Jon

He can feel his men breathe a sigh of relief the moment they are south of the Wall and he can't blame them. No matter how much Dragonglass or how many Valyrian steel blades they had, no one slept easy north of the Wall.

They were back from their third ranging since the Last Battle. For two months his men had searched the Far North for wights and Others. Three god men were lost to cold but it had to done.

If there were still Others out there, then they couldn't be allowed to regain their strength or numbers ever again.

He would let his brothers rest and regain their strength but soon they would have to do it again. They all wander of looking for things they have missed the most. Warm food, ale or a soft bed but Jon just goes to his solar. Something more precious is waiting for him there.

On his desk there is a wooden box filled with messages from Winterfell, left there by Sam. There is also food and hot spiced wine. The number of messages makes him smile.

As expected many of them are from Arya, asking or demanding that he visits them but his other siblings have written too. They are even some from Rickon. It doesn't matter what they write about for they all make him smile.

That is until he reads Robb's last message.

I have agreed to marry the Queen. If this is the last raven from me then ride for Winterfell.

"Sam!" He screams as he searches the box for more messages from his brother but there are none.

Immediately the door opens and his friend walks in. "I was wandering how long it would take."

"Tell me this is some poor jape," he yells waiving the piece of paper in front of Sam.

"I'm afraid I cannot."

"I need to go to Winterfell. Have some horses and five men as escort ready to ride with me in an hour." Jon orders.

It takes five days of hard riding but he can finally see the walls of Winterfell. He hadn't stopped worrying for Robb since he read that letter and the only thing that gives him some comfort is that there is no host assembled and that they hadn't heard anything bad on their way.

Most men they met just japed about how their king was riding a dragon.

He doesn't expect his family to be gathered in the yard waiting for him as if were some honored guest or royalty and he definitely didn't expect to see lady Catelyn there.

"Jon!" Arya shouts as she starts running towards him and it is all the warning he gets before she flings herself at him.

"Hello, Arya." Jon greeted her back.

"What took you so long?" She demands, her face buried in his chest.

"Arya, we would like to greet Jon too." Sansa calls before he can defend himself.

Across the North people talked about her beauty and for once the rumors were true. His brothers at the Wall called her The patron of the Nights Watch. With every shipment of supplies from Winterfell, she would write a letter thanking the brave men for defending the Realm and those letters would be read out loud for all men to hear.

"The Watch takes no part will mean shit if your sister ever asks for our help," Jon remembers Dolorous Edd saying to him.

"Welcome home brother." Sansa hugs him, ignoring Arya's glaring.

"Hello Sansa." Jon greets her back while trying to remember the last time she hugged him. He can't.

Bran greets him with a smile and a firm handshake but it still breaks his heart seeing him in a chair. Rickon is a little shy and seems to have trouble recognizing him.

What happens next is equally terrifying as fighting the Others. Lady Catelyn steps forward and before he can say anything, he is enveloped in a firm hug.

"You look just like Ned," she whispers in his ear.

He doesn't return the hug. He wants to but he can't. He just stands there frozen and lost for words.

"Close your mouth, Lord Commander," she says with amusement in her eyes and a kind smile.

He would probably stand there forever if not for Sansa.

"Ser Rodrick, see that these brave men are settled in the finest rooms we have. Jon you know where your room is." She orders.

"I'll take him," Arya shouts but Lady Catelyn just raises her right eyebrow and Arya lets go of him.

He didn't expect to be put in his old room but he is even more surprised by the state of it. Nothing has been changed. Same furniture, same furs, same smell, everything as he had left it. Some toys are missing but he knows who took them.

He sits on his bed and stares at the wall, trying to understand what just happened. What is happening when a soft knock on the door interrupts his thoughts.

Arya, he thinks and smiles.

"Come in," he calls but the door opens and lady Catelyn is standing there.

She is still wearing black, Jon notices. She is still mourning father. He was a lucky man.

"Come with me, Jon." For the first time in his life she is not ordering him, but inviting him and he can't help but follow her.

It doesn't feel right to walk beside his father's wife and he wants to take a step back and follow her, but she puts a hand on his back and pushes him forward.

"I have treated you wrongly," she starts. "From the day Ned brought you, all I could see was a threat to Robb and our others children. It would be easy to blame Ned, the honourable fool, but what is done is done."

We are going to the crypts, he realizes.

"I will not apologize for trying to defend my children, but maybe we could start over?"

They are standing in front of his father's statue, when he gathers the courage to speak.

"He look just as I remember him when we parted our ways. He promised to tell me about my mother when we see each other again."

"I didn't know her well, but I did meet her a few times. I could tell you if you want." Lady Stark offered and he just nodded.

"Is Robb in danger?" He tries to change the subject.

"He is in King's Landing. It is not a good place for Starks, but I don't think the Queen means him harm."

"I will leave you now but there will be a feast tonight and tomorrow we will discuss why Robb called for you."

Again, all he can do is nod.

Margaery

"I want to be the Queen," she remembers telling lord Baelish, that slimy bastard. And now a few years later she is lady-in-waiting to the new queen, which is just another word for a handmaiden.

It hurts just as "thrice wedded, never bedded", a reminder of how vulnerable her position is.

Growing strong, she keeps repeating to herself as she walks the gardens, searching for her grandmother.

"There you are my dear," lady Olenna calls when she finally finds her.

"Come, sit with me. A dozen ladies and not one interesting thing to hear. Maybe you can change that."

She smiles kindly at the women as they run away from her grandmother's sharp tongue.

"I'm trying to remember how many royal weddings I have attended. Can you help an old woman?"

"A few. And you're not as old as you like to pretend." She can't help but bite back.

"Why the sour mood, my dear? Are you not enjoying your new duties?"

She is not used to be at the receiving end of her grandmother's barks.

"I just had to make our future king's bed. So, no. I'm not enjoying my duties." She explains but her grandmother just laughs.

"I assume by his orders?"

"Yes." She answeres bitterly.

"A Stark with a sense of humor, who would have thought." Her grandmother leans back.

"Your father tried to starve two brothers of the king and we got away with it. He married you to Relny and we got away with it. Then, you married two more kings and we lost. Be glad that your brothers aren't at the Wall and you not a silent sister."

"I would understand if the Queen despised me, but she doesn't. I would understand if he hated us all but he doesn't. He likes Garlan." Margaery countered.

"He likes Garlan because they are both warriors." Olenna explained.

"So is Loras," Margaery argued but Olenna just rolled her eyes.

"Loras is the Knight of Flowers, he gives roses to dumb girls before he goes to fight. He will never have his respect. But that is not the reason why he made you change his sheets."

"Oh?" She looked around to check if they were alone. "Our family fought against his, what more reasons does he need?"

"That was war. We fought for the Iron Throne and he for independence. You and I however, tried to marry his sister to Willas and he will makes us pay for that. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Margaery asked curiously.

"Unless we protect ourselves, but that discussion is for another time and place."

"What have you learned?" Her grandmother whispered.