The Long Winter | Jaime Lannister X Stark OC | GOT/ASOIAF

Pride

It seemed like every word from the south was bad news. 

First had been the four men escorting the direwolves back to Winterfell (all clearly relieved to now have to deal with the three huge beasts any longer). They told a troublesome tale of how Arya and Morganna had gotten into a fight with Prince Joffrey on the banks of the Trident. The younger boy, Tommen, had also been involved somehow, although the details weren't exactly clear. 

What had been clear was the bruise on Ross' daughter's face where the crown prince had hit her with the hilt of his sword. Upon hearing that, Ross had half a mind to take her horse and catch up with the royal party herself, giving Joffrey the smacks that his mother should've done years ago and hauling her daughter back north regardless of what anyone else thought. She had, perhaps wisely, decided against that course of action, largely because that made her no better than Catelyn. 

Ross' anger at her goodsister abandoning her duties and heading off on some ill-informed journey to King's Landing had dulled slightly in the weeks the woman was gone. In truth, she rather enjoyed being the only Lady of Winterfell again. The men at the Dreadfort respected her of course (to her face at least), but it was very different being a Stark in Winterfell, her childhood home, to her husband's grim castle. And Ross would take any chance to get away from her husband. It wasn't that Bolton was ever cruel or violent towards her, but he scared her sometimes like few people ever had, though she'd never admit it. There was very little behind those pale eyes of his. Everything that happened, good or bad, seemed to be merely a mild amusement to him, a simple game to distract him from gods know what. Yes, Ross was glad to be home for longer than a few weeks. 

All in all, affairs at Winterfell had settled into a new normal. Robb was a good lord - his father had taught him well - though was, of course, still a boy. That made no matter. Ross and Maester Luwin were more than able to assist him, particularly with the accounts and finances, which no young boy had any time for. That was Ross' domain, as it had been before she was married.

Bran seemed rather lost, all things considered, but that was only to be expected. He had lost several fingers from his right hand at the hands of a catspaw sent to murder him in his bed, and then he had lost his mother as the woman went tearing off south. Young Rickon wasn't coping any better and still behaved terribly, only aided by that monstrous black wolf of his. Ross was one of the few people aside from Robb and Aileen who could get him to toe the line, but it was clear she was not the mother the four year old wanted. Catelyn might have been strict, austere and a perfect lady as a mother, but she was practically soft compared to Ross. 

None of her own children had ever seemed to need a softer touch, though. Ren had grown up far too fast, and had always been clever and fiercely independent. Edrick was wild and loved to act out, hardly wanting his mother to fuss over him, whilst Aileen had always preferred her own company and was perfectly happy to spend hours by herself, usually in the library. Of all of them, Morganna had been the most needy as a young child, but even that was hidden behind bravado, nerve and brazen cheek. 

Ross was quite certain in the knowledge that her four wouldn't have done well if Catelyn was their mother, but equally she was sure that she could not adequately act as a mother to the other woman's children either. Robb was honourable and dutiful, too much like Ned despite his open, friendly demeanour, and Ross felt like any hint of her darker side would drive him away. Bran was a gentle, inquisitive boy who needed warmth and support from his mother rather than blunt realism and stern stares from his aunt. And Rickon was just a baby really, acting out of sadness and anger and wanting his mother, not the cold, hard-eyed woman who had replaced her.

Her goodsister needed to return north, and soon. Hopefully whatever she tried to stir up in King's Landing would be recognised as the reckless idiocy it was. Hopefully Ned would listen to his sister's letter rather than his wife's words. Hopefully everything would be fine.