Game of Thrones - One Shots/Imagines: Part Three

Meera Reed X Fem!Stark!Reader - Rise: Requested

A/N - This imagine was requested by user: @_Wolf_Spirit_. This chapter was inspired by the song 'Rise' by Gabrielle. I hope you all enjoy it.

You had almost burst into the tears the moment the gates of Winterfell opened to reveal your younger brother. It had been years since you had seen Bran and it seemed he had become a full man in the time you were apart. But there was another difference that stood out even more. Beside him stood one of the most stunning women you had ever seen. Curly dark hair and an uncomfortable half smile as she glanced over at you.

"We feared the worst when we returned to find you missing," you had started, attempting to hold back the tears as you returned your gaze to your brother. "Rumour had it that Theon had murdered you and Rickon," you added, a small smile coming to your lips. "You had no idea how happy I am that we were mistaken."

Bran's face remained stoic, his gaze shifting to look up at you as carefully as he could manage. "I'm sorry that your engagement had to be ended."

Your jaw tightened at his words and you gave a short nod. You would have to interrogate him as to how he knew of your hidden relationship later, once you were alone. Not even Sansa had known that you were going to be married whilst you were in the capital, and you had always been far closer to her than to any of your other siblings.

"We should go inside," you uttered, acting as though he had never opened his mouth as you forced a smile back onto your face. "Get out of the cold," you added softly, turning your smile to Bran's companion. "I'm sure you're both desperate to bathe and sleep in a proper bed."

"Yes, My Lady," she responded quickly, turning her eyes to her feet as you continued to smile at her. 

You turned on your heel, marching towards the building as your mind reeled and your smile fell from your lips. How on earth had Bran even heard of your engagement? You had told no one, and from your understanding, Lancel had intended to keep it a secret until after you were married. Seven Hells, if he had gone running his mouth off you would never live it down.

"You never mentioned an engagement," Arya uttered, appearing at your elbow with her eyebrows raised at your sour expression. 

"It didn't warrant mentioning," you responded quickly, releasing a deep sigh. "We didn't tell anyone, and he called it off pretty quickly. It's hardly an interesting tale."

Arya sent you a quick frown, reaching out to touch your arm as gently as she could manage. "Who was he?"

You raised an eyebrow, watching as she continued to frown at you. "No one important." 

"Liar." 

You released another sigh, glancing behind to make sure no one else was listening. "It was Lancel Lannister," you murmured. "And I thoroughly regret it now, so you can hold the jokes."

She nodded, remaining silent for a moment as you continued towards the Great Hall. "I can't believe I never noticed," she told you, shaking her head slightly. "He was always sniffing around you, I just assumed he had a crush."

"He did." You sniffed slightly, drawing her attention to you quite suddenly. "And then, out of nowhere, he didn't anymore." 

*Time Skip*

"Do you mind if I join you?" Your sudden presence startled Meera, causing her to sit up, her head snapping to look at you. 

You had always enjoyed sitting in the library when your siblings had gotten on your nerves. It was quiet and you could remain hidden away from them for hours at a time. Part of you regretted spending so much time here as a child. Now all you could think of is how much more time you could have spent with Robb and Rickon, or your mother and father. 

"Of course." You hadn't realised that your eyes had been roaming the room, taking in each corner as if it were a place you had never seen before. A small smile pulled at your lips as you returned your gaze to the woman in front of you. 

Your pulled out the chair opposite her, sitting down as gracefully as you could manage. "How are you enjoying your stay?"

Meera smiled slightly. "It's strange," she started softly. "It's a lovely place, it truly is, but I think it would be best if I left."

Your brow furrowed as you continued to stare at her. "But I thought you and Bran-"

"We're friends," she interrupted, and you nodded slightly. "Or at least, I thought we were, but now it seems he just needed someone to bring him home."

"Oh," you uttered, releasing a deep sigh. "I want to say that he would never intend to hurt your feelings like that, but the man you brought here isn't the same boy I knew when I was young." Silence stretched out between you, so thick that it became stifling and you released a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry he did that to you."

She nodded slightly. "Thank you for being so welcoming during my stay, My Lady," she murmured, moving to stand.

"I think you should stay." The words burst out of you before you could catch them, and then you were left sitting there with your mouth hanging open. "I mean, if not for Bran then for the rest of Westeros. We need everyone we can get manning Winterfell for the war ahead."

Meera released a small sigh, but a reluctant smile pulled at her lips. "I'm not sure he'll want me here-"

A snort of laughter escaped you, cutting Meera off mid-sentence. "Who gives a shit whether he wants you here or not? He doesn't get to decide your fate."

Her smile simply widened as she considered your comment, rolling it around her mind again and again. "I think we're going to get along pretty well," she uttered, dragging her eyes away from yours as she stood to leave. "We should do this again some time, My Lady," she told you, giving you a final smile before leaving the library.

You couldn't help but spend the rest of the day thinking of Meera. She truly was very beautiful, and something about the way she smiled at you left you reeling. There had been a time when you had thought that you were strange for the way your mind worked. On occasion, you would look at a man and be head over heels in love with him, and then moments later, you would see a woman and your world would be turned upside down. It wasn't until you'd gone to King's Landing that you had discovered that you weren't the only person who felt this way. Rumour had it, Prince Oberyn had a love of both men and women, and had you had a little more time in the Capital, perhaps you would have had a chance to question him on the matter. 

Meera made you feel the exact same way that Lancel once had. Lancel. And there your mind went again, reminding you why you had taken to avoiding romantic relationships as of late. You couldn't risk being hurt again. You didn't want to spend another dreadful year rebuilding your broken pieces until you resembled yourself again. 

Perhaps Meera would be different. She would love you and wouldn't shy away as soon as life became difficult. Or perhaps she would ride off to her home the moment she decided she was bored of you. 

It seemed that you had a decision to make, one that could be the key to your happiness. 

Please consider supporting me for just £3 using Ko-Fi. The link is available on my profile page. If you have any questions about Ko-Fi please feel free to private message me. Thank you. L x