Frost Comes Before Winter

Paradise Lost

Three months passed since that day by the godswood. Our training commenced as usual and we excelled in it, much to the chagrin of the Starks who wished they could somehow prevent our fates that had been decided for us. Catelyn had clothes made in the fashion of Winterfell that were warmer than the flashy and already revealing clothing Donald had us wearing. The boys were annoying as ever, but had their sweet moments. Ned acted like the father we never knew, & even though it was against the normal way of doing things we got to join him and the boys on hunts. I didn't much care for it, except being out in nature and exploring, but Artemis thrived. She could pick up a trail faster than anyone else even if there wasn't much to go on. She was a natural huntress and it showed. She and Gendry often paired off on foot to track down a lead. Ned and Robb would ride off in another direction. Jon would stay with me and we would ride in no particular direction. One day though it changed and Ned called Jon to ride with him, leaving Robb with me. After several minutes of dreadful silence Robb huffed and said, "It has been three months, Aphrodite. Why do you still refuse to talk to me? You talk to Jon whenever he isn't with me & even Gendry. What's wrong with me?" "Nothing." I answered him on purpose for the first time. "I am just intimidated by you." "Why?" "Because you are the heir to all of this!" I said waving my hand. "You have power at your fingertips any time you want it." He looked at me with a soft look in his eyes. "I don't want it. I never have. I don't care about power. All I care about is the people. Protecting them. And my family which includes Artemis. And you." He stared me directly in the eyes causing me to blush and look away with a smile on my lips. "Like a sister?" I asked purposely misunderstanding what I hoped was not true. "No. No, not like a sister." He answered. "Like a cousin then?" "No not like a cousin." "You are very confusing, Robb Stark." I could almost hear his eyes rolling. It was fun playing games, but I would never play them with his heart. Though nothing like that could ever happen. "Aphrodite?" "Yes, Robb?" I asked dismounting to get some wildflowers. "Why does your father have you train the way you do? I've seen what they've been teaching you." He dismounted & came to help me. "Were you spying on me?" "No, merely observing from a hidden distance." "Uh huh." I agreed with a smile. "I don't like what he's having you learn. How to look at someone & know what their thinking. How to use your body, how to exploit a weakness," "Alright, I get it. And I don't have choice. Neither does Artemis. We learn & we train because we have too. No matter where we go we can't escape it. We are his to do with what he likes. He wants weapons so that is what we are becoming. And I don't mind because in our world a girl could use all the protection she can from anyone who would destroy her." "I can protect you." "No you can't. At one point our father will take us. We will leave here and work for him. I just hope it won't be for a few years." "Why don't you stay with me?" He asked. I coughed, "What?" I asked and looked at him. He knelt, "Aphrodite Frost will you be my lady?" "Robert Stark when the wolf can see the darkest parts of the moon and still loves her. Only then will I be your lady." "What does that mean?" "I won't tell you otherwise it will give away its purpose you fool." "I am not a fool." He said standing rather close. "Yes you are. But I like talking to you so I must like fools." "That explains so much about Gendry and Jon." "I don't like them like I like you." I stated then regretted it. He had a sly smile on his face. "Speak & I will kill you in your sleep." I told him. "What with flowers?" "Yes, they are pretty, but some are actually quite poisonous." "Aren't you a clever girl." "Never forget it." "Trust me, I won't." "Robb? Aphrodite?" Ned yelled. "Yes father?" "Have you seen Gendry and Artemis?" "They are probably deep in the woods. She loves exploring." I told him. I always told them, but they never seemed to remember our house motto rang true with us. We were wild. And it was evident when Artemis was especially in nature. I wondered if Gendry was driving her wild yet.
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"Would you be quiet?" I asked for what seemed like the millionth time. "How can you miss every branch and I seem to find it?" "Because I'm graceful." "Not when you tripped over that chair the other night & I caught you." "That's different." "How?" "I don't know. It just is." "That is is a great argument. Just is." Gendry said sarcastically. "Oh be quiet. We won't catch anything with you tromping around like a giant." "I'm not tromping. & your talking just as much." "Fine. We'll both stop talking then." I stated and moved silently forward. He stepped on three twigs at once and I rolled my eyes. "Forget silence. I have a question." He said following behind me. "What is it?" I answered. "Why do you let your father dictate what your training is?" "It's the only way to appease him. When we are older I'm getting Aphrodite and I far away from him. If I can." "Why couldn't you?" "Because he already seems to have a hold on her. I don't know why or how. I won't leave her alone with him." "Why not run away now?" "Were too well known. And if the wrong house wouldn't get us slavers would & who knows who'd they sell us to." "Are you Alright being trained to be a killer?" "All men are so why not me. I'm not afraid of my father's training. He wants me to act & defend our house from anything that would destroy it. Lead men into battle and gain victory. I don't mind being trained to fight. What I mind is being trained like a dog for its masters later use. I don't like the idea of lessons I will be taught once I'm Aphrodite's age." "What are they?" "Just lessons." "That's not an answer." "It's all I have for now." "Well I don't like it." "You don't have to like it. It's not about you." "Well it's about you and I can not like it for you." "How sweet." I sarcastically replied. "I mean it. I don't want you to change for the worst." "Why do you care so much?" I asked turning around to face him. The sudden movement toward him made him jump. I started laughing and as I did so I tripped on a root. I grabbed ahold of him for support. "See you aren't always graceful. And when you aren't I'm there to catch you." "Well don't get used to it." I responded. "Gendry! Artemis? Where are you?" I heard Jon calling us. "Come on. We're being summoned." I told Gendry. "Ladies first." "I'm not a lady." "You are to me." "Oh can it." I said moving past. He was always so weird & I never understood why. Of course he was older so maybe there a reason he was. We trekked out of the woods toward the rest of the group where Ned, Robb, and Aphrodite were waiting. We mounted our horses and rode back, being met by Catelyn at the gate. "Artemis you are absolutely filthy!" She reprimanded me. "No more than any of the boys." I retorted. "Well at least Gendry." Robb quipped. Catelyn looked at Aphrodite, "How is it you are the only one who never seems to be covered in mud?" "You just haven't seen how dirty she can be!" I spoke up. The boys snickered and Catelyn ushered us all inside. "Come and get clean before dinner." She told us moving us like chicks with a mother hen. I didn't mind. I liked when she did that because it showed she cared. It was nice having parents who looked after us. Loved us. Then it hit me, we were loved. And in a strange turn of events we finally found a home, a family, and a mother and father who really cared. As I cleaned up for dinner I hoped we would never have to leave this place.
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After I got ready for dinner, which wasn't much since I didn't get as dirty, I went to help Catelyn with Sansa. Not that I wouldn't get dirty if we were exploring or doing something else, but I didn't like hunting like they did. "Oh Aphrodite! Thank you!" Catelyn said when she saw me enter. She left as I had Sansa sit in the chair to fix her hair. I did the simple hair of the North and loved playing with her hair as she hummed and kicked her legs in the chair. "There you are Lady Sansa and you look absolutely beautiful!" I said helping her hop down off the chair. She went over to look at her hair and smiled when she saw her reflection. "I look like a princess!" She said with glee. "Well a northern one. And that is the better look anyways. Are you ready for dinner?" I asked her. "Uh huh." She said. "Let's go then." I told her offering my hand. She slipped her hand in mine and we walked down the halls to the banquet feast. Unbeknownst to either of us Robb had witnessed the whole interaction.
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"When will we have another challenge? We haven't fought since that first day we arrived in Winterfell." I complained to the group, specifically Aphrodite. "Well how about tomorrow? We have a day off of training & it would be fun! A nice change from our day off." Aphrodite spoke up seeming to finally get more comfortable opening up around everyone. "I like it. Maybe finally then I can kick you ass Artemis." Gendry said. "You couldn't even beat me before. Now you think you have a chance and beating her?" Aphrodite scoffed at him and in the process defended me. "We should spar more often with you boys." I suggested. "Only if they don't mind getting beat." Aphrodite challenged. "If you can stay on your feet Aphrodite I think you would have room to talk." Robb jested in return. Jon sat watching us joke with one another as our little group usually did, after smiling he said, "Artemis beat you in a skirt Robb. Maybe that would improve your fighting." I laughed and Aphrodite snorted out laughter. "I think it would." Gendry said thoughtfully. "This we must see!" I added between laughter. Robb banged his glass down on the table and stated boldly, "Get me a skirt and I'll fight, but only if the boys wear them too." He slyly added. "Well get you the skirts." I told him. "Boys?" I questioned the other two looking at them. "I'm fine with that." Jon shrugged his shoulders. "Why not? It'll be different." "We will get the skirts then. And we should probably meet at the godswood we do not want anyone to see this." I smiled thinking of Ned seeing his sons wearing skirts. Maybe I would invite him.
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"How the blazes do you put on this thing, let alone keep it up?" Robb complained. I watched as Aphrodite went behind him and began fixing it. I laughed when I saw them both blush. It was obvious they liked each other. "Can you help me with mine?" Gendry asked me pulling my attention away from my sister. "Can't you do it? I do it by myself all the time." "I'm sure you do, but this is confusing. Please?" "Fine. Your pathetic." "Your right. I'm helpless without you." "Good. At least you know. Remember that." "Oh I will." He said testing out his skirt. I rolled my eyes as Aphrodite was helping Jon and showing Robb how the skirts worked. "Let's get started shall we?" I asked picking up a sparing sword. "Whose first?" Jon asked. "How about you and Gendry?" Aphrodite suggested. They readied their stances and could literally not move. They stayed as frozen as statues swinging from a distance. "Fucking skirts." Gendry muttered. I laughed at the irony. After a few more minutes of trying and Jon falling over I called it. "It's a tie I think. You two are awful." "Well I'm not much of a fighter anyways. That why I work with metal instead." Robb and Aphrodite paired up and he did fairly well until she pressed forward making Robb lose his balance. She offered her hand and he took it as he rose in close proximity to each other. "This is not easy." Robb said. Aphrodite smiled. "We are trained in every situation. Including skirts because sometimes you can't account for the clothes you are wearing." "I'll keep that in mind next time." He said moving off to the side. Aphrodite and I paired up like we would during training & began. She held up a good defense, but could not set up an offensive maneuver. I knew her strength was observing and anticipating the next move. I moved one way knowing she'd follow & then moved and then sliced through her other side tapping her out. "What in the gods names are you doing?" I heard one of our trainers say. "Sparing." I said quickly. They turned on their heel & stalked off. That was the beginning of the end.
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"Ned said he is coming today." I told Artemis. "Yeah, but he's been saying that for over a year now." Artemis replied. "What if he does though? When he comes it will be to take us." "Then we'll deal with that then." A knock on our door and a servant came in. "Lord and Lady Stark request your presence, you have a visitor." She said smiling. When the door closed my chest tightened. He came for us. We walked down the hall and heard shouting. "The girls are not taking their training seriously. I have read from their instructors that they are playing, disregarding their work, and are becoming soft." We heard Donald shout. "They are loved! They are happy! And well taken care of!" Catelyn responded. "They are weak. They do not need love to be what I need them to be. They do not need to be happy. They need to complete their trading." "They are not commodities Donald." Ned seemed exasperated. "Are they not? What do you call children then?" "You can not take them." Catelyn said. "I can and will within the hour." He stormed out walking past us shouting for servants. My stomach felt sick and my heart hurt. We walked into the room as tears began to form in my eyes. Catelyn and Ned saw us & knelt on the ground with open arms. We ran as the brought us into their arms. I cried and Artemis tried to maintain her composure, but even she had a few tears. "No matter where you end up you girls will always have a home here. We are your home. Whenever you can you can come home." Ned told us. We stayed there with my sobs being the only sound in the room. Next thing I knew we were in the carriage watching the Starks as we drove away. The boys weren't told, but found out as we drove away. They ran after us as the carriage sped away. I heard their cries for us to stop and I wished we could. We rode away from the only home we ever knew. "You will be going to school at a boarding school. If you destroy this opportunity I will send you off from one another. Understand?" We both nodded as our fate hit us once again and we were destined to complete it