Game of Thrones - The Rose of Winterfell

Winterfell

Taking a deep breath, I sat beside my younger sisters, Sansa and Arya, as we embroidered alongside the daughters of our Father, Lord Eddard Stark's bannerman. At the same time, Septa Mordane presided over us only to gush about Sansa's work. I moved to thread my needle through the fabric to complete the gray direwolf, our house's sigil, when I heard, "what is this?" Blinking, I looked up to find Septa Mordane standing over me as I said, "I figured you would recognize the sigil of your lord's house." She took a deep gasping breath as Sansa gasped in surprise. While Arya giggled to herself only to receive a scolded look from Septa Mordane as she said, "I can see that it is the Stark direwolf, but my question to you is, why are you embroidering it." Tilting my head to the right, I just stared at her as I calmly said, "I wanted to." The other girls gasped in surprise, along with Sansa. Septa took a deep breath as a sour look settled upon her features before she said, "you were instructed to embroider a flower, not a direwolf." Wishing to roll my eyes, I bit my lip as I glanced at Arya. She smirked until we heard our brothers laughing through the open window.

"Lady Ilyanna!" Sighing to myself, I glanced away from Arya as I softly said, "I completed the flower you instructed me to embroider yesterday, Septa Mordane." Before she could cross her arms, I turned the corner of the fabric I was working with to show a beautiful Winter Rose. "After showing it to my Mother, Lady Stark, my Father, Lord Stark, suggested I practice our family sigil so I may decorate the cloaks of my brothers with it." She huffed before motioning for me to continue when I heard, "Ilyanna, may I...?" Turning my head, I glanced at Arya before motioning for her to show me what she had accomplished. With a deep sigh, she did, and while I was happy she attempted, I realized that she had not created anything. "We will work on your skills later, little wolf." With a bright smile, she set her wheel down and stood to run out of the room as I did the same before saying, "Arya, wait a moment." She stopped before the door, slowly turning around to look at me as I said, "little wolf, what do you do when you wish to be excused from the company of others?" With a huff, she stomped back over, curtsied to Septa Mordane only to growl, "may I be excused?" Septa Mordane glanced at her before looking at me as I politely asked, "may we be excused, Septa Mordane, to take a walk about the courtyard?" With a deep sigh, she motioned us away as I nudged Arya's shoulder. She glanced up at me with a smile as we hurried to the door, opened it, and darted into the corridor, hearing, "thank goodness one of the Stark girls will be a proper lady." Ignoring the old woman, I glanced down at Arya before tugging the skirts of my gray-blue gown as I said, "race you outside." Only to run ahead of her as she yelled, "not fair, you're taller than me." I giggled before saying, "my height has nothing to do with running!"

Running through the corridor, I nodded hello to a few servants we passed by on our way out to the courtyard where our brothers were. Once outside, I took a deep breath before smiling upon seeing Bran practicing with his bow while my elder twin brother Robb, who was 17 years of age like I, and our half-brother Jon, who was also 17 but a few months older, watched over the lesson. I moved to walk over, only to reach out to tug Arya backward while she asked, "but?" I offered her a smile before motioning for her to be quiet. With a curious glance, I grabbed hold of her hand and bow and an arrow and led her through the various stalls littering the courtyard until we came to one about forty paces away from the target Bran was facing. Passing her the bow, I watched her eyes light up as I motioned for her to wait as Father said, "and which one of you was a marksman at 10?" With an arched eyebrow, I handed her the arrow and stepped back as we heard, "keep practicing, Bran." We watched Bran stare up at Father momentarily before returning his attention to his bow as Father said, "go on."

Nodding that it was the time, I softly said, "go on and show our brothers that the Stark Girls are just as good as they are a little wolf." With a nod, Arya flashed me a smile, nocked the arrow, and pulled the string back a few seconds before Bran. Taking a deep breath, I watched her release the shaft only to see it sail through the air and hit the target dead center before Bran could fire. Bran whipped his head around and just stared at us. Smiling, I felt Arya curtsy beside me while wearing a bright smile on her face. Smiling, I glanced at Robb and Jon, who were staring at us, as I said, "perfect little wolf. You'll be better than me one day." She glanced up at me, surprised as she opened her mouth to speak, only to drop the bow as Bran suddenly approached us. Smiling, I yelled, "go, Arya," while Robb yelled, "quick, Bran!" With a wink, I watched Arya sprint away as Bran climbed the pen wall to chase after her Jon yelled, "faster," as I yelled, "run for the kitchen Arya!" Her only reply was to laugh as they ran away. Shaking my head, I stepped up to the pen wall, gathered my skirts, and climbed over it when I heard, "do you need a hand?"