༶•┈┈𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏┈┈•༶

Even if Tsaya Lannister had been raised in the South, she always felt at home in the North. In the few times she had visited her uncle's seat at the Dreadfort, she had always enjoyed the area. She never knew her mother, but she always felt connected when she rode her horse around the plains where her mother had grown.

Tsaya watched out the window of her carriage, a smile on her face as the cool breeze brushed over her skin. Her sister, and her young niece and nephew, sat with her in the carriage, their bodies wrapped tightly in Lannister garb. Tsaya had a red cloak wrapped around her shoulders, the elaborate embroidery too gaudy for her tastes, but she did enjoy the expensive fabrics that came with her name. Her dress favored her mother's colors, the grey and black mixing with darker reds. While everything about Tsaya screamed Lannister, she always felt more connected to her Bolton mother. Her father, Tywin, had never liked that she took after her mother in that way, hoping she would be just as her elder sister Cersei was. But, Tsaya was kind, and she hated politics.

"Tsaya, your dress is bunching, stop sitting like that- and close the window, you'll get a fever from the cold. It's bad enough we have to stay in Winterfell at all, sickness would only prolong our stay." Tsaya rolled her eyes as she readjusted herself so her dress fell down her legs lightly instead of bunching close to her mid-calf. She took one last look outside at the Northern Plains, taking a deep breath of the clean air before securing the window closed.

"Cersei, the North truly isn't as unpleasant as you make it out to be. I think the children will quite enjoy it." Tsaya smiled at her sister, Cersei's scowl deepening as she looked at her little sister.

"My children don't enjoy the cold, neither do they enjoy being bundled up in furs for days and weeks. We belong in the South, you should remember that." Tsaya sighed, turning away from her sister's glare to look at her hands. Cersei never understood her sister's love of the North, she preferred the warmth of Casterly Rock or even King's Landing. But, Cersei loved her sister, and even if she didn't want to indulge Tsaya by allowing her to visit her uncle, she let her sister visit the man in the North.

The sound of voices and commotion grew closer. She heard muffled words like "Lannister" and "King"- words she'd been hearing all of her life. Her nephew cracked open the window, peeking out at the people as they lined the road. Tsaya looked through the window over his head. She smiled as the Stark banners passed by. The carriage slowed to a stop, a Lannister guard opening the door. They placed stairs, Tommen and Myrcella exiting first. Cersei was helped out, her cloak dragging behind her before it landed on the ground behind her. Cersei's cloak was more extravagant than Tsaya's, showing the true extent of Lannister wealth. Tsaya was the last to step out, her feet met the Northern ground and she felt at home.

The Starks and Sanverts were large families, making a large line of people to greet. Her brother-in-law, the King, Robert, made his way down the line, greeting his old friends and their children. It had been 10 years since Robert had seen them and new children had been born. Within those 10 years, the Starks and Sanverts welcomed Brandon, Rickon, Arya, and Armond. Tsaya didn't know much about them, she would openly admit that she didn't know more than the history of the Northern houses. All she knew about the current houses was where they lived, their bannermen, and their families.

"My Queen," Ned Stark greeted, followed by Edmund Sanvert and their wives- Catelyn and Brione. Tsaya didn't move, waiting for her moment to greet the caravan's gracious hosts. Her eyes moved down the line, just as Robert's did, taking in the faces of each member of both families. It was striking how much the Stark children looked like their parents. Sansa Stark had her mother's red hair, while the others' looks favored their fathers. Meanwhile, the Sanvert children all favored both their parents, a perfect mixture. Alara looked most out of place but she still looked right within their family lineup.

"Take me to the crypt. I want to pay my respects." Tsaya looked over at Robert, taking a breath in before she glanced at her sister. Tsaya knew of Robert's loyalty to Lyanna Stark, but she never imagined he would choose to go to the crypt immediately after arriving.

"We've been riding for a month, my love. Surely the dead can wait?" Robert sent Cersei a scathing, silencing look. One Tsaya had seen multiple times over the years in Kings Landing. She never liked getting on Robert's bad side and, unlike her sister, she had only done that a couple of times. She had never received that look, but she'd seen how it shut down Cersei.

"Ned." Robert turned and walked away, Ned giving Cersei an apologetic look before walking away. Tsaya cleared her throat and took that moment to ease the awkwardness. She stepped forward and smiled at Catelyn and Brione, bowing slightly.

"Thank you for allowing us to stay, Lady Stark. You have a lovely home and I'm happy to be here." Tsaya turned to Brione. "And it's lovely to meet you, Lady Sanvert."

The women smiled at Tsaya, taking in the kindness that had been missing from Cersei's greeting. That was the difference between Tsaya and Cersei. Cersei had been molded into someone harsh over the years, someone who cared about her family and her family alone. She wasn't kind like Tsaya. Tsaya was kind and gentle, especially to those who needed kindness. She was well-loved by the people of King's Landing, loved by the poor and the wealthy. However, she was not well known outside of the city and the love was contained to just the walls of King's Landing. Tsaya was not blind to the hatred of the Lannister name, she was not blind to how people reacted when they saw her blonde hair and heard her last name. But, when they chose to know her, they knew that she was different.

"Lovely to meet you, Lady Tsaya. We are happy to open our home to you and your family." With the last statement, Catelyn's face changed to a tight smile. Her family wasn't very welcomed in the North, but the Starks and Sanverts had no choice. If they had at least one kind Lannister, that would be okay.

"Tsaya, come." Tsaya nodded her head one last time at Catelyn and Brione, walking over to Cersei who had called her. 

Tsaya took another look at the line of Starks and Sanverts, her eyes scanning those behind them as well. Her eyes met dark brown ones in the line behind the children. The boy was around her age, she could tell that- he had curly black hair, hanging down to his shoulders, and his eyes were piercing but she couldn't look away. He wore a brown coat, a light brown fur wrapped around his shoulders. He looked Northern. Tsaya's eyes were pulled away when her sister grabbed her arm, Tsaya turning towards her. Cersei glanced at the line, sending a glare to the boy, one that made him look away and focus on anything else. Cersei had no idea who he was, but she knew that Tsaya wouldn't be caught up in Northern affairs, especially the affairs of a Northern man.

⚔

Winterfell was cold, Tsaya had known it would be, but she was shocked at how cold she felt. She had thrown on her heavier coat and she sat under a blanket by the fire but even then, the cold chilled her bones and she could no longer sit around doing nothing. She stood from the chair in her room, placing the blanket down neatly before heading towards the door. When she opened it, a girl stood there with her hand up to knock. She seemed to be around the same age as Tsaya. Her brown hair fell past her shoulders to the middle of her back. Tsaya noticed the brown of her eyes nearly matched her hair, though her eyes were just slightly darker. She too wore a fur coat though hers was simple. Just a brown cloak with brown fur. It had no embroidery like Tsaya's nor any additions that Cersei insisted were added. 

"Oh, hello." The girl's voice was sweet and she added a smile to accompany her words. "Lady Alara sent me- well, that's not entirely true. Lady Alara and I wanted to invite you to tour the castle. We thought it would be..." She thought for a moment for the right words, "auspicious to get to know you."

Tsaya smiled at the girl and wrapped her coat tighter around her shoulders, the cold starting to seep in further as she moved farther away from the fire. The girl, whose name Tsaya had yet to learn, was smiling at her warmly, a kind cautiousness in her eyes. Lady Alara, whom the girl in front of Tsaya had mentioned, was the youngest daughter of the Sanvert family. She was the third eldest, just younger than her brother Alton and sister Arden, and Tsaya had hoped to properly meet her.

"I would love to, Lady..." Tsaya faded out, hoping the girl would supply her with her name.

"Lyanna- just Lyanna." Tsaya nodded and gestured for Lyanna to lead the way, the girl's smile staying in place, though Tsaya noticed it looked less real than before.

Lyanna led her through the halls of Winterfell, randomly telling her what things were as they passed them. She eventually led her to a sitting room. Lady Alara sat in there with a book, reading by the fire. Tsaya assumed she had been waiting for them. Alara stood with a wide smile as Tsaya walked in, reaching out to her and grabbing her hand.

Lady Alara was the same age as Tsaya, born just after Robert's Rebellion, both ten and seven years of age. She was slightly shorter than Tsaya and her light brown hair fell just the same length. Her face matched that of her parents perfectly. Tsaya could see both the features of Edmund Sanvert and Brione Sanvert in Alara's face. She was beautiful. 

"Lady Tsaya," Alara curtsied slightly with Tsaya's hands still in her own. "It's lovely to finally meet you. I would have said something earlier, when you arrived, but your sister pulled you away before I could."

"I have the same sentiment for you, Lady Alara. I would have liked to be introduced to you all but I can't exactly deny the Queen, even if she is my sister." Tsaya spoke with sarcasm, keeping her tone light. Her sister was a touchy subject for many. Cersei put a bad taste in many people's mouths. Alara let out a small laugh, the sound like a melody to Tsaya's ears. 

"Come, I'm sure you would be interested in a tour?"

"Very much so," Alara looped her arm around Tsaya's, "Winterfell is beautiful."

Alara and Lyanna walked alongside Tsaya as they showed her around. They occasionally nodded at passing people, women and men who lived in the town, as well as servants who worked there. They led her to the courtyard where three men were practice fighting each other. Tsaya watched with curiosity as each one took a turn against each other. She recognized them from the lineup earlier and made the assumption that they were Robb Stark and Alton Sanvert, accompanied by the boy she had seen earlier- the one who had met her eyes.

Alton Sanvert was the tallest- and oldest- standing at least a head above the other two. He was twenty years of age, the eldest of the Sanvert children. His hair was a light brown like his sister's, his features favoring his father's. He was handsome, more handsome than any man she had seen in King's Landing. However, she wrote that off as being Northern. From what she had seen, Northern men just generally were more handsome than those in the South. Robb Stark's smile stood out to Tsaya, his happiness and excitement shone brightly on his face. He let out a laugh, dancing around the other man. The other man had a smile but it was less bright and there was something to it that Tsaya couldn't place.

"Who is that?" Tsaya spoke, pointing at the man she had yet to know. Alara turned to Lyanna, the other woman smiling widely.

"That's Jon, he's my brother, my twin. And he's fighting with my eldest brother, Robb. And that is Alton standing to the side." Tsaya turned to her in surprise.

"You're a Stark." It was less of a question and more of a statement of surprise. Lyanna's mouth quirked up and she scrunched her nose for a moment. She took a deep breath and looked into Tsaya's eyes. She assessed the curiosity she saw and decided to be completely honest instead of lightly honest.

"I'm a Snow..." She turned back to look at her brothers, "Jon and I are bastards."

Tsaya nodded in understanding at Lyanna's statement. She bit her lip and thought about it. She looked between Lyanna and Jon, noting the similarities and differences between them. Their faces were rather different when you looked at them but if you looked closely, their smiles matched and their eyes were colored the same shade. Lyanna's hair was brown while Jon's was black as night.

Unlike Tsaya's eldest siblings, who were also twins, Lyanna and Jon seemed humble. At least, from what she surmised. Jon didn't seem to have a hard edge like Jaime and Lyanna had no sneer like Cersei.

Robb Stark lunged forward, going to take a low hit at Jon's legs. The raven-haired man stepped out of the way, parrying his brother's blade. They went back and forth for a few moments, neither of them landing a hit on each other. But eventually, Robb made a mistake that left his body open. Jon lunged forward, hitting Robb square in the abdomen. Robb groaned which pulled a laugh from Jon. Alton stepped up to Jon while Robb stepped back, leaving their little fighting arena to watch the other two men fight. Alton had a height advantage as well as a strength advantage. From here, Tsaya could see that Alton was more built than Jon. He had more muscle than Jon but Jon had the advantage of speed.

The two men danced around each other for a moment before beginning their fight. Jon sent his sword low, Alton blocking it with ease and sending Jon back a step. Alton brought his sword down from the top, Jon blocking it just as Alton had his blow. But Alton had put more power into that move and Jon stumbled, nearly falling over. They went back and forth for a few moments, this fight lasting longer than the one between Jon and Robb. Tsaya watched intently, taking in every move from both of them. They were both excellent swordsmen, their movements smooth and effective. Occasionally Tsaya would see Lyanna cringe from the corner of her eye. The two men were rather evenly matched but someone had to win eventually. Alton sent a particularly powerful blow towards Jon and it sent him stumbling, shocking him for long enough that Alton was able to hit Jon's back with his sword. Jon fell to the dirt and Alton let out a hearty chuckle as he went to help Jon up. 

Northerners fought differently than Southerners. That was obvious based on how these three men fought each other. Southerners had more flare but Northerners flowed. Tsaya had watched her elder brother fight many times, he often practiced in the courtyard of the Keep. But she had never seen a dance like the men before her did. Robb turned and saw the three women watching them, sending Alara a smile before gesturing them over. He turned to Jon and Alton saying something the women couldn't hear but Tsaya could assume- based on the other two turning to look at them.

"Lady Alara, Lyanna..." The three men bowed their heads slightly at Tsaya, "Lady Tsaya."

"Please, just Tsaya." Robb smiled kindly, though hesitantly, and gestured to Jon and Alton.

"I presume that my sister and Alara have told you our names."

Tsaya nodded, not bothering to tell them that she already knew their names before Lyanna had said anything- besides Jon- and looked at the three men, her eyes locking on Jon's for a moment longer than she thought was probably proper. He stayed quiet, a small smile on his face that revealed nothing to her. She couldn't read him, she couldn't understand him. It was perplexing and she wasn't sure she liked it.

"Today has been the day for introductions," Tsaya smiled. "Lyanna and Alara have been showing me around your home. It is quite charming. The South is nothing like this. It has been a nice change."

"I am sure it has," Robb chuckled, his smile widening into a grin. Tsaya turned to look at Alara, the other woman's gaze not leaving Robb once. She smiled at him with such admiration that Tsaya could only imagine what she felt. Lyanna was looking anywhere but Alton, the man looking at her over anything else. Tsaya could see what the relationships were like just by the glances and stares the others were giving each other... and Jon Snow never took his eyes off her. Jon looked away when Tsaya met his eyes again.

"Lord Robb!" The group turned to a squire standing across the courtyard. "Your mother would like to see you along with Lady Alara and Lord Alton."

"We will be right there!" Robb called back, nodding at the squire. The squire left and the group turned back to each other. "Duty calls, Tsaya."

Robb, Alton, and Alara broke away from the group, heading to meet Lady Catelyn. Tsaya turned to Lyanna and Jon, Lyanna sending both of them apologetic smiles.

"I must be off as well. I trust you know your way around, Lady Tsaya?"

"I do- and it is just Tsaya." Lyanna let out a short laugh, nodding at Tsaya.

"Tsaya," Lyanna turned to Jon, "I am sure my brother would be willing to help you find anything."

Lyanna gave him no room to argue, walking away swiftly. She glanced back once to see Tsaya and Jon turn their gazes to one another, Jon looking down hesitantly. She smiled, walking with a bounce in her step. Jon needed a distraction, a way to stop his brooding temporarily. Tsaya would be a perfect one. She just hoped Tsaya and Jon would fall into her trap. But if they didn't? Well, Lyanna was prepared for anything.

𝐠𝐢𝐟 𝐛𝐲 - dorkiest_nerd

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 - 𝟑𝟏𝟓𝟗

⚔ 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 ⚔

here it is, here it is... chapter 1 is officially here! i previously wrote the entire first season of game of thrones for this book but i had issues with it. i made it practically insta-love and it just wasn't what i wanted to do with tsaya and jon's story. if you read it previously, i want to thank you for that. hopefully, this time around, i will make this book what i really want it to be. i have plenty of new ideas for how i want to incorporate tsaya into this world. i hope you enjoy this and i hope you enjoy tsaya's new, rewritten, story.

𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

KleeAlise11 _BlackWolf02_ dorkiest_nerd