Ella Snow and her twin brother are outsiders in the house of their father, Lord Eddard Stark. Ella has no one else in the world, except her brother Jon. Join Ella on her journey as she uncovers truths that could destroy her and those she loves.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"We can't defend the North from the Walkers and the South from the Boltons. If we want to survive, we need Winterfell. And to take Winterell, we need more men," Jon stated.
They were all gathered around a map of Westeros in the Great Hall, planning out their attack on Winterfell. Ella sat next to Davos, examining the map as Jon paced back and forth. Sansa, Edd, and Brienne sat opposite of Ella, and Tormund sat at the head of the table. Melisandra, though Ella did not know why she was there, sat at the far end of the table.
"Aside from the Starks and the Boltons, the most powerful houses in the North are the Umbers, the Karstarks, and the Manderlys." Davos stood from his seat, dragging stones across the map to represent the two houses already siding with Ramsay.
"The Umbers and the Karstarks have long since declared for the Boltons, according to Ser Davos," Ella stated.
"We're not doing so well there," Davos sighed.
"The Umbers gave Rickon to our enemies. They can hang. But, the Karstarks declared Ramsay without knowing they had another choice."
"I beg your pardon my lady," Davos began, "but they know that a Stark beheaded their father. I don't think we can count on them either."
"How well do you know the North, Ser Davos?" Sansa questioned the Onion Knight.
"Precious little, my lady," he replied.
"My father always spoke of how Northerners were different. More loyal. More suspicious of outsiders," Sansa stated.
"They may well be loyal," Davos began to argue, "but how many rose up against the Boltons when they betrayed your family? I may not know the North, but I do know men. They're more or less the same in any corner of the world. Even the bravest of them don't want to see their wives or children skinned for a lost cause. If Jon is going to convince them to fight alongside him, they need to believe it's a fight they can win."
Silence filled the room before Ella rose from her seat, being the first to speak up. "There are more than three houses in the North. Glover, Mormont, Cerwyn, Mazin, Hornwood. Two dozen more. Together, they equal all the others. We can start small and build."
"The North remembers," Sansa stated. "They remember the Stark name. People will still risk everything for it, from White Harbor to Ramsay's own door."
"I don't doubt it, but Jon doesn't have the Stark name. Miss Ella doesn't have the Stark name, either." Davos retorted.
"No, but I do." Jon and Ella turned their attention to Sansa. The once shy girl who wanted to become queen was now a diplomatic woman, ready to defend her family and her home. "Jon is every bit of Ned Stark's son as Ramsay is Roose Bolton's. And there are also the Tully's. They're not of the North, but they will back us against the Boltons without question."
"I didn't know the Tullys still had an army," Davos whisperd.
"My uncle, the Blackfish, has reformed it and taken back Riverrun," Sansa smiled as she shared this bit of information.
"How do you know that?" Jon questioned his sister.
Sansa paused before she answered. "Ramsay received a raven before I escaped Winterfell."
Ella scrunched her face while examing Sansa. The lone wolf knew Sansa was lying, but she let her suspicions slide.
"That's good," Davos said. "The Blackfish is a legend. His support would mean a great deal. Stark, Tully, a few more houses and we are looking like the winning side."
The meeting soon drew to a conclusion after an hour of planning and organizing. One by one, they exited the Great Hall and departed for their own quarters. Sansa asked Ella to join her in her chambers, and so she did. Sansa ushered her sister into her room, and they took a seat by the fire, trying to warm from the chilling winds outside.
"I have a present for you," Sansa smiled to her sister. "It'll match the necklace Father gave you. You still have it, right?"
"My necklace? How do you know about that?" Ella asked as Sansa stood from her spot.
"I was with Father when he got it made for you. He went to one of the finest jewelers in King's Landing to have it made specially for you. He said he wanted to make things up to you." Ella instinctively eached for her direwolf necklace that remained around her neck. The special token was never taken off since Ella received it.
The red headed girl strolled over to the corner and pulled out a piece of neatly folded material. She passed it to her sister and watched as Ella unfolded the pale blue material. Ella soon realized Sansa sewed her a beautiful top and pair of dark gray trousers. A black direwolf was woven through the top of the material on the left side, above the heart. Moving across the chest was gray thread woven into the fabric, connecting to small, red weirdwood tree leaves. It was as if Sansa connected Ella's past to her present.
"I know you're considered a Snow in Westeros," Sansa started, "but you're a true Stark to me. You're my sister, and I'm proud to call you family."
Ella felt tears form in her eyes. The beauty close to her. The outfit itself was absolutely beautiful, but the sentiment behind meant the most to Ella. The black direwolf represented Asena and her family, while the weirwood leaves reminded her of simpler times spent in the Godswood of Winter, and the pale blue matched her eyes almost perfectly.
"Sansa, I don't deserve this," the girl whispered. "I can't tell you how many nasty thoughts I had towards you when we were children. I always thought you were spoiled and annoying. But to be honest, I was a little jealous of you. Of being a true-born Stark. That was all I ever wanted when I was younger, to be accepted by the Stark family as one of their own. I'm deeply sorry for everything."
"Ella," Sansa said, taking Ella's hands in hers, "you were never anything but nice to me. You don't have to apologize for what you thought or how you felt. You had every right to think of me as annoying and spoiled. I was bratty, and I know it. If anyone should apologize, it's me. I treated you like dirt for most of our lives because I was jealous of you. I wanted to be beautiful like you."
"Me?" Ella questioned her sister. "I wanted to look like you! Sansa, you were absolutely beautiful, and you've turned into a fine young woman."
"Well, so have you!" Sansa exclaimed. "Stop worrying so much about the past, Ella. It's over and done with. All we can do now is look to the future."
"If we have one," Ella sighed. "Sansa, I need you to believe me when I say the White Walkers are real. All those stories Old Nan told to us as children about the Walkers and an endless winter are true. If we don't win Winterfell back and unite forces, Westeros is doomed."
Sansa straightened up and looked deep into her sister's eyes. "I always thought those stories were nonsense. Ice creatures and magical being didn't seem real to me," she admitted. "I guess I should have listened better. I'm just scared of what will happen if we lose to Ramsay. I won't go back to him, Ella. I can't."
Tears fell from Sansa's eyes as she thought about the worst outcome of the upcoming battle. Ella pulled Sansa into her embrace, trying to ease her sister's nerves.
"Shh, it's okay," Ella stroked Sansa's auburn hair. "We'll make it through this, I promise. But for now, try to sleep. Your with family now, Sansa. No harm can come to you hear. I'll make sure of it."
