Cats And Roses

Cat in a cage

You lived up in the North locked away in your family's fort for as long as you can remember. You understood that as a member of family Bane this was expected of you. Never leave the fort, stay where you belong, marry someone of your father's likings. Your family was very dear to you and it was never held a secret that your father will wed you off to some rich lord and to some it may seem strange that you'd wanted to mary someone you've never met before, but you hated the North.
You hated the summer snow and the long cold nights, never seeing any land further than the Enchanted forest where the Banes and the Sangsterns lived for hundreds of years. You desperately wanted to leave, to be free, to travel and ride wherever your heart desired. A marrige proposal might just be what you were always waiting for.
You wished to see the South, since your only taste of freedom was when you sneaked down to the kitchens and asked Lester to escort you to the special place in the woods where you could look up and see every star in the sky glistening in your eyes promising you a better life away from the forest and the Mistfort and your prisonlike lifestyle.
But you knew very well that could never happen. Your Lord Father had already promised you to Lord Sangstern who was your friend Clara's brother. He thought he was doing you a favor by marrying you to someone you knew since you were a babe. But how could he see that all you ever wanted was to be free? Well, you couldn't blame him. The Banes and Sangsterns have always been mysterius. Like a legend of some sort. He could never let you leave.

One specialy cloudy and cold day you sneaked out to meet with Clara by the pond. She was already there when you got to the place.
Her cheecks were flushed and she was breathing heavily like she just ran for a very long time. She nervously tucked a string of her long red hair behind her ear. It wasn't like her to wear her hair down ... or get it messed up ... or even to be out of breath. She never ran nor hurry anywhere.
You took a second look at her. She was in teribble condition. There was mud and dirt all over her dress and hands.

"By the old gods and the new, what happened to you?" you ask curious.

"I ... was ... running ... to meet ... fell ..." she said hardly catching breath.

"Yes, I can see that" you raised an eyebrow "But why exactly?"

She finally got enough air in her lungs to speak without taking breaks between words.

"My Brother was talking about a marriage proposal from Lord Stark ... from Winterfell to be accurate".

She got your attention there.

"What proposal?" you ask panicking just slighltly.

"I don't know. As soon as I heard a word from it I ran here to tell you, Lucy" she said and smiled "I can't wait to leave the Forest" her eyes were full of hope. You never realised thet she wanted to run away as badly as you did.

"How do you know that you are the one that our parents will send to Winterfell?"

She looked at you and frowned. "Why wouldn't they?"

"You are only ten! You can't bear children for anyone. No lord would want to marry you ... yet" you added when she gave you a sad look. She couldn't blame you for saying what was on your mind. You always did and said what you felt was right.

Except this time. You felt bad for her, but you and everyone in you family knew Clara could never get married.
Not that there was anything wrong with her. She was just born in the wrong house. The Sangsterns were one of the oldest and most respected families in the North. But they werent't good allies. They never took sides in wars, they wouldn't even get close to one. They had a small army and whole of Westeros filled with their spies. Yet no one with the exeption of Banes knew that. Sangsterns valued knowledge and books and there wouldn't be any benefit for a family like the Starks to wed one of them.
Well, if you thought it through, why would they want you?
It was true that your Father was a loyal bannerman to Lord Stark and one of his closest friends, but his eldest son was only six or seven years old. Unless ... maybe you would go and live in Winterfell untill you and Robb come of age.
Just the thought of getting out of the Enchanted forest filled you with happiness and also a pinch of sadness. After all you've hoped for you wouldn't be able to leave the North.

"You are only two years older than me!" Clara brought you out of your daydream "I can't see the reason why they wouldn't want me."

You smiled at her "Well, we'll just have to see. Lets take a walk through the woods shall we?"
She playfully took your hand and you both dissapeared in the mist around the trees.
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When you got out of the woods with Lester you left him in the kitchens and made your way to your chambers. Your handmaidens prepared you a hot bath and you quickly got out of the mud stained boys clothes which you used to ride and walk in. Your parents expected you in the Great hall to attend dinner.
After the bath you swiftly dressed in a gown with a fur neckline, fastened a golden nacklace with a symbol of your house on a pendant around your neck and went down the staircase to meet Lord and Lady Bane.

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A/N
Thank you if you are reading this, it's my first story on Wattpad, so I hope you enjoy it. This work will be based on the GoT series and not the books because I haven't read them YET and also there is way to many characters in the books.

Also sorry for any spelling mistakes (English isn't my first language).