Game Of Thrones - One-Shots

Stannis - Stark Reader - Circumstances

You couldn't help but feel that life was harder on your family than it should have been. Married off to a Northern lord at a young age, you hadn't seen your siblings in years. During the war, your father and brother had been killed by the mad king. Then Eddard sent word that your younger sister had also been killed. Your husband was also killed, leaving you to rule his keep.

Years later, your brother was killed, your nephew had started a war and became the king of the North, only to be killed by the Frays, your sister in law with him. And now there is yet another war brewing, between your nephew and Ramsey Bolton.

With your keep on the ocean, right between Winterfell and the Wall, you hadn't expected the journey to take as long as it had. But with snow covering the ground like a thick blanket, your men were moving slowly. What would usually take a week at most took you nearly three.

When you saw the gates of Castle Black opening before you, a sigh of relief left you. After being in the bitter weather for weeks, all you wanted was to collapse onto a real bed with a warm fire blazing in the chambers. But the three figures standing in the gate means that it is not likely to happen any time soon.

"My lady, you are a long way from home," the young man in black says, stepping forward.

"You must be Jon Snow." You climb off of your horse, giving the reins to one of your men. "I know we've never met before but I feel that I know you already. Eddard wrote about you so much. About all of his kids really." His brows knit together in confusion.

"Who are you?" A woman steps forward beside Jon, her red hair flowing down her back.

"I thought you were still in Kings landing," you say quietly. Sansa seems to be the perfect mix of Cat and Ned, you think as you stare at her.

"I'm surprised you didn't recognize her immediately," a familiar voice says. The third figure steps forward, grinning at you. "You haven't changed a bit Y/n."

"I remember you having more hair," you joke, grinning at him.

"Who are you," Sansa repeats, making it a statement instead of a question.

"I'm Y/n Stark. I was your fathers elder sister."

————
Much later that evening, after Jon and Sansa had told you everything that has been happening and your men had settled in, you were relaxing in your chambers and staring at the fire. Nestled on the coast behind a large mountain range, news got to your keep slowly and often late. Hearing the news and everything that has happened to your niece and nephew, you really hate the location of your home more than ever before.

A loud knocking on your door drags you out of your thoughts and away from from the flames. Swinging the door open, Stannis is standing there. He smiles softly at you.

"May I come in?"

"Of course," you reply moving so he can pass by you. He sits in the one chair in the room so you sit on the edge of the bed.

"It really has been so long."

"I know. I'm sorry about your wife. Jon said she passed while on the way here."

"The cold is a dangerous thing when your not from the north. We'd grown distant from each other over the last few years though. She always felt bad that she never gave me a son. It's been hard on Shireen."

"I can imagine. At least you turned around when you did." He looks away from you briefly, fidgeting with his fingers.

"How have you been? I was surprised to hear that you never wed again." You grin at him.

"Ned always had trouble telling me what to do. He tried to talk me into another marriage but I refused him over and over again. He gave up eventually." Stannis leans forward in the chair, resting his arms on his legs. You lean forward as well, making it so that there is only inches between your faces.

"Why not take another though? Many would have happily wed you."

"I liked running the keep on my own. Being wed to another person would have meant leaving that behind."

"Is that truly why?" He questions you, reaching forward to grab your hand and interlace your fingers with his. "Or could it be that he never suggested the man you truly wanted?"

"I may have had my eye on someone but life got in the way. Things may have changed though."

"Is that so?"

"Just kiss me already," you say, pulling him towards you. It's all the prompt he needs as his lips connect with yours and you lay back on the bed with him on top of you.

Sometime later you both lay in the bed with nothing but the furs covering you. You're drawing small circles on Stannis's chest while his fingers run up and down your back slowly. This is the most content you've been in a long time, yet you know the second the sun starts rise that the real world will come calling for you both.

"You know, I'm sure we can find a priest quickly. We could be wed before the coming battle."

"No," you say softly, tilting your head so you can look at his face. "If we both make it through the battle, I'll gladly wed you. But not until after."

Making me earn your hand then, are you?"

"No, I'm giving us both some motivation," you reply, grinning at him. He chuckles, placing a small kiss on your forehead.  You both quickly fall asleep in each other's arms, feeling safe together.