The Dark Dragon || Game of Thrones

Direwolf

Rhalla headed to the training yard early in the morning. After a lesson with Arya and Bran, Robb, Jon and Theon came for their training as usual.

After the lesson ended, Arya went for sewing lessons with her sister, against her will, while Bran practiced his archery skills with his brother's assistance.
Rhalla sat on a hay bale next to Rickon with one of his favorite books. He asked her to read it for him, and she couldn't resist his bright eyes and innocent face. She started to feel home in Winterfell, and to get used to the cold as well. Their customs and traditions were no longer foreign to her, though her sister was constantly on her mind. She wished she could write to her, if only she knew that the letter would be received by her.

After laughing good-heartily at Bran's failure at aiming a single arrow in the shooting target along with the Lord and Lady of Winterfell who were watching from the top, and Robb and Jon who were supervising their brother, Eddard Stark called for his sons to accompany him to bring justice to a deserter from the Night's Watch.

Arya impressed them all with her archery skills, when she surprised Bran by shooting an arrow right in the centre of the target in her brother's stead when all thought she wasn't even there. Rhalla thought of an idea and went to speak to Arya when she returned from her run after Bran chased her and failed to catch her, then left to join his father and brothers.

"Impressive, Arya. I wish I was as good as you are." Rhalla congratulated her.
"I could teach you if you want." Arya said.
"Really?" Rhalla cunningly asked with surprise.
"Sure! Come." the young girl said and gestured for the princess to follow her, "It won't be easy with the dress, but hold this."

Rhalla held the bow and arrow Arya handed her. She've always dreamt of learning archery since she was a child, but was never allowed to. She listened to the instructions the Stark girl gave her.
"Stand right. Your feet have to be pointed towards the target, and not too far apart. Hold the arrow to the string with three fingers. I'm left-handed, so this is how I hold it." Arya said as she arranged Rhalla's position.
"Now raise your bow arm, and draw the bow while aiming at the target. You have to focus on where you want the arrow to go, or it will never work." she explained.

Rhalla obeyed, focusing her eyes on the target, and trying hardly to keep her hands and feet in the right position.
"Alright. Release the arrow now." Arya said, and Rhalla took a deep breath before relaxing her fingers and watched as the arrow flew over the target to the other side of the courtyard.

Arya giggled at her failure, then stopped when she saw Rhalla's displeased glare.
"You know, with practice, you'll get better." she tried to reassure her, though the princess was too proud to accept failure, so she tried again, and again, failing each time before feeling shamed by her own poor display.

She stayed in the courtyard for hours on end, not noticing time passing, while Arya left earlier to find Maester Luwin for a lesson of mathematics. Rhalla at least succeeded in shooting the arrow in the training target, and not far from it, which felt like a huge progress to her.

Archery required concentration, and patience, two things Rhalla wasn't very good at, though this exercise made her relax herself and stand without tension. Every time she loosened herself, she felt progress, and so it made for an excellent therapy.

When the sun started setting and the weather got colder and windier, she felt tired and decided to retire for the day. After she put the arrows back in the quiver on the ground, she held the bow to hang it and bizarrely, she felt something sniffing her shoes. She slightly lifted her skirts to find the most adorable puppy she has ever seen. She gasped from surprise and knelt to hold it in her hands. Soft smokey grey fur and yellow eyes, it was a baby wolf.
"Hi, puppy!" she said with a childish voice, caressing the soft pelt of the tiny animal.
The young pup wagged his tail, looking at her with big eyes, and making her heart melt.

"It's a direwolf." Robb said as he walked towards her, making Rhalla jump from surprise once more. He was still in his coat of plates and cloak, with his sword belt tightened around his waist, just returning from his expedition with his father.
"Lord Stark." she greeted coldly as she disposed the wolf on the ground.

"I'll be calling him Grey Wind." the young man said, and the cold winter breeze whooshed in the courtyard, lifting Rhalla's dark messy strands of hair and brushing her light skin, making her shiver.
"A nice choice. Although I will take my leave before you blame me for touching it." she mocked with her chin high and her arms crossed, still angry from their last encounter.

"I am sorry for earlier, my lady. It was unworthy of me." he apologized with his head lowered to the ground.
Her blue eyes widened, not believing what she was hearing. From the moment she arrived, never had she heard a courteous word from him, nor any other pleasant word. And now, there he was, in front of her in the empty courtyard, and apologizing for his behavior. Why might that be?

An apology from the arrogant arse, she scoffed.

"I just wish to know why your family hates mine so much. It was the Lannisters who murdered my family, but I do not understand the nature of the conflict between our two houses." she asked, trying to appease the bad blood that developed between them, and honestly know a truth she sought for a very long time.

"The Mad King burned my grandfather and my uncle alive. Your brother, Rhaegar, kidnapped my aunt, Lyanna, and she was never seen again. Your father was a mad man." Robb explained, the anger within him rising again.
"Those are lies! He wouldn't do that for no reason." she objected stubbornly, not wanting to believe what he told. To admit that she was on the wrong side the whole time. That her father was mad, and the true reason for her house's doom and downfall was hard to bear, especially when since she was a child, she regarded her father highly, from the way Viserys spoke of him. She saw him as a hero even.

"If only it were otherwise, but I'm afraid you weren't present. You never knew him. But my father saw what happened. And he fought with honor to bring justice to our family." Robb insisted, and she sighed in exasperation.
"Well, I am sorry, for your family's misfortune. But you must understand that I am not to blame for my family's misdeeds. Whatever my father has done, I took no part in it. I came here willingly and peacefully. You must understand that I am not a threat to you, nor to any member of your family." Rhalla said with her hand on her heart, her tone and expression trying to reason with the headstrong young man, but his gaze was dark, like it always has been towards her, and with one last look, he turned on his heel, with his direwolf following him, leaving Rhalla alone in the middle of the courtyard, helpless and vulnerable.

She felt herself failing at convincing Robb of her innocence, and it infuriated her. He was the only possible threat to her safety. But what bothered her was that despite his treating her poorly, she regarded him highly, while at the same time feeling an anger surpassing her previous experiences whenever she faced him.
She was confused about her feelings, but she wasn't going to give up on bringing all of the castle to her good side, for she was determined to earn their trust and respect for the years to come.

Rhalla sighed and started heading to her chambers after she watched Robb leave with a saddened expression.

On her way, she met Maester Luwin who seemed to have important news for her.
"A package is waiting for you in your chambers, my lady."

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How cute is Robb holding puppies? It's just too much cuteness in one picture haha!
Please comment and tell me if you're enjoying the story so far :) Things are getting really interesting in the next chapters!