Of Lions And Wolves || Tywin Lannister

Winterfell

It was early in the morning when Alyssa heard her maids knocking on her door, she hated it, all the dressing up and the maids, but she accepted it, for her fathers sake.
After being dressed in a beautiful blue and grey dress with the symbol of house stark, a direwolf, on the front of the dress, and her hair hanging loose over her shoulders after the maids combed It, Ally went to the great hall for breakfast.
Her father, mother and siblings are already at the table waiting.
"Morning" she said, and smiled at them, giving her father a quick kiss on the cheek before sitting between him and her younger sister arya.
"Are we gonna go out riding before the king arrives?" Arya asked, looking at her older sister with hope, nearly begging her.
"No you won't, you need to get ready Arya, you can't run around in boys clothes when the king and his family arrive!" Catelyn stated, their mother never accepted the fact that Alyssa trained Arya with the sword, but because Ned allowed it, she tolerated it.
"I mean she could, you're just too scared to get embarrassed in front of the Queen..." Alyssa said quietly under her breath, arya chuckled at the comment, their father giving them a stern look, tho, his eyes told ally that he wasn't mad, he understood that catelyn had never showed her or Arya the love she showed her other children.
Alyssa was grateful for her father, he taught her everything she knows and needs to know, he loved her when she felt like an unwanted child, hated by her own mother.

After breakfast, Alyssa and arya sneaked out of winterfell without their mother noticing, riding a little further north to a place the two of them often trained together, sometimes jon would even join them.
"Can we try something knew today?" Arya said, looking at her older sister.
"Of course, what do you have in mind?" She smiled, arya was as energetic as always, showing ally a move she wanted to try using a dagger, to Stab someone with one hand when the one holding the dagger, can't be used for that.
They tried for a while until arya wa able to actually do the move, being proud of herself the two of them went back to winterfell, obviously getting lectured by their mother until ned stopped it, sending the girls to get ready.

A short while later the Stark family gathered in the courtyard as the king and his family arrived.
As Robert got off his horse ally smiled, she had visited her godfather often down in kingslanding, but it's been a long time since he was in Winterfell.
After greeting her father he walked over to her, hugging her tight, Alyssa was like a daughter to King Robert, maybe it was the way she looked like her aunt, lyanna stark, maybe it was her kind and friendly, but also stubborn and resenting character, that reminded her so much of himself...

The two men left, heading down to the crypts, talking about history until they fell into silence after Robert asked ned to be his gand.
"Ally has grown, it's been a while since she came to visit me. She can come down with you if you decide to stay by my side."
Ned chuckled at that, "you know she's a child of winter, a true stark, she likes to visit you but the south could never be her home, she's not made for that."
Robert chuckled as well, nodding, "aye, you're right about that, a true stark, just like your sister, they look so much alike, the older she gets the more she reminds me of lyanna."
"I know, me too." Ned smiled at his old friend, before they continued their conversation.

Ned and Robert joined the dinner later then the others, he greeted ally and her mother as he sat down between them.
Alyssa gave her father a sweet smile.
"You've been gone for a while, what did you and Robert discuss?"
"I will tell you later sweetheart, enjoy the dinner." Ned answered, but ally realised her father was acting off.
"It's something that bothers you, i can see that. Please father you can tell me."
"Robert asked me to be his hand." Ned suddenly stated, ally needed a few seconds to register what he just said, she knew he couldn't refuse his king, his friend.
Still in shock, she stood up, leaving the dinner with the excuse she needed some fresh air.
As she walked outside into the courtyard, she shivered a little, the nights got colder these last few days.
'Winter is coming' she thought, the words of her house, she was looking up at the sky, the moon and stars were shining, lighting the dark night a little.
She suddenly heard heavy footsteps behind her, she turned her head a little seeing the King standing just a few feet away from her.
"Is there something you need your grace?" She asked, a small smile on her lips.
"Why did you leave ally? What did your father say?"
"It's not important, really, i just needed some fresh air, that's all."
"Ally..." She sighed, Robert knew her too well for her to be able to lie to him, so she had to tell him the truth, she had to confront him, and she knew that he wouldn't be mad at her, he loved her like his own child.
"Why do you take him away from his home? You know he can't say no to you, rob..." She looked at him again, the smile had faded away, she looked, sad, it shocked Robert a little, she was a strong woman, and thinking back, he didn't remember a time when he's actually seen her cry, she never gave in when her mother tried to make her feel bad, he thought about it for a while, he had never really seen her sad, but he realised, if he would take Ned with him, he would take away from her what truly mattered to her, unless she decided to come with them.
"Ally I'm sorry, but i need him by my side, you know that."
"Starks don't do well in the south, we're northerners, we're wolves, down there, it's summer, up here, it's winter. Winter makes the Wolf Robert, you can't take him away from his pack. Please."
"You can come with us ally, and your sisters, Ned suggested a proposal, sansa and joffrey, we will be a real family, think about it, okay? I would love to have you by my side for longer than just a couple of days when you visit me." With that he left, she just nodded, looking to the ground before she went to her room, packing her stuff. She would be going south then.