Headcanons of the Seven Kingdoms

a/n: Stark!Reader

Growing up, you used to sneak away to spend time with Theon.

As you got older and snuck away even more once you were dating, you started exploring the grounds more.

One day, you stumbled onto a little hut at the edges of the grounds that looked abandoned. No one ever went there, so it became your place to sneak off to.

One day as you met up there, Theon casually sat on an old wooden chair in the corner, only to jump up with a yelp.

You rushed over to see what was the matter as he turned around to investigate.

That’s when you found a strange object curled on the chair, a light brown spiky ball that had stabbed Theon when he sat.

Theon started poking at it, picking it up and turning it around, which is when it uncurled a little bit, revealing that it was a hedgehog.

Theon didn’t really care about it, dropping it back onto the chair, but you were enamored.

You instantly decided to keep the hedgehog, picking her up and cradling her for a moment, while trying to convince Theon that this would be a good idea.

Theon just rolled his eyes, but after some sweet talking, you had him convinced to help you.

You were beaming as you dragged Theon back to the castle, sneaking him into your room to help you set up a space for the hedgehog.

Theon had initially seemed uninterested in her, but once you couldn’t stop talking about her in your room, he changed his mind. “I guess she isn’t so bad.” 

You set up a cozy little space for her with a cushion and blankets, and set her down.

Theon sat down on the floor beside you, curling up against your side while you watched the hedgehog, resting his head on your shoulder.

You two sat like that for a while, a rare romantic moment between you two. But eventually it got late, and Theon had to leave, sneaking out of your room and leaving you to watch your new hedgehog friend.

With the quiet in the room, the hedgehog had started to feel a little more comfortable, slowly uncurling herself and getting comfortable on her cushion, watching you watch her, before she fell asleep.

In the next few days, you had to find out what she would and wouldn’t eat. You and Theon found and offered her various foods to see what she would like.

She adored the cooked chicken and eggs as an occasional treat, but you couldn’t just give her only cooked chicken and egg, so you also had to try other things.

You got some other things to feed her. Apples, lettuce, and various types of insects for her to try. She took to the apple instantly, eating all the little chunks you offered her. She didn’t mind the lettuce, either, which was rather helpful.

The bugs were a bit trickier. They made you and Theon both squeamish, so it was a struggle, but you used a little pair of pincers to grab different types of bugs and offer them to her.

She enjoyed the mealworms, but she would have nothing to do with the beetles.

Given her size, it was also alright to give her a small mouse every now and then, so you figured you would offer her one to get her used to them.

She didn’t agree. After giving the mouse a little sniff, she couldn’t get away from it fast enough, scrambling across the cushion and even rolling onto the floor.

You were surprised when Theon scooped her up to try to comfort you, giving you a glare that said “how dare you put her through that”.

Getting used to being picked up, eventually she was so comfortable with it that she would stay on your shoulder or Theon’s. Now you can take her out perched like that.

She loves to go on walks that way. She likes to go outside for short periods, but hedgehogs aren’t made for Northern weather, so you don't let her go out for too long, or she’ll get too cold.

Sometimes, she burrows under the blankets in your room, and she’s able to hide so well that you can’t find her when you come in.

While you’re searching around the room for her, she’ll suddenly pop out of the blankets as if she’s trying specifically to be a troublemaker.

When you first came to Winterfell, you were often left with nothing to do. You hadn't yet adjusted to living in such a cold and often bleak place.

To your surprise, you found a rather large population of squirrels running around the grounds, and watching them became your favourite form of entertainment.

One day, you got the idea to feed the squirrels.

It took months, but you did manage to build up enough trust that they would eat out of your hand, though they would only let you get that close if you had food, and they wouldn't let you pet them.

You went out every day to feed and talk to your squirrels, and one day you noticed that one was pregnant.

You kept an eye on her every day, even giving her extra food.

You were so excited to get to meet her baby. You couldn't stop talking about it, especially to Ned, who delighted in your joy about the squirrels.

You were concerned when you noticed the pregnant squirrel didn't come for food one day.

Ned had to comfort you, even suggesting that the squirrel had given birth, and she was just too busy taking care of her new baby.

It was a relief when you found out he was right, when she came back after a week, carry a tiny baby by the scruff of his neck.

She didn't usually stay long, but she visited every day, bringing her baby with her.

Though she never brought the baby directly to you, he did start to get used to you, and when he was a little older, he got brave, getting much closer than the other squirrels would.

One day, he startled you by jumping onto your arm and sniffing around, climbing up until he found a comfy spot on your shoulder.

You were so excited you went back inside with the squirrel still on your shoulder, finding Ned and showing him how great it was.

Seeing you with the baby squirrel on your shoulder made him smile, but he reminded you that inside a castle was no place for a squirrel.

Though it was disappointing to bring him back outside, he returned every day, loving to climb on you. He would sit on your shoulder, or sometimes even your head.

He even lets you walk around like this, almost as if he's a piece of clothing.

Once, you even convinced Ned to come out and feed the squirrels with you, leading to your squirrel hopping up onto him arm the same way he did for you.

a/n: Any gender reader

He would first encounter you when you were fairly young, working in the kitchens.

He would see something in you, deciding to make you something like a personal assistant to him.

He has you go most places with him, giving you access to important secrets. He's grown to trust you more than he trusts anyone else.

You quickly learned the way he likes just about everything. Having things ready how he likes them is the quickest way to impress him.

Many people give you sad or sympathetic looks when they see how much time you have to spend with Roose, feeling bad for you because of his reputation. This is even though he treats you very well in front of people, even going so far as complimenting you to them if he feels you deserve the praise.

He doesn't treat you badly in private either. Roose believes the best way to ensure your loyalty is through a mix of fear and respect, rather than fear alone.

Yes, you fear what he'd do to you if you betrayed him, but you also have no reason to betray him when being loyal rewards you so well.

This means he never raises his voice at you, though he usually doesn't like to raise his voice anyway. He never hits you. He never even threatens to be violent or aggressive. Of course, the implication is in the air about what would happen if you disobeyed him...

When he thinks you've done a bad job on something, he normally uses a psychological method of showing you his disappointment by being cold and quiet toward you, making you crave his approval.

He's also very vocal when he believes you could do better, reminding you that what you did is below your standards and that he expects better from you.

He's good at breaking you down like that, but he can also build you up, always willing to praise you in a soft, calm way.

Even when praising you, he's not very expressive. You have to look for more subtle hints to tell that he truly appreciates you, like how even when he seems grumpy and snaps at people, he doesn't take it out on you, composing himself before interacting with you.

He makes sure to reward you with more than just praise for your good work. He makes sure you get the best of everything. You wear nice warm clothes, have a very large room, and when you have time to sit down and eat a full meal, it's always a good one.

Roose takes care of anything you ask of him as well. If you need supplies for something or a favour done for a friend, as long as you ask him very nicely, he'll usually make sure it's done.

You have very little time to yourself. Roose always has errands he needs you to run or something he wants you to be there for.

He's always training you, wanting you to learn from how he handles things. You may not be a noble, but you'll still know how to run the household, and you'll understand politics, and even how to control people.

Your relationship started somewhat awkward. You were afraid of Roose, but you didn't want to let that show, because you wanted him to respect you. As time went on and he showed you that softer side with his praise, you gradually began to feel more comfortable around him.

Now you know you can speak your mind with him as long as you don't insult him. When it's just you two, he always entertains your questions and suggestions, calmly explaining things to you as much as you need.

a/n: female reader

You were part of a smaller noble family who had long ago learned the secrets of nature, and how to turn them into special abilities. Some might even call these abilities powers.

Your family's powers were rumoured and gossiped about, which caused you to struggle to fit in at court, where your family had sent you to increase their influence, and maybe even find a husband.

You had been incredibly lonely at court until the Starks arrived.

Being from the North, Sansa was also seen as an outcast, which is what prompted you to first introduce yourself.

Sansa didn't seem too interested in your friendship at first. She was polite but distant, and you could tell major things were happening in her life.

As time went on, you won her over with persistence. You had been taking a moment every day to say hello to her, when one day, she asked if you would like to go on a walk with her.

As you walked, she asked if the rumours about you were true, and you told her the truth. That you had some magic abilities, though not strong ones. At first, she didn't believe you, so she asked for proof.

You had noticed a wilting flower you passed on your walk, so you brought her back to it. You held the flower as you focused all your energy on it, and you were able to restore it, watching as it perked up and its colours brightened.

Sansa was delighted, and you became very close friends from that day on.

You would spend your time walking in the gardens. She found it so helpful to be all the things that had been stressing her out, and she often asked you what your magic could and couldn't do.

When Sansa's father was arrested on charges of treason, you were there to listen to her worries and fears.

When her father was executed, you came to her as soon as you could to comfort her. She was obviously hurt, but having you there helped her out, especially when you wrapped her up in a big hug, and just held her while she cried.

Watching her being mistreated at court was horrible, but you couldn't think of a way to stop it, so you had to let it go on. Of course, that didn't mean you couldn't help her in other ways.

Whenever she was hurt, you would always be there to use your knowledge of healing and a little bit of magic to help take away her pain (physical at least). When she told you she was having trouble sleeping, you were able to help with that as well.

You were her entire support system until she left King's Landing. She was heartbroken when she realized she'd have to leave you, and that made her realize that the feelings she felt for you may have been stronger than just friendship. But it was too late to tell you that, which only made things even more painful.

a/n: any gender reader

Ned truly believes in honor, which would affect how he treats you.

He would be subtle, not believing he should reveal his feelings to you unless you made the first move.

He would try to spend as much time around you as possible. Any time he could find a good excuse, he'd take advantage for sure.

He'd find himself drawn to looking at you often, but if he was going to stare, he'd make sure no one else would notice first.

He'd stand slightly closer to you than he would with most other people, but not to the point of being in your personal space.

You'd be able to get him to smile if you said something sweet or funny, which most people couldn't do.

He would find it easier to talk to you, be willing to answer any personal questions you ask, and also tell you about things that are going on with him.

He would also love to listen to you talk, so he would encourage you, asking you about your day and such, just to hear you talk to him.

He would especially listen to you about your romantic interests and marriage offers, being very curious about what was going on in your romantic life.

He'd spend a lot of time thinking about you on his own, but he'd be careful about talking about you to other people, not wanting anyone else to catch on.

He'd be rather embarrassed about his feelings for you, feeling like they aren't appropriate.

If anyone ever noticed any of his behaviour toward you, he'd brush it off, but he'd pay more attention to his behaviour after that, toning it down to make sure you didn't notice.

If marrying you isn't in the cards, you'll never find out about his feelings toward you, not wanting to burden you with his "problems" as he sees it.

Stannis is a stern man. He usually doesn't show his emotions, but you know him well enough to tell when he likes something.

You can tell he likes dogs. He just has a profound appreciation for their loyalty and simplicity.

Stannis also isn't the greatest at giving gifts. He knows what to get when it's practical, but he often struggles to find gifts when looking for something to make you happy. That's why he doesn't get you nice gifts often, only when custom dictates he should.

That said, he has had some great gifts for you, and a dog was the best.

He likes dogs, and he could tell from the start that you did too, so when he was looking for a gift that would suit you, he had a dog in mind as one potential option.

He was still mulling over the idea during one trip down to the docks (not his favorite activity) when he noticed a man going from person to person with a puppy in his arms.

The pup was a little bundle of scruffy white fur, covered in dirt, but with his tail wagging furiously.

Stannis couldn't help but approach the man, and he found out that he had taken a pregnant stray dog aboard his ship for company. He didn't know she was pregnant, and then she had a litter of pups he couldn't afford to take care of.

Now, that the puppies were old enough to leave their mother, he was trying to find them homes, and this was the last puppy.

Stannis saw the opportunity and took it, paying the man a lot more than he was expecting, and taking the pup.

He immediately got to work getting the supplies ready. All the basics that every puppy would need, plus some extra fancy things like custom blankets, and lots of toys, particularly hand-made rope ones.

Stannis even commissioned a custom collar, gold with deep black gems.

Then he had someone give the pup a bath and a quick trim up, and presented him to you with a beautiful ribbon around his neck, just to make things even cuter.

How could you not be in love with such a cute face, and that happily wagging tail?

The puppy took no time to adjust to his new home, instantly excited to explore and sniff every surface.

From that moment on, Stannis pretended to have no interest in the puppy, even as he grew, but you knew otherwise. You could Stannis always watching him when he thought no one was looking, and he always seemed pleased when the dog would bring over a toy to play with.

You hired someone to help you with training and caring for the puppy, but you were still very hands-on, following the trainer's instructions to train the dog yourself, giving him baths, and things like that.

He was a quick learner, and now that he's grown, he knows all the important tricks like "sit", "stay", "lay down", etc.

He's very well-behaved now. He loves following you around wherever you go.

He grew more than you expected, considering his original size. He's giant now. The biggest dog you've ever seen. But he kept his scruffy, shaggy white fur.

There were a few times when he was younger that you were worried Stannis might get rid of him. He used to chew on Stannis' boots, and sometimes even steal food from people. Luckily you managed to train those behaviors out of him, and now he's much calmer.

Stannis puts up a front that he doesn't care much either way about the dog, but you know him well enough to know that's not the truth. He loves that dog, especially when he brings a toy over and looks at Stannis with those big, sad eyes, waiting for him to play.

a/n: any gender reader

You had always had a connection with animals, and Jon knew about it too.

It was clear from the first time you met his direwolf, Ghost, who wasn't usually aggressive but was often aloof with strangers, but not with you. Ghost took to you instantly. He almost seemed to prefer you to Jon sometimes.

In fact, your bond with Ghost is what brought you and Jon together into an official relationship.

You and Jon both agreed that it would be best to just have Ghost, no other animals. Ghost just wouldn't be able to get along with any other animals, or tolerate having some of the attention taken away from him.

Of course, that didn't stop you from befriending any animal you could, even though in the end, you wouldn't be able to bring them home.

When you saw a beautiful snowy owl perched on a rock one day, you were stunned to be so close to an animal that's so rare to see.

You were just going to watch it and keep your distance. You didn't want to scare it away.

But you got closer than the owl was comfortable with, so he tried to fly away. Only, he wasn't able to fly properly.

The owl fell back to the ground, leaving a trail of blood where he had been.

Wasting no time, you rushed over to check on him, worried that he could be in danger if you didn't do something to help.

The owl didn't appreciate the help. He clacked his beak loudly, making a snapping noise that warned you to back off. But you couldn't do that. You needed to help him.

You kept getting closer, approaching him slowly until you could wrap him in your cloak. He snapped more and tried to flap his wings, making a big fuss, but you didn't stop. You knew he needed the help, otherwise another animal would turn him into an easy lunch.

On your way home with the owl, he bit you a few times, but he was only trying to defend himself.

When you got home, Jon couldn't believe his eyes. "You promised me not to get any more animals."

When Ghost caught sight of the squirming bundle in your arms, he jumped up to investigate. You had to have Jon hold him back and pull him into another room.

It was only when you showed Jon the state of the owl's injured wing that he agreed he could stay until his wing was healed enough for him to fly.

"Right. Only until he can fly..."

The owl wasn't happy about the situation. He wouldn't let you even get close enough to change the bandage on his wing unless you bribed him with food. Even then, he would be stiff the entire time, and eye you suspiciously.

Because the owl fought you so often, he healed much slower than expected.

Jon was in a hurry to get him back into the wild before there were any problems with Ghost, but for his part, Ghost didn't seem too jealous of the owl. Mostly he was just curious.

It took a while, but eventually the owl realized you wouldn't hurt him. At that point, he started to warm up to you.

He wasn't being friendly, but he no longer hissed, clacked his beak, or even squirmed in your hands.

Since he wasn't putting all his energy into fighting you, he started to heal much faster, and you were hopeful he'd be able to fly again.

One day, you came in to change his bandage, and as soon as you took the old bandage off, the owl started to flap his wings, actually managing to lift into the air, even if he was still a little rusty.

You were happy for him until you realized that meant he was ready to leave.

Reluctantly, you let Jon talk you into bringing the owl back to where you had found them, letting him go there.

You watched him soar into the sky after a couple tries getting used to his healed wing. Seeing him so happy and free was a beautiful sight, but you also knew you would miss him.

And miss him you did -- until the day you opened your door to see him sitting outside with a rat in his beak.

He flew over to you, trying to get you to take the rat, almost as if he was trying to take care of you the same way you took care of him.

He wouldn't let you take him inside, so you sat outside with him instead. You talked to him about things as if he could understand you, and he let you give him head rubs. Once he had enough, he flew away without warning, leaving you with a big smile.

The next day, he was back again. The day after that as well. He came back nearly every day from then on. Sometimes he would bring you "food" like the rat, other times he wouldn't bring anything, though every once in a while he found pretty rocks and random shiny things to bring you.