Nightfall in Riverrun and the castle was far from quiet. Hoster had pushed for supplies to be removed from their winter stock and preparation were underway for his first daughter's wedding. He knew that circumstances prevented him from showing his happiness outwardly, but he was proud of the match he had made. Having seen Brandon, the way he treated his daughter and the respect he held for his father, Hoster's heart was put to ease almost instantly.

A torch was lit on the castle walls, attracting the attention of Hoster who had been standing in front of the great hall doors and watching the servants work.

"Milord! It's Lady Whent and her daughter," Byron, one of his best guards yelled.

"Byron don't you dare open those gates to them," Hoster yelled back, feeling his heart speed up and clench his chest. Shella had caused him enough trouble already with her mentions of family and blood. Nor could he accept her into his home while the very angry Starks resided in it.

Byron turned back around, facing the front of the castle and waving his torch to Shella and Merida. Hoster heard faint shouts of disagreement from the other side and screams from either mother or daughter.

ALways one for dramatics.

"Lord Tully, is everything alright?" Brandon asked rushing down from his room, robe tightly fastened around his waist and sword in hand.

It seemed Rickard had heard the screams as well for he was standing next to Hoster in the blink of an eye. "Put that godforsaken thing away, you idiot!" He grunted at Brandon. Still hostile.

Hoster scoffed and shook his head. "You wouldn't mind if I brought in Shella and Merida Whent would you? It's my obligation as their good family. Besides, I couldn't turn away a widow."

Brandon scoffed. "Of course it's not okay, what in the seven would you want them in here for? They tried to kill us al-"

"And now you have forgotten your faith as well as your respect for those of higher rank. Do what you think is best Hoster, this is after all your home. We can't tell you otherwise," Rickard said interrupting Brandon and probably preventing him from spitting out angry insults.

Hoster nodded his head and began striding to the gates. "Open the gates, let's see what they have to say this time."

The gates of Riverrun were opened, the ditch that had been filled with water and now been covered in mud, allowing Shella and Merida easy access into the castle.

The two seemed distraught, Shella holding the reigns of an agitated horse and Merida clinging tightly to the saddles. From what Brandon could remember, they hadn't changed from their clothes from the last joust. Something unusual for both mother and daughter as during the Tourney they took the habit of changing according to meal time. Merida was helped from the horse and clung to her mothers arm tightly.

"Lord Tully, thank you for your h-hospitality," Shella stuttered looking down at her feet.

"Shella, we know each other better than that," Hoster grimaced. "We'll talk in the morning. I'm sure we can find you each a room."

Shella shook her head. "We'd be better to share."

Hoster nodded his head. "Of course." He led Shella to the handmaiden's rooms to be escorted to their room. Before she left, however, he whispered, "your boys?"

Shella shook her head, her eyes welling as she did so. "It was the Frey's. Walter refused Merida's hand and they threatened us, so he agreed. We...well I was hoping for Prince Oberyn Martell but Walter would hear none of it. Everyone thinks it was us, and I don't know what will happen to my family now Hoster. My sons, they have all vanished, or we have not been told the truth of their whereabouts. Now my pure Merida must live with the thought of the man she loved slaughtering her father. You must believe Hoster, we had nothing against the Martell's or their Dornish allies. Or e-even the King. Walter loved him as a brother I know it. It wasn't our fault-"

"In the morning Shella. Take a bath, rest, change your clothes and eat some food. It's a wonder you survived on your own," Hoster pointed out. Shella nodded her head and walked off with her daughter.

Rickard cleared his throat. "We'll leave you to it, Hoster. Until morning." He gave Brandon one glare and marched up the stairs, with Brandon in tow.

...

"What do you think of this one Lyanna?" Catelyn mused, looking at the white dress that was presented to her. It was delicate and made for the summer, with flowers and beads showering it from neck to skirt.

Lyanna looked at the dress, and then to the three others laid on the bed frowning. They're the same thing. She thought to herself. "Uhm, it's pretty?"

Catelyn let out a small laugh. "You've said that about every dress."

Lyanna sighed feeling her face turn hot. "I'm sorry, I was never good at this stuff. I would just wear a simple dress, the designs seem so delicate I wouldn't even be able to sit down without feeling like I would tear it to shreds."

Lysa scoffed. Too right you'd tear it.

Catelyn rolled her eyes at her sister. "Have you seen how Merida's doing Lysa?" Catelyn asked her, mentioning for her handmaiden to bring the next dress.

Lysa looked to her sister almost screaming for her to shut up through her eyes. "No, but I'm sure she's fine."

"The man she loved killed her father, I would say she's going through a list of many reasons to vanish into thin air right now," Lyanna honestly piped taking a sip of the tea in front of her.

"She didn't love Oberyn. Merida knows better than to fall in love with a man who has a reputation for destroying women's lives," Lysa snapped back.

Lyanna rolled her eyes. This is supposed to be my good sister? "Well, then I suppose the death of her father and the fact that the Frey's have taken siege of Harrenhal, her home, has her pretty shaken up."

Lysa clenched her jaw. "Obviously."

Their argument was cut short by Catelyn sighing with relief, however. She stood from her seat at the tea table and took the dress that her handmaiden was holding up. "This is perfect, thank you, Jenny." The handmaiden bowed and left the room.

"It's...blue?" Lysa chimed, looking distastefully at the dress.

"So?" Catelyn frowned. "Blue, red and white are our colours. Red makes me look pale and all the white dresses didn't catch my eye. So blue it is."

"It's beautiful Catelyn," Lyanna smiled. "Brandon will thank you for wearing a dress of both our houses, I'm sure of it. Besides, he won't be able to take his eyes off of you." Catelyn blushed and ran her hands down the dress. It had a silky feel to it, resembling a fish, and it shone silver at a certain angle.

"It will go beautifully with mother's set, don't you think Lysa?" Catelyn mused, closing her eyes and imagining what she would look like on the day. The earrings and necklace that her mother had made especially for Catelyn's wedding, the very same ones that as a little girl she would risk a spanking to sneak into her father's room and stare at them for what seemed to be hours. The earrings were long and had a large green diamond embedded in the heart, with small pearls dotted around them and smaller silver diamonds sprinkled across it. The necklace held a similar design, but was much simpler, yielding its opulence and forcing the onlooker to feel unable to look away from it with it's twinkling and mesmerising patterns. Catelyn had memorised both.

Lysa stood from her seat, said a quiet "if you wish it," and left the room in a huff.

"I hope I haven't offended her," Lyanna said sucking in air through her teeth.

Catelyn tutted and shook her head. "Lysa has always been one for...drama. It seems to follow her everywhere she goes."

Lyanna nodded her head, raising her brows. "Oh trust me I understand younger sisters very well."

"You must miss her. I didn't talk to her much, but she seemed kind," Catelyn noted. "Though truthfully...may I be truthful?"

"We are to be sisters," Lyanna shrugged.

"I did wonder why your father hadn't introduced her to society as a Stark, rather than a bastard."

Lyanna blinked, opened her mouth, blinked again and closed her mouth. "I honestly don't know." Catelyn nodded her head, understanding. "I suppose, he didn't want her to forget who she was. Besides, it seems people don't care about those things anymore."

"Brandon told me she was to marry Prince Rhaegar. All this time I thought it was Viserys she was getting kidnapped to marry. It must be hard being the first sister and getting married to a Lord-"

"While your bastard sister gets married to the Prince, soon to be King," Lyanna finished off. She shrugged her shoulders, "I have hated that she was always the one that got the most attention, and look at where it has gotten me. I am one sister down and about to be shipped out to Storms End to live out my days. I am not jealous of her anymore, nor do I envy her situation. I can only imagine what must be being done to her. I can only imagine how she must feel. She's never gone as far as the Godswood in Winterfell you know."

"I'm sure she'll be fine. If anything, the court will make her skin stronger. Give her some experience as to be a wife and a Queen."

The room fell silent as the topic died down. Lyanna looked to Catelyn, "did you say Brandon told you?"

Catelyn blushed and looked at her lap. "Well I showed him the gardens earlier on before my sister and Petyr so rudely interrupted, we talked a little about our families. He told me that you were a little bit of a wild child yourself. I wish my father let me go hunting with Edmure. Or at least, let me watch. I fear I would be a nuisance more than a help."

"My father named it after my late mother, Minisa Whent," Catelyn said, fiddling with her hands behind her back.

Brandon nodded his head. He had dressed in a tunic and casual trousers with his sword at his side and a direwolf pin at his breast. "So that is why Lady Shella and her daughter turned up here last night."

"They're here? I thought that they..." she started, unsure of how to end her sentence. She had no idea as to where they could've gone truthfully. Brandon didn't respond, silently following her as she led him around the delicate garden. "Whatever Lord Whent might have had planned, I know they had nothing to do with it."

"No, but it's a reminder that you can't trust many. Not even your liege lords."

"My lord?" Catelyn frowned. As far as she had seen the Northern party left unscathed.

Brandon sighed, looked around as if searching for something and once he found it he led her to it. A wooden seat that he directed her towards, let her sit and followed. "I heard Lady Whent tell your father that the Frey's have set up at Harrenhal."

"Well, they are the closest ties to the castle as of now. Merida is marrying a third son," Catelyn pointed out.

Brandon shook his head. "It doesn't seem right to me, that's all."

"It doesn't seem right to anyone. But if anything, at least Merida will be allowed to stay in her childhood home."

"I would loathe calling Harrenhal my childhood home. Seems more of a destitute battleground," he said grimacing.

Catelyn laughed at his actions. "Besides, the Frey's wouldn't be able to hold it for too long. My father will have to give it to another unlucky family."

"I'm sure they'll think of something to profit from it."

"Even the Frey's couldn't make something out of completely nothing."

Brandon let out a laugh. "What would your dear Merida have to say about you offending her family to be?"

Catelyn scoffed and let her back hit the back of the wooden seat. "She would join in. The Frey's were her father's idea. I don't know why he didn't ask for a better-suited family."

"Well, he would have had the comfort of having his daughter closer."

Catelyn feigned shock. "Are you suggesting my father is sending me to the North to rid of me?"

"He might just be," Brandon smiled back. At least Catelyn was easing his mind and he appreciated the efforts she went to to make him feel welcome. "I only tease."

Catelyn bit her lip and looked down at her lap. "I hope they like me. And that I live up to your mother's expectations."

Brandon snorted, amused by her nervousness. "Benjen will probably join the Black by the time we get home, Ned will be betrothed and Lyanna, wild Lyanna, will be married and living in Storms End. It will only be you and I...and father at Winterfell I suppose. So you have nothing to fear."

"You are fond of your sisters?" Catelyn asked, admiring the love he showed for each sibling.

"Very much. Lyanna used to hunt with us during the late winter. It took her most of it to convince father supplies were running low." Catelyn let out a snort and quickly covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock and her heart beating quickly. "Did you just..snort?" Brandon asked, holding in his laughter. She looked at him almost begging with her eyes to stop teasing her. Brandon put both his hands up and pursed his lips. "The weather is lovely today isn't it?"

Catelyn softly hit his shoulder with her own. "You make me feel like a fool."

"Oh no dear wife, that was not what I intended," Brandon responded smiling foolishly at her.

"Oh that was only once, and it was at the end of winter. For rabbits, nothing too big. I didn't manage to catch any, but I felt like I ruled the world when we came home," Lyanna laughed, remembering how Arianne had stood waiting at the gates with a sack, startling Catelyn from her daydream and floating into her own memories of the not so distant past.

"What's that for?" Lyanna whispered, tugging her sister away from Brandon and Benjen, who had been boasting of their kills and asking Lyanna to see hers.

Arianne looked at her sister knowingly and opened the bag. It contained six rabbits, and by the smell, Lyanna guessed she had stolen them from the supply room. "Lyanna! You caught six rabbits!?" Arianne squealed, handing the sack to Lyanna and clapping her hands.

"Six!? You were with me the whole time, I didn't see you catch anything," Brandon huffed trying to pull the sack form Lyanna's hands.

Lyanna tugged it back. "Oh," she pouted. "Afraid your little sister beat you, my lord?"

"Give that here and let me count them, you two aren't the brightest candles to be lit are you now?" He glared, pulling it back.

Arianne let out a gasp and pushed Brandon away. "Go and eat your little ducks, we're going to show father that Lyanna can hunt. Who knows, maybe one day she'll be apart of the hunting group."

"She was my biggest follower," she said smiling half-heartedly.

Catelyn looked around her room as if looking for a new matter of subject. "Speaking of betrothals, have you hear what has happened at Storms End?" She smiled, sitting down in her chair and moving it closer to Lyanna's.

"No, I've never been one to know anything about anyone," Lyanna smiled back.

Catelyn let out a small gasp. "Stannis' wife has had another miscarriage. The third. And it is said, that she has run away. Not even her own mother and father know where to," Catelyn said, nodding her head at every detail.

Lyanna looked at her shocked. "What will he do now? I hope she's alright-"

"Never you mind that," Catelyn smirked tapping Lyanna's nose. "It's perfect don't you see?"

Lyanna looked at her confused. "What'sperfect? That Stannis will be depressed by the time I am living in Storms End?"

Catelyn shook her head. "You'll see. But it'll be perfect. Now shall we go see Merida? I know that wedding preparations might cheer her up. Especially Aunt Shella, she always loved planning our name days when we were younger."

Lyanna, in a cloud of confusion, was lifted from her seat and dragged out of the room.

...