Chapter Text
It was a cold and windy day in the North when King Robert and his entourage arrived. Though to be fair, every day was cold and windy. Yessa Stark had never been one for the cold, her twin brother Robb had oftentimes teased her for her never-ending shivering. They had been born together, Robb only a minute or two before her, and had been inseparable ever since.
In the morning, Yessa had been awoken by her handmaidens. She had risen and bathed, put on her finest gown at her mother's request, and had sat at her vanity as her handmaidens braided traditional northern braids into her hair. Yessa stared hard at her own face, evaluating what people saw as they looked at her.
At 19 she had now shed her baby weight, and the bone structure revealed underneath was remarkable. Her high cheekbones and sharp jawline were striking, that she had to admit to herself. Her ears were small and pointy. Her delicate nose had grown with her father's curve down, yet it pointed up at the tip. A wee smile played at the corners of her pink plump lips, she knew what animal her side profile resembled. The commoners had began calling her by it behind her back. Robb had hated the nickname when he first heard it, but Yessa knew they spoke about her with nothing but love when they called her 'the Harvest Mouse'.
It did not help that her hair was the same color as her father's, the color of a harvest mouse's hide. It was light walnut brown and fell in messy waves to the small of her back.
She arched her dark, long, and thick eyebrows as she reviewed her handmaidens' braid work. Her eyes searching for any flaws or stray hairs, as she knew her mother had a critical eye when it came to her appearance. Though no matter how tightly her hair was braided, the stubborn waves would always find a way to escape and frame her face in messy bangs. Her father would always scoff in response and say, “With eyes like that, no one will be looking at your hair, girl.”
Yessa had always been proud of her eyes. They were a light green, like the yellow sun's light when it shines through spring leaves, with a dark green ring surrounding the iris. No northerner had eyes like hers. They were her one unique attribute.
After she deemed her appearance suitable, she made her way downstairs to the breakfast table.
“Yessa!”
A voice called, she turned round and smiled. “My dear brother Robb, did no one tell you it is impolite to sneak up on a lady?”
Robb only grinned down at her in response and put his arm over her shoulder. Though even he was not the tallest, he still towered 8 inches over her. It had been the great big laugh of the Stark family: the eldest daughter being no taller than the youngest (who was still growing mind you!) No, at 5 feet and 2 inches, Yessa was only a little lady.
“Come on my little sister, we will be late for breakfast.” Robb's voice was filled with love and warmth, they'd been best friends since they both could remember. In their early childhood days they'd vehemently denied ever wanting to get married, “Why would I share my life with somebody who I barely know, when I can spend it with the person I was born alongside?” Yessa had cried to her father when he first mentioned marriage to her 7 years ago.
She knew better now, one day she'd have to be a wife. If not for love, then it was for the good of her House that she'd be wed. It was only in the darkest nights, deeply tucked away under her heavy blankets, that she'd fantasize about a tall and mysterious man who'd whisk her away and show her love and passion like she'd never felt before.
She'd never loved, no man had ever dare approach her. She did not know if it were out of fear of her father, or whether they just did not find her appealing. Her handmaidens had told her about their adventures in the hay with the stable boys. Yessa could only dream of such passion.
Though it was forbidden for her to sully her innocence before marriage, she could fantasize all she wanted. And fantasize she did.
After breakfast they all piled into the courtyard, Yessa saw the commoners push each other out the way to stand in front and hopefully catch a glimpse of the royal family. She herself stood in between her brother Robb and her sister Sansa, though she hardly stuck out between them. Her beautiful little sister was a whole head taller than her.
“Where is mother? She must hurry or she will miss the king's arrival!” Sansa asked her sister in an anxious little voice.
“Not to worry, little one.” Yessa replied reassuringly, “Mother would not miss the arrival of the king for the world. You know how much she values appearances. Look, Bran and Arya are not here, she must've gone to find them.” Even though Yessa was much shorter, she could still comfort her little sister as she'd done when Sansa she was only little. Sansa sighed and and gave her sister a strained smile. Yessa smiled a big grin back.
Before the little mouse could say anything more to her little sister, Bran ran by.
“Where have you been?” Robb asked him with an amused smile. “Climbing, I saw the king! They're coming!” Bran replied excitedly.
Yessa giggled, “Did mother catch you?” Bran had the decency to look slightly ashamed, “Yes, she did.” Robb and Yessa shared a knowing look, their mother must've given him a proper scolding.
“Where is Arya?” Lady Cat looked around herself as she walked up to her family, before turning to her daughters, “Yessa, Sansa, where is your sister?”
Yessa squeaked, “I thought you had her!” as Sansa just shrugged.
Luckily, as the first knights rode in, the tiniest knight Yessa had ever seen came running up to them. “Hey, hey, hey!” Ned exclaimed, “What are you doing with that on?” He took the helmet off the tiny knight, and revealed Arya's face. Yessa could feel Robb's arms shaking next to her as he tried to suppress his laughter.
As Arya moved past her siblings, Yessa bend to her ear and whispered, “You will make a fine warrior one day, better than these lame boys.” She nodded to Robb. Arya grinned at her and moved to stand beside Sansa, pushing Bran out of the way, “Move!”
The first riders rode in, with a member of the Kingsguard at the front. Then a boy, who Yessa recognized as the crown prince himself. She heard a dreamy sigh coming from her right, and looked over to find Sansa staring at the boy as if he was a fresh drink of water in the great plains of the Red Waste. Yessa raised her eyebrows in disgust at her sister, “Eugh...” and noticed Robb glaring daggers into the poor boy's skull.
Then another caught her eye, a big man in dark armor with a hounds head helmet. His horse was bigger than the others, probably because a smaller horse had not been able to hold a man his size.
She let her eyes travel along the intricate lines of his armor as the three riders came to a stop in front of her and her family. Her heart skipped a beat and a shudder run down her back as she noticed the big sword strapped to the man's back. It must be three quarters of her height, and judging by its aged looking handle it must've cut many a man down.
'A big man needs a big sword, I suppose', she thought to herself. Yet still could not keep her eyes from him as the rest of king Robbert's entourage rode into the courtyard.
The man with the hound helmet was looking her in the eye, she just knew it. And as if to confirm her suspicions, the man lifted his helmet with one large gloved hand.
Their eyes met.