Summer child~Brandon Stark x Reader

Chapter 1- Visiting Dear Friends

The carriage rode over a small cave in the rode. My head slammed against the velvety cushioning of the boxed walls awaking me from my dreams. My father glanced at me and smiled reassuringly. I straightened up and looked outside the small spaces above my head. I tried to get a sense of where I was. The North was big and a great deal of it looked the same for miles apart. 60 miles North of here, south of here, east of here, west of here. It's all the North. Small flakes of snow drifted from the sky. I tried to see what was on the rode in front of us but I could see nothing more than the right side flank of a chestnut brown horse. "Father..how close are we?" "Hush now. You're mother grows weary." I waited as patiently as I could for a response. "Father.." ... "About 5 more miles." 5 miles? Sigh. I was restless. All I have been doing is sleeping sleeping sleeping. I was excited to see the friends of my family. I haven't seen them in quite a long time. I've heard Robb is a man grown now. Robb. My betrothed. A 23 year old man. Im only a 15 year old girl. I remember their faces like the painting gifted to us of which hangs in the hall at home. Lord Eddard Stark, smiling, his arm wrapped around Lady Catelyn Stark. An ear to ear grin, she was leaning slightly into her husband. Next to his mother was Robb. At the time he was a late teenager smiling, already wise with age. He was a serious boy. Smart and perfect in everything. He didn't seem to have a lot of time for fun. But he was a great person to talk to. If anything he is a brother figure to me not even close to a lover. I grimaced and tried to distract myself from the thought of marrying Robb. Front, between Robb and Catelyn, was Sansa Stark. She wore a beautiful northern dress and tried her best to look sophisticated but she could not help but smile along with her happy family. Her arm was around Rickon. The sweet little blonde boy holding a stick and grinning like he just ate a thousand sugar cubes. Perhaps he had I thought with a laugh. I smiled thinking back to this picture from a few years ago. To the left of the picture on the right of Ned Stark, stood a curly haired boy. He had a small smile but looked quiet and lonesome as Jon Snow often did. Poor lad felt alienated his whole life, being Lord Stark's bastard. Below him was Arya Stark smirking and holding a bow. She was quite the feisty girl and one of my closest friends in the world. If only I was as brave as her to sneak out of the castle at night for fun. Speaking of fun. Right in the center of the painting, was a boy around my age. His deep brown eyes said all about him. Mischief. Sweetness. Fun. Loving. Kindness. The heart of the whole family. His brown hair was that of a boys that reached along his neck. The painting captured his smile. The smile I've been crushing over since I was little. Brandon Stark. We used to climb different structures around Winterfell. I could never climb as high, I was too scared to be as daring as he and not nearly as good a climber. We would run around wreaking havoc constantly. I would deliberately bother him so he would chase me around Winterfell and around Wintertown. I missed him most. He fell a few years ago. Or rather, as we all knew, was pushed from a tower. By Jaime Lannister. He's crippled for life. Never to walk or climb or move his legs again. He became wise over the years but still playful and I spent every second I could with him. If we wanted to go a little out of the castle walls Hodor would accompany us and we knew we could trust him with any mischief we planned on doing. I smiled to myself reliving events I've had with Bran. It was always so hard to keep my crush from him. I wanted to tell him but I feared he wouldn't feel the same and I just couldn't lose him. Robb doesn't want to marry me. He's in love with another. And I do not wish to marry him. So why must we? The whole basis of arranged marriages is to form or keep alliances with friends. So why must it be him if that's the case? I've tried speaking with my father over the matter. He called my bluff knowing me like he does. I remember his words clear as day: "if you want to marry the cripple why don't you converse with Ned stark over the matter? And stop bothering me about it." I blush remembering how he'd figured me out. My father looked over at me questioningly and I looked away outside the window. Thinking takes time doesn't it? Hope were close to Winterfell. I look outside of the window space and I see in the distance the beautiful home to the Starks. I smile and fiddle with my dress, restlessly.

The horses trot on through the raised gates and we are in the center of the yard. The nice escort opened up the doors for us and my father helped my mother step out. I step out and am greeted with a girl in breeches and a shirt. She holds a sword on her hip and her hair is tied off to the side. Arya. I smile and we hug. "Y/n it's been quite a while. I was about to hunt you down myself you know." She didn't seem like she was kidding. We talked for a few minutes as my father spoke to the escort. Arya turned around and we faced to greet the rest of the Starks. Lord Stark smiled and him and my father had a hearty laugh and hug and greet. Lord stark kissed my mother's cheek and hugged her, greeting her as well. Lady Stark did so and they turned to me. "My, well you have grown dear. It's been a long time!" "That's what I've been telling my father Lady Stark" I laugh and my father smirks and glares at me from the side for a moment. Then a tall boy of 23 smiles and greets my parents. Very mature, Robb Stark. I smile and he hugs me saying hello. Yep he sure feels like a brother. He gives me a look of mischief. He had sent a raven two fortnights ago and said he'd like to speak with me alone. Both of us shared a knowing glance. We needed to get out of this marriage asap. I intended to do as my father said-talk to Lord Stark. Behind Robb and Ned was a strong young curly haired male. Jon Snow. Wow. He's a man grown! He smiles kindly and you can see the sorrow in his eyes. Robb cracks a joke at him and they both share a laugh. I smile and he hugs me. "Y/n." He smiles. I love jon snow's smile. You don't see it often and it fills you with warmth. He's the type I always want to hug, to reassure he is okay. He can be a tease at times and likes to pester me. He's a good person and deserves better than the treatment Catelyn gives him. Sansa Stark walks up to me and hugs me gently. Too gently. She is so delicate I swear. Her hair is beautiful though and forever I will envy her. We exchanged greetings and she let out her more carefree side as we began talking. Then Rickon comes running over and pulls on his fathers arm interrupting him. I stifle a snicker. "Hodor took forever to get up!!" "Alright alright it's fine say hello to your friends." I giggle and Rickon comes over to me. "Hi! We are going to ride horses tomorrow you know. It'll be fun. Maester Luwin says you would look different. You look the same to me. Just taller and well.." He giggles scanning me. I roll my eyes and grab him ruffling his hair. He laughs and lightly punches my stomach. Then I hear a teen boy's voice. Deep but not completely matured. "Oh im well thank you. I hope your trip went well my lady." I blush knowingly and turn to the direction of the voice. Lady stark is smiling down at that heart of the family and he looks up at my parents smiling slightly. Wow he's grown. He's grown quite nicely.. I stare at his handsome face. His brown eyes and his eyebrows shaping them perfectly. His nose his perfect lips. His brown hair.. He looks over at me. At first I choke on my words, taken back by the beauty of my dear friend. Arya giggles as Bran scans me a bit. He must be surprised. I am not a tiny underdeveloped girl anymore. I inwardly sigh knowing that's all he was looking at me for..not an interest. He meets my eyes and smiles. "Y/n!" I walk over to him and bend down hugging him. He wraps his arms around me and as I start to recoil I feel his arms keeping me down and I blush. He immediately loosens his grip and mumbles his apologies but I Hug him a bit longer anyways. I stand up right and smile at him. I look up to Hodor. "Hello Hodor." He giggles. "Hodor." I snicker and look at bran. He's watching me. Everyone begins to depart. "Well Im going to get summer. Meet me inside I'll bring him to see you!" He smiles. I grin. I love Summer. "Okay! I'll be there." Hodor pulls his wheelbarrow away and im left with Arya and Rickon. Rickon stares at me. "What was that?" I look down at him. .."..what?" "You guys kept staring at each other." I push him slightly and he scowls at me. Arya laughs. "Yah he seemed to have quite the interest." I deny it and she laughs more. "Rickon show her her room would you? I need to practice with Needle. And oh, y/n." She leans in, whispering. "Im not stupid you know. He was staring right down your dress when you bent down to hug him" she laughs loudly and runs off to the back yard. I blush. He couldn't have. and even if he was, he was probably just looking cause he was shocked at how much I've grown that's all. But I felt my heart flutter. I was flattered anyway. I wanted him to like me. I still had that small grain of hope in my heart that he could like me and find an interest in me. He stared straight into my eyes. Maybe it meant something. I hope it did because I felt so faint hearted when our eyes met. I never wanted to look away. He's my best friend. I want him to stay my best friend. I want him to be more. Rickon pulls on my sleeve. "Come on come on let's find your bedchambers. Sooner we find it sooner we can play!" I begin to follow him until I hear a batting on the ground and then im thrown back to the dirt as Shaggydog hovers over me panting. I love direwolves too much to get angry and I ruffle the black wolf's bushy cheeks. Rickon pulls on Shaggydog best he can and helps me up. The three of us track dirt into the castle in search for my quarters.