Monster // Petyr Baelish

1. Misconception

"Puppies!" Rieka squealed with delight. 

"Sweet sister." Robb presented his twin with a direwolf pup.

"Sweet? You must be thinking about Sansa, but I'm keeping him!" Rieka assured cradling the pup to her happily. 

"You need me to repeat the schpeal?" Ned pondered. 

"Daddy dearest you got us puppies!" Rieka declared. "Best daddy ever." 

"Daddy," Ned repeated hugging his eldest daughter to him. "Wow, you must really like the wolf." 

"Love him!" Rieka agreed. "Oh, Jon got a white one." Rieka stared back at the little white pup in awe.

"I thought you loved him?" Ned countered. Rieka looked to the snow white pup and back to her own. 

"I do. I do... Rieka assured. "What am I going name him?"

"Well its a bitch, so start there." Theon corrected. 

"Language." Ned hissed. 

"It's a female." Theon altered. 

"I knew what he meant father." Rieka assured "But i love the look of fear in Theons eyes when you raise your voice." Ned chuckled as Rickon came out with Arya, equally as excited. 

"So, who convinced father that it was a good idea to bring these pups back to winterfell?" Rieka questioned looking around the boys. "So I can give him a kiss."

"Bran." Jon answered as Theon opened his mouth to lie and say it was definitely him. 

"My good boy." Rieka coed pressing a kiss to Bran's cheek. 

"You couldnt let me have that?" Theon questioned as they walked off. 

"Never." Robb agreed. 

+

"The king is riding to Winterfell to seek you out." Catelyn remarked. It took Ned a moment to comprehend her words, but when the understanding came, a brow rose up intrigued. 

"Robert is coming here?" Ned questioned in disbelief. When she nodded, a smile broke across his face. Catelyn wished she could share his joy. 

But the wolves had come home and she had heard the talk in the yards. What the men had seen when collecting the pups. A direwolf dead in the snow, a broken antler in its throat. Dread coiled within her like a snake, but she forced herself to smile at this man she loved, this man who put no faith in signs. Only the joy of getting to see his eldest friend. 

"I knew that would please you," she said. "We should send word to your brother on the Wall."

"Yes, of course," Ned agreed. "Ben will want to be here. I shall tell Maester Luwin to send his swiftest bird." Ned was giddy with excitement. "Damnation, how many years has it been?" Ned pondered thinking it through. "And he gives us no more notice than this? How many in his party, did the message say?"

"I should think a hundred knights, at the least, with all their retainers, and half again as many free riders. Cersei and the children travel with them." Catelyn pondered.

"Robert will keep an easy pace for their sakes," he remarked. "It is just as well. That will give us more time to prepare."

"The queen's brothers are also in the party," Catelyn told him. Ned grimaced.

 There was small love between him and the queen's family, Catelyn knew, everyone knew. The Lannisters of Casterly Rock had come late to Robert's cause, when victory was all but certain, and he had never forgiven them.

"Well, if the price for Robert's company is an infestation of Lannisters, so be it. It sounds as though Robert is bringing half his court."

"Where the king goes, the realm follows," Catelyn agreed when a pup came bouding through the door. "Heavens not in the bed chambers." Catelyn groaned out. 

"Get back here!" Rieka declared chasing her pup. 

"I should have known better." Catelyn mused. "It would be your troublesome pup, Rieka." 

"Not troublesome." Rieka declared bringing an offended hand to her heart. "Mother, my pup will be the best trained pup in the lands, she will be the most loyal, the most beautiful, the most..."

Ned was already shaking his head knowing her next words. 

"Vicious." 

"What did you name that soon to be vicious pup?" Ned pondered as he picked her up, the pup licked at his arms contently. 'Vicious." Ned mused as Rieka took her from Ned. 

"Will be. She will be." Rieka assured. "I named her Avalon." 

"Ah, Avalon a paradise." Ned agreed. 

"Misconception." Rieka agreed. "Think shes a sweet little thing and then, bam attack!" Rieka held Avalon out and she wagged her tail, her tongue hanging out. 

"Vicious." Ned repeated petting Avalon before kissing Rieka's head. "Dont stay up too late training your attack wolf." Ned instructed. Rieka smirked back at him. 

"And keep the wolves out of the castle." Catelyn added and both Rieka and Ned gave her a pointed look. "They can stay outside, in the kennels."

"Shes just a baby." Rieka corrected. "It's so cold."

"Rieka-"

"You stay outside." Rieka corrected and Catelyn's jaw dropped. Rieka stood her ground. "She's a baby, if you can handle the harsh elements of the north then I would consider it. And if you didnt survive the elements-"

"Rieka Rose!" Catelyn shouted. 

"-Then well I really dont have to worry about it." Rieka finished. 

"Get out." Catelyn demanded. 

"Love ya." Rieka called over her shoulder. 

"Your daughter." Catelyn decided. 

"Yeah, my daughter." Ned agreed. Rieka winked back at him before closing their door.