The Wolf Queen - Part 1 (Aemond Targaryen)

Chapter 1

The three young Stark children run outside, throwing each other with the thin layer of snow that came down the night before. Rickard, the oldest, and Brandon and Lyanna are watched from the balcony by their parents. Their youngest brother, Cregan, is too young to join them outside in the cold. A small cluster of snow sails through the air and hits its target in the face.

"Yes!" yells Lyanna and jumps up and down excitedly. Rickard wipes the snow from his face and flicks it to the ground.
"You better run, little sister!" he warns and picks up a hand full of snow as he chases after her. Lyanna screams as she tries to run away, but her legs, being shorter than Rickard's, are not fast enough, and quickly she gets caught and the snow shoved down the back of her dress. The cold runs down her back, leaving goosebumps as its footprints. Her body heat melts the magnitude of snow and leaves her dress wet and uncomfortable against her back. Before she can retaliate, their parents call out to them. They look up, seeing Maester Arwen join them on the balcony. They meet with their mother and father, shoving and pulling each other to see who will get there first.

"Thank you, Maester Arwen," says Lord Rickon Stark. Maester Arwen bows slightly before leaving them to discuss the news he received via raven with their children.
"Children," says Lady Gillian Stark and places her hand on her daughter's head, "We received some exciting news."
Lyanna's eyes sparkle, brighter than the stars that shine over the castle at night.
"Are we getting new horses?" she asks excitedly, her hands clasping together in front of her mouth.

Lord Rickon laughs and shakes his head. Lyanna has had a very unique bond with all living creatures since her birth. The day she was born, some townsfolk spotted a pack of wolves just outside the gates. They were howling the whole time while her mother was in labour, only stopping when Lyanna gave her first cry. Her parents knew she was special, that the Old Gods must favour her for a higher purpose still unknown to them. Since then, she had many bonds with all types of animals: the horses, the hunting hounds, insects, and other small creatures that roamed the castle grounds.

"Not today, my love." says her mother.
"The Royal Family is coming to visit us for a few days. They've sent a note that they will be here in a few days," explains Lord Rickon.
"Oh," says Lyanna, her smile faltering, "I will take out my most beautiful dresses."

"Will that be all, Mother, Father?" asks Rickard, "I want to go show Lyanna and Brandon something I found in the forest."
Lord Rickon nods, "That will be all. Make sure to be back before dinner."

Lyanna follows her brothers to the stables.
"What do you want to show us?" asks Brandon as he climbs on his chestnut horse. Lyanna mounts her horse as well. The black stallion vibrates in anticipation below her.

"Nothing," answers Rickard, "I just wanted to get out of there. I don't think the news about the Royal Family coming here is exciting."

Brandon laughs, "I heard the three Targaryen children are all odd. The oldest is already called a drunk and the Princess a lunatic."

"The younger brother still doesn't have a dragon." Rickard laughs as they leave the safety of the castle walls behind them, "Obviously, he is not worthy enough."

They push their horses to go faster. Lyanna, being the better horsewoman, leads them to the Wolfswood. Last night, she had the strangest dream. She dreamt she was a wolf, but she was unsure exactly what this wolf looked like. She was running around chasing rabbits through the forest, not relatively fast enough to catch one.

She woke up very tired like she was up all night running up and down a dark forest. Just like with all her strange dreams, she told her mother about it, and she always listened intently. Lyanna wouldn't mind being a wolf. A fierce creature feared and respected by many.

They reach the Wolfswood, spending the whole afternoon chasing each other. The sun is just setting, and the three children are about to mount their horses when they hear a rustle in the bushes behind them. They freeze, Rickard moving closer to the bushes, his hand on the hilt of his dagger. The bushes rustle again. In these woods, it can be anything from a small animal to something that can harm them.

Suddenly, Rickard dives into the bush, returning with a slight fuzzy thing in his hand. He holds it up for everyone to see.

"It's a lost wolf pup." he says, pulling out his dagger, "Better to put it out of its misery before starving to death."

"That is no normal wolf, brother. That looks like a dire wolf," says Brandon. The animal's golden eyes lock with Lyanna's, and it feels to her as if she knows this animal. Memories of running through the forest, chasing rabbits, come flooding back to her. It's him. The wolf she dreamt about.

"Even more reason to kill it," Rickard says.
"No!" yells Lyanna, reaching out for the pup and taking it from her brother, "You will not harm him."

Brandon sighs, "Of course, you would want to save it. Father will not be happy."
The pup licks her on the chin, and she laughs, "I don't care what Father thinks. This animal needs me as much as I need him."

"Let's go back. Hopefully, it won't eat you when it gets older," says Rickard, giving her a hand to mount her horse with the pup in her arms. They don't ride back as fast as they came, moving with a slow trot.
"I think I will name you Shadow," she whispers as the pup falls asleep.