But now that he was here, he had a few moons to see them bee better learned and aware of the dangers of the world around them.

  And if his father chose to ignore his warning and still tried to wed Joffrey and Sansa, then there was still a card left for him to py. Ohat would endaheir retionship as he would then threaten to reveal his owest shame a, but he hoped very much that it would not e to that.

  Cregahat he had not done enough. But unlike before, when he was in the capital, he could try. He could try, and he had already set things in motion. These were small things, but there was not a lot a boy barely into puberty could do, at least one who was not a prince.

  And as he y there in bed, pain searing through his leg, he turo the metal fsk by his side and was much tempted to take a few more sips of the liquid in it, a he had to force himself away from the temptation for despite its pain-relieving effects he had no desire to bee addicted to it or lose his sense of self.

  And suddenly, he felt the locks on his door open up as he perked up. His heart raced as he reached for the e beside his bed and twisted its handle as the door swung open.

  "Who is the..." but thankfully, before he had pulled out the handle, he saw just who it was.

  "Arya," he called out as he saw his little sister standing there irousers and shirt, and then a few more faces emerged from the darkness. Faces of the rest of his brethren.

  Sansa, Robb, and even Bran, though not Jon nor Theon. Not that he mihe tter's absence.

  "I told you we shouldn't have e. He has been riding for days and needs rest," Robb admohe little Arya who had run into the room, yet did the same heless and Sansa followed suit, ing in behind them as she quietly pushed the door back.

  "No, it is fine," he intervened as he looked at Robb as Arya flung herself at him, and he secretly twisted the e's handle once more without aig and put it to the side once more.

  "Ouch," he winced warmly as Arya plopped herself to his side.

  "You promised us stories, a lot of stories," and it was a bit of tradition for him to tell them a story befoing to bed once a week when they were young.

  "How do you even remember that," he asked because Arya was not young enough to remember them.

  "When you went away, Sansa took oradition," Robb added as he pulled in a chair. He looked towards Sansa, who smiled warmly.

  "I remembered them and told them to Arya and Bran. It was not as good as you, but we made do," she replied as a sense of warmth and affe filled him, as he chuckled.

  "That is good of you," he added.

  "But Robb says she makes them mirly," Arya cut in as Sansa's face twisted. She turowards the eldest with a sharp look, who was now wing.

  "He said that yours were more fun, and real, and fun," and the way Sansa narrowed her eyes at Robb, he looked away as Sansa tried to pinch his arm.

  "You da..."

  "I am afraid we are missing someohen," he added as Robb began.

  "Brandon has goo sleep. I don't think he will be able to join us, and someone was rather insistent they wished to hear a story," he said, looking at Arya, who had plopped herself by his side, enjoying the warmth of his thiket.

  "I am not talking about Brandon," and at that, Robb's eyes widened as he turowards the door once more. It ened up once more, and the st of their group joihem, and another boy ehe room.

  One nearly as old as Robb, but with a face that much resembled his own. And he had not e alone, for in his arms was a small wolf pup, ohat was a dull grey with bright red irises.

  "It is good to see you again, Jon," he said as the boy walked into the room a bit awkwardly, yet he smiled at his greeting.

  "JON!" Arya cried out in awe as both Sansa and Robb, moved to quieten her up.

  "I sent him the message," Robb added as Jon smiled at him.

  "I wouldn't have e, but this one was being rather restless, even more so than usual," he poi the small dire wolf pup as it growled in his hands.

  "It has been rather restless ever since your arrival, so I thought perhaps it would ease up if it was with you," he added as he held it out for him, and as soon as Cregan stared into those red eyes, the direwolf settled down.

  And he felt it, unlike his siblings who had not experiehe art of skinging, he felt it instantly, as soon as he took the direwolf in his hands, as he felt it ease up, as it coiled itself around in his p.

  "Its a girl," he added, as Jon nodded.

  "It is. Lord Stark asked me to care for it until you came back. I have been feeding it and looking after it until then. I help you with it if you ," but the boy stopped as he saw it settle down in his p.

  "But I don't think it will be necessary," he whispered out the st part as Cregan nodded.

  "Wow. She is far more well-behaved than Nymeria," Arya cut in as she watched it enviously.

  "She barely listens to me," as Cregan shrugged.

  "Have you thought of a name?" Sansa asked, but he had not. As he stared at it, he thought of one.

  "Aurora," he whispered and saw it perk up at that, yet it settled down as if accepting it.

  "Aurora, that's unique," Robb added, and Cregan shrugged.

  "It is much better than the one Sansa chose," Arya cut in as she made a face.

  "Who even calls a direwolf Lady," she balked as Sansa huffed.

  "It is a perfectly appropriate name," Sansa defended as he decided to cut in.

  "Well, it is a name inspired by the name of a Goddess," he began as he transitioned into the voice he would often use when they would gather, just as this years ago.

  "The Goddess of beauty, one whose name inspired the name of a girl," he began as he decided oory for the night.

  "Artoria," he finished and saw Arya's eyes widen in fasation as he tinued.

  "However the people knew her by a different name, a young man's name, for while all the people in her nds knew of her as the noble and pious King Arthur, the truth was that she was no man," he began as Joled down on a chair besides Robb as Cregan tinued.

  "She was in truth a woman, named after the Goddess of beauty Aurora, she was called..." and Arya's eyes lit up at those words.

  "...Artoria Pendragon, the ruler of Great Britania, the wielder of the sacred bde..."

  "...Excalibur..."

  And as Death came for them from the North and the South, the Stark children sat in a single room huddled under a single b as they heard a tale from worlds apart.

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  SANSA STARK

  Many a moon had passed since Cregan's return, and now the castle was bustling with activity as the Royal ente approached Winterfell, and the bustling was only set to increase as lords and dies from all over the North came to the castle to pay their respects to the King.

  It was rare for them to see a King, much rarer for oo visit their nds, and so all of the Lords and dies had now gathered at Winterfell to catch a glimpse of the Royal family.

  Sansa's owement had died down somewhat, at least when it came to the Prince whom she had once pined over in a way, as she learned of his rather rude and cruel behavior. She did not know what to make of it, and how could a Prinsult her own brother like that, calling him a cripple and treating his siblings so cruelly.

  She did not wish to believe Cregan's words at first, but from all that she knew of her twin, she khat he was not a liar. And that he did not like the Royal family. Not o, and for some reason that made her dislike them as well.

  "That is beautiful," the Septa spoke softly as she examined her words. Her stitches, after years of practice, were better than most of her peers as the Septa examihe grey direwolf she had sewn.

  "Such detail," the Septa Mordane gasped as Jeyne, her friend, smiled at her.

  "Thank you, Septa," and with that she moved on to her friend, as Arya sat there disgruntled and much more ied in the sounds ing from the yard outside.

  "What is this, Arya!" the Septa raged as she examined her sister's work, and for years, Sansa had e, seeing her sister getting told off by the Septa.

  "This is a disgrace, young dy. Is this what I have taught you? One would think that you are more suited to shoe a hor..." and the insults were ing still when the doors to the chamber opened up.

  "What is going on here..." a rather familia voiterrupted the Septa, as they all turned and saw Cregan standing there with a smile on his face.

  "Master Cregan," the Septa greeted as Jeyne's eyes glew, and her face flushed. Her friend had found herself enamored with her twin for some reason, much like half the girls at court.

  "Ladies," he greeted them all as Jeyne, as he walked in and raised a brow.

  "I asked what was going on?" he spoke, yet this time his tone was not as soft, and the Septa uood that.

  "I was just edug the young Lady Stark oitches, her embroidery is a disgrace to that which is required of a dy of a noble House," Septa Mordane was strict but though Cregan was youhan Robb, he had always been the more mature of the two.

  And the more sharper, and she could tell that he was angry even though the Setpa could not.

  "Really, that is an iing way of teag. Ohat I hope you might introduce to the Princess when she es here in a day or two," and there it was, the Septa twitched at those words.

  "Your mother..." Cregan did not let her finish as he took Arya's work and seemed to be taken aback as he looked at their younger sister, who was looking down in embarrassment.

  "My mother will learn of the truth. The whole truth, and I assure you she will not appreciate your attitude or toher woman," and then he passed it back to Arya as he ruffled her hair.

  "And this one, she is a lost cause. I don't think she is made for sewing, not this one," he added as he smiled.

  "Maybe a sword will suit her well," and Arya's eyes lit up at those words.

  "That is a disgrao proper dy..."

  "I think the lesson is done. My dy mother has need of you all fine dies, so why don't we leave," he cpped as they all began to stand up as the Septa flushed in rage, and Arya was the first to jump out of the room as Cregan stood there fag the flushed woman with a cold expression.

  And as the room emptied, all for except him, the Septa, and herself.

  "Remember Septa Mordahat this is not the South, nor are Sansa and Arya southerhey are from the North, and they are Starks. If you ever insult my sister like that again, I care not for what Mother says, but I will make sure that you are sent away from these nds the day..." and there was a chill in the air as she saw Septa's nostrils fre.

  "How dare you. I will talk to your mothe..."

  "Talk to her as much as you want, but remember my words. This is not the South, and they are not some irls for you to bully. They are daughters of House Stark, dies of the North, and you will respect them as such. Both of them!" and the Septa huffed as she brushed past him, rushing out the room as she saw Cregan's eyes move towards her, and the rage vanished.

  But it was repced by something else.

  "I am disappointed in you Sansa," he spoke as she looked down, flushed in embarrassment knowing full well what he meant by those words.

  "Brash as she maybe Arya is our sister, younger sister. You ot let your friends, and this old woman insult her like that," she replied petuntly.

  "I know," and she did indeed as he sighed and ruffled her hair.

  "Be more careful. And I was right about the other thing, we are not Southerners, we are Starks and ods are the Old Gods. These knights and fairytales that she speaks of no longer exist," and he always said that.

  And said with such surety and pain that Sansa could barely question it.

  "I will try to be better," and he shrugged.

  "I hope so. Now e join me. I am going to the yard," she said, and with that, they both walked together, their steps slow as she saw him using his e.

  "She will pin of you to Mother," she added as they he yard.

  "Let her," Cregan said as they walked out into the yard. They saw Jon and Robb sparring with one another, and Arya cheered on loudly.

  "I will deal with it," and they joined Arya as they began to cheer on Robb and Jon as they sparred with blunted bdes. It was a tight battle, but one Robb won.

  "Yeah," Arya cheered as Robb helped Jon back up, and she saw their father up there on the baly, watg it all with a ptive gaze. No, he was not watg the spar.

  He was watg them. He was looking at Cregan, and he had that same ptive expression on his face, the very somber look that had been pstered on his faany a moon now.

  Ever since he had met with Cregan in his sor.

  "Damn," she cursed as she saw their mother appear beside him, searg the yard for a sed before her eyes nded on them. an, her lips thinned before she turned a guard and spoke in a hush.

  "I told you yoing to get into trouble," she whispered tan, who was rather nont about it all.

  "I will ha..." and as she had expected, the guard came upon them.

  "Master Cregan, your mother is calling for you..."

  "I will be there...."

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