VPBA

When he finally had Catelyn with him again she had embraced him before he could say anything. It surprised him, though he returned the embrace all the same. He had not spoken to her for hours.

“The hour is late” she mumbled.

As always when she had had wine her voice was hoarser than usual and as always Ned loved the sound of it.

“I believe that depends on who you speak with” he told her.

It seemed most people there were not ready to leave the feast yet. They were dancing and drinking and conversing to their heart’s delight. Ned himself had been finished the moment they were done eating, yet the feast was held in his honour and so he had resisted the urge to quietly slip away. Even as he had asked Robert not to make a spectacle of his nameday only to have that wish very much disregarded. Though it had not taken long before the purpose of the feast was forgotten and people were glad just to be at a feast.

“I speak with you.”

“Then aye, the hour is indeed late.”

Before she had come to him he had felt rather tired, though something told him he had been right not to retire for the night earlier. There was a suggestive tone in what she was saying.

Catelyn leaned back slightly and so he was allowed to look at her. See the sparkling eyes and the rosy cheeks and the smile on her lips.

“I was considering going to bed” she let him know.

Then there was only one way forward. One he had longed for, one he had dreamed of. More than a year it had been since they saw one another.

“It would be rude of me not to escort you there, my lady.”

Catelyn reached up and gave him a quick kiss. He needed more of that, more of her. He had been starved for so long.

“Yes, that would be terribly rude” she agreed when they parted. “Gods, have I missed hearing you say that.”

They were not meant to be separated in the way they were. His place was by her side, he should have been with her always.

“You will have grown tired of my voice when it’s time to return to Winterfell.”

That made her laugh and it was the prettiest sound in the world.

“For years and years I heard your voice most every day. I believe I can handle it.”

“I am a fortunate man.”

Catelyn let go of him and took his arm instead.

“Should we leave?”

The night was warm, almost uncomfortably so. During his time in King’s Landing that had kept him awake many nights, the heat making it impossible to sleep. Though for once he did not at all mind. He was occupied with Catelyn.

When they had just left the hall Ned entertained the thought of taking her hand instead and quickening the pace. He wanted to walk as fast as they could back to his chambers so that he could have her. So that he could put an end to that unbearable wait. Though he forced himself to be patient. Not that it was much of a struggle, in truth. He had missed so many other things, nothing could be rushed. He wanted to savour every word that came from her lips, every smile, every look she gave him. All of it would be so precious once her visit ended.

Slowly they strolled through the Red Keep together. Their conversation had nothing to do with what was to come, though the silent promise was there underneath. Hidden away while they walked.

He was not alone in impatience. The moment they were in his bedchamber and the door had closed behind them Catelyn’s lips were on his. Though there was little urgency in the kiss itself, it was soft and gentle.

Ned laid his arms around her waist, took pleasure in just having her close. She was so warm against him and he had never appreciated it more. He could not remember the last time he had had a good dream and suddenly he found himself in one.

“What say you we undress?” he asked, pulling away slightly.

As beautiful as she was in her blue gown he knew she would look even better without it. And he wanted to feel her bare skin under his hands, wanted to touch every inch of her body.

“I say I like the sound of it.”

It pained him to let go of her, though he did it knowing how sweet it would be very soon.

He didn’t know why the light curtains were pulled for the bed. He also didn’t think much of it. His mind was occupied with Catelyn, with all he wanted to do with her. Even as he had not given it much thought earlier he realised that he had longed for it all day.

While Catelyn began unlacing her dress he pulled aside the curtains. Only to jump backwards in surprise when he met another pair of eyes. Unknown eyes.

The woman looked young, very young. She was fair, her hair was light and her eyes were hazel. Though it was hard to see anything but that she was entirely naked. There was not a thread to cover her body and she made no attempt at hiding anything herself.

“Ned, my love, would you help me?” Catelyn asked, not having noticed there was a third person in the room.

“I wasn’t told your wife would be here, my lord” the other woman said with a smile. “Though I don’t mind.”

Coming to his senses Ned averted his eyes, choosing to look down at the floor rather than at the naked woman before him. He didn’t look at Catelyn either, though could imagine the expression on her face.

“What is this?”

Catelyn’s voice was sharp as a knife and he could feel that the question was directed at him rather than at the stranger in their bed.

“I wouldn’t know” he responded. “And I ask the same question.”

“King Robert wished for you to have a good end to your nameday, my lord.”

Even as he didn’t look at her he heard the continued smile in her voice. Like a cake that was too sweet, dripping with honey.

Of course it was Robert. Who else could it have been? Ned wondered how it had not crossed his mind sooner when it was so obvious. She would not have got all the way into his bedchamber if someone had not authorised it.

“Oh gods be good” Ned sighed.

He raised his hands, rubbing his face. Suddenly he felt so very tired.

“Lord Stark does not wish for your presence” Catelyn said pointedly. “Nor do I. You should leave.”

Even as he didn’t look at the woman he knew she was not moving to leave the bed. There was no sound, the silence told him she was completely still.

“Do as the lady says” he told her.

Only then did she move. She had waited for him to say it, would not take commands from Catelyn. Catelyn must have noticed the same, when he glanced at her he was met with a dour look. Which was quite understandable.

The woman slipped out of the bed on the opposite side, leaving her hidden from Ned behind the curtains on that side. He used that opportunity to turn to his wife and found that she had her back towards him.

When the woman appeared again she was wearing a light shift and that was a relief. Barefoot she tiptoed through the otherwise very silent room.

“Were you paid beforehand?” Ned asked as she opened the door.

As dismayed as he was with her presence in his rooms he knew it was not her fault. She did what she was paid for.

She stopped and turned around to look at him. Her shift was so thin it left little to the imagination and so he once again found himself looking at the floor.

“I was, my lord.”

Then at least he would not have to pay her for it. It would have made an already poor gift even worse.

“Good. Then you may leave.”

Without another word she left the room and closed the door behind her. It was a relief even as Ned was left with a lingering feeling of unease.

“There was a whore in our bed” Catelyn said slowly, still with her back to him. “Paid for by the king as a nameday gift for you.”

“That is true.”

He wished it had not been. Sincerely and with all his heart he wished their bed had been empty.

“You are, of course, free to do as you wish regarding that when I am not here” Catelyn continued. “Though I would be grateful if you could keep the whores out of the bedchamber when we share it.”

She said if as if he was the one who had brought the whore there. As if he had wanted her to be there. It was hard not to take offence, did she not know him better than so?

“Do you believe this to be a common occurrence?”

“I cannot know what you do when I’m in Winterfell, it is your right to seek pleasure elsewhere.”

His rights and his desires were not one and the same.

Ned walked over to her and took her hand, gently turning her around so that they faced one another. She tensed and turned her face downwards when he did so, though didn’t draw away. She let him hold her hand.

“When you’re in Winterfell I go to bed alone at night and wish I was also in Winterfell. That is what I do.”

He did want someone to be in his bed, though that someone had to be Catelyn. He wanted to make love to her until they were both utterly spent, he wanted to fall asleep with his arms around her, he wanted her presence to keep the dreams at bay.

“Is that so?”

“I have no wish to share my bed with anyone but you.”

Catelyn looked at him then and there was still doubt on her face.

“Still there was someone else in your bed” she said.

“As much as I try I cannot control Robert.”

He wondered what Jon Arryn had known that he didn’t, what he had done to keep Robert under control. Maybe he had been unable, too, and it had only become obvious to Ned when he saw the court from within.

Catelyn sighed and seemed to grow a little less tense at that.

“I understand he’s the king, but he’s also a very dear friend of yours and so I ask that you tell him not to do this again.”

“I would not have let it pass without saying something. I did not ask for this.”

He would tell Robert exactly what he thought of his little gift as soon as he was given the opportunity.

“Thank you.”

For very many years he had lived together with her. Shared his days with her and his nights with her. He had missed her terribly ever since they parted, not a day had passed where he had not thought of her.

Ned raised his free hand and put it against her cheek.

“I have waited for you, Catelyn. Do you not trust me enough to believe that when I say it?”

Catelyn looked away from him, once again her eyes were fixed on the floor between them.

“I’m… I’m merely telling you I would understand if you did not wait for me.”

Each word seemed to be a struggle to say, yet she said them all the same. Ned did not like hearing them in the least.

“You’re the only one I want, there’s little more to say.”

Catelyn reached up and kissed him, something he had not at all expected. Though he returned the kiss. When it ended he found himself resting his forehead against hers, relieved over that it did not seem any anger would last.

“I love you” she said in a low voice. “Though I’m quite tired, I think I need to sleep.”

“Then we will sleep, my love.”

He could not be disappointed when that meant getting to fall asleep with his arms around her.

+ Bonus part (I wrote the whole fic around this scenario and can’t just leave it out but that’s hush hush so pretend you never read this)

Ned entered the small council chamber and saw that for some reason Robert had decided to join them. That was usually a bad omen, and Ned did not see any reason for why it would be different that day. Though before they brought up whatever business they needed speak of Ned had something else on his mind.

“You gifted me a whore?” he asked as he walked across the room and to the table where they would all be seated.

What the other members of the council thought of that he could not have cared less about, though a quick glance revealed that everyone was present except for Littlefinger. He did not know when he would have Robert trapped in one place the next time, he had to say what needed to be said.

“I take it you didn’t appreciate the gift” Robert responded dryly.

It had been days and Catelyn was still wary whenever she entered their bedchamber.

“I share my chambers with Lady Catelyn. Not that I would have appreciated it if I had been alone in my bed, either.”

Robert laughed at that. Heartily and loudly, as he so often did.

“You needn’t be angry, Ned, it was in good faith.”

The intentions behind it mattered little.

“My lady wife watched as I discovered a naked stranger in our shared bed, I have every right to feel whatever I find suitable.”

“I could not have known Lady Catelyn would be with you.”

Yet assumptions could have been made.

“I have not seen her for a very long time, where else would she be?”

“How am I to know? You will not speak of it.”

Ned found himself wanting to bang his head against the table. He had not seen Catelyn for more than a year. He had not been in bed with anyone for more than a year. At last he had been close to getting to satisfy the ache that had been slowly building in him only for Robert’s orchestration to ruin it. Since then he and Catelyn had found peace enough, though he would not forget how his nameday had ended.

“Then I will tell you that I do not need you to buy whores for me, Your Grace” he sighed. “I will also tell you not to do so again.”

“I’m the king” Robert scoffed. “You cannot tell me what I can and cannot do.”

“I’m your hand, I’m advising you. That advice being to respect Lady Stark.”

Advising was his purpose and he would live accordingly.

Robert waved a hand dismissively.

“If you say so, Ned.”

He most certainly did say so.

Ned was surprised none of the other council members chose to comment on what they had spoken about when he took his seat. Even Renly remained quiet.

“Should we begin?” Ned asked them.

“We are still waiting for Lord Baelish” Varys reminded him.

For two days the clouds had been an ominous shade of grey, so thick that no sun got through. The winds had been mild in the beginning, though quickly they grew colder and picked up strength. The people of Winterfell wrapped their cloaks right around themselves as they scurried through the courtyards to keep from being lifted off the ground.

Catelyn had kept to the keep except for when it was absolutely necessary to leave it and she had made sure the children stayed inside. Her husband she had not been able to stop from venturing outside, not that she had asked him. He had to do what he had to do, that could not be ignored because of the weather.

Though she couldn’t deny that there was a nervous twinge in her heart when she stood in his solar and saw how large snowflakes began falling outside the window. At first it was a gentle snowfall, the flakes slowly wrapping the castle in a white blanket. Before she knew it she could barely see the other castle buildings. And Ned and Robb had yet to return.

The man had cut down a woman and her child not long from Winterfell and taken their belongings, so he had been sentenced to death. Of course Ned carried out that sentence and he brought his heir with him to witness the king’s justice.

The northerners took pride in their ability to withstand cold and snow, and they bred horses that were mostly unbothered by the hard climate. Yet neither man nor horse was made for such terrible snowfalls as the one that day.

Catelyn had come to the solar to look over papers, but found herself unable to do anything but stand at the window, her worry making her too restless to work.

When the door opened she didn’t turn to face whoever it was that searched for her.

“My lady, they should have returned by now.”

She wished so deeply that Maester Luwin had been able to tell her that there was something they could do, a course of action that wasn’t staying in the castle and hoping for the best.

“A search party would be lost the moment they were outside the gates” Catelyn responded. “The roads will not be visible.”

“In that you’re right. Though is there anything else you would have us do?”

“Praying for their safe return is all we can do.”

“Although it pains me you’re right again, my lady.”

The door closed behind her again.

She wondered if the remaining three of their children were aware of how long it had been since their father and eldest brother left. Bran was perhaps a little too young, though Sansa most likely knew that Ned and Robb were outside in what was becoming a storm. Arya had been angry over that Robb was allowed outside while she had to play in the nursery, so it was plausible that she was waiting for him to come back.

Maybe she should have done something other than staring at the white nothing outside. Be with her youngest three, look over the accounting with Poole, mend the dress Sansa had accidentally ripped the skirt of, finish the embroidery she had began the previous day. She could make herself useful.

But the thought of her eldest boy and her husband out in the hell made of snow prevented her from it. If only she could have done something to help them.

When slowly it began growing dark she couldn’t take it any longer. She needed the refuge of her sept, she needed the gods to hear her and bring them back safely.

So she found herself challenging the cold and slowly make her way across the courtyard. She could barely keep her eyes open and all she could hear was the howling wind. The guards had looked at her as if though she was mad when they opened the door for her. Though she needed neither sight nor hearing to find her sept, she could have walked that way blindfolded.

“Is someone there?”

Catelyn stopped and turned but saw nothing. Around her was only snow, the wind had fooled her into hearing a voice. It didn’t help her unease. Though before she could continue her way to the sept a shadow became visible, and as the shadow came closer she saw that it was a boy.

“Robb!” she called out.

“Mother!”

Once she had him in her arms she felt a wave of relief crash over her. Her boy, she had her boy. Shivering and covered in so much snow it was impossible to tell that his hair was red.

“Are you well?” she asked, trying to brush the snow from his hair.

“Yes, Mother. But I didn’t think we would get home.”

His voice was so small and afraid, he was only a little boy.

“You did get home” Catelyn said softly and she managed to smile. “You are safe now.”

Slowly more people emerged around them. All were tired and windswept, though the relief over that they were within the gates was obvious. When she looked at them she was met by both exhausted smiles and frowns.

“Go inside” Catelyn said to her son. “Get warm clothes and a meal, sit in front of the fire.”

She watched as Robb joined arms with the bastard and began walking towards the keep, Theon Greyjoy at their heels. She considered following them to make sure that Robb wasn’t lost.

“You needn’t look so worried, my lady” Jory said. “We all came back whole.”

“We lost a horse, you fool” Ser Rodrik muttered in response to that.

“You cannot tell me someone walked on foot through this” Catelyn said, horrified by that notion.

As if it wasn’t bad enough to cross a distance on horse in such horrible snow.

“No, the boys got to share a horse” Ned let her know. “Ser Rodrik’s horse took a wrong step and could not get back up.”

His voice was hoarse and he seemed to have aged twenty years. The rest looked tired, he looked like he hadn’t slept in a week.

“I want you all inside” he said. “Now.”

Without a word they obeyed him, he did not have to tell them a second time.

And as the others disappeared Catelyn had to embrace her husband. She let her head rest against his shoulder and felt how he leaned his head against hers. Around them the winds howled and snow whipped them, but then and there it was alright. Ned had returned, they had all returned.

“They were so afraid, Cat” Ned mumbled into her hair. “They were so afraid and I could not offer comfort because I was as frightened. All the men were frightened.”

“Is that so strange?” she asked.

She knew few people who would not have been frightened by the prospect of being lost in a snow storm so close to home. They could be minutes away from being saved or they were moving in the entirely wrong direction.

“They will not be boys forever, they must know these hardships if they are to survive in the north” Ned continued. “Though before we found Winterfell they didn’t think they would survive.”

“It is alright now.”

She didn’t know if she said it to calm him or herself.

“It is alright now” he repeated. “Though I wish Ser Rodrik had not lost his horse.”

“We are lucky that the horse was the only life lost” Catelyn said.

She would have slaughtered every horse in the castle if that has assured their safe return.

“Trust me, my lady, I know.”

He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Though I am quite finished with being outside for now, and I am in need of a warm bath.”

“Might I join you?” Catelyn asked. “I cannot claim to be particularly warm.”

“I cannot believe I am dressing myself” the woman mumbled as she began lacing the dress in the back. “I cannot believe this to be true.”

She sounded more angry about it than in wonder. Catelyn shared her anger, she didn’t want to be there at all, but she was also deeply offended by it. Could she not at least pretend to be a little hyped about getting to dress herself?

It was not a particularly comfortable thing that the woman had put her in. The dress had several layers of skirts and had to be laced in the back. Though it was certainly beautiful despite that it was much less colourful than what the woman was wearing, grey with white embroideries along the bodice. The neckline was also higher, and it wasn’t made of the same fine fabric. It could be wool, through Catelyn was in no way sure.

“Neither can I… how would you like me to address you?”

How was she supposed to address that other version of herself? She knew they had the same name but it felt so weird to use it.

“Preferably Lady Stark, though Lady Catelyn is enough. What might I call you?”

“Just Catelyn works fine. Or Cat. I’m not picky.”

“Disregarding your peculiar way of speaking, Catelyn, are you lowborn?”

“Lowborn? I’m a Tully.”

She came from one of the richer families in Westeros, she was in no way lowborn. And it was a really weird expression to use, at what point did one become a lowborn?

“As am I, though you do not carry the title of lady and you have no castle.”

As Lady Catelyn stood behind her she couldn’t see her. And she couldn’t see Catelyn, so she wasn’t aware of how she rolled her eyes.

“We do not use titles where I’m from, and we don’t live in castles either. I live in a house large enough to more than comfortably fit my family, that’s enough.”

“How strange.”

The more Lady Catelyn said the more annoyed she was by her. Did she have a stick up her ass or was something else wrong there?

Lady Catelyn muttered something under her breath before taking a step backwards, her hands leaving Catelyn’s back.

“There, you are decent. You should not wear your hair loose, I trust you know how to braid it.”

Lady Catelyn had declared that she did not know what strange clothes Catelyn wore, but that she needed out of them because they looked like something a man might wear and they they were very indecent. And she wasn’t entirely wrong since it was Ned’s shirt and she never would have worn them outside of her home, but it was still rude.

She didn’t know if that was what Lady Catelyn had meant, though she began braiding her hair into a single braid. Hopefully that was decent enough for the lady.

“Thank you, Lady Catelyn” she said. “I’m very grateful for this.”

“I have more urgent matters to take care of right now, though Lord Stark should be back with clothing for your husband soon” Lady Catelyn said as if she had not even heard her.

Without another word she left the room and closed the door behind her. The lock clicked and suddenly they were once again alone.

Ned had been sitting on the bed in silence while Catelyn was helped into the dress, had turned his eyes the other way and made himself as small as possible. He clearly had very little interest in speaking with the other Catelyn.

“Gods, I can’t stand her” she sighed. “She’s insufferable. If I’m not to leave this chamber then why does it matter how I wear my hair?”

Ned, the absolute bastard, had courage enough to smile at that.

“She’s you” he said.

“She’s not me!”

Except for that she was her. A copy of her.

“Sorry, she’s what you would have been if this had been our reality. I’ve spent twelve years with you, I know what you’re like.”

“That’s the meanest thing anyone has ever said to me” she scoffed.

She finished the braid and found that she had nothing to tie it with. They didn’t have hair ties in that place, did they?

“She’s not that terrible–“

Ned was interrupted by that the lock once more clicked and a moment later the man, Lord Stark came inside carrying clothes. He quickly closed the door behind him, if it was to keep others out or to keep them in was unclear.

“By the look of you we have the same build, so my clothing should fit you” he told Ned.

From where she stood by the windows and held her braid in place Catelyn thought she saw Lord Stark’s gaze stopping on Ned’s chest for a second. The small crease that appeared between his eyebrows was something she recognised from her own husband.

“Thank you” Ned said.

Lord Stark put the clothes down on the foot of the bed, nodding briefly towards Ned. Then he turned to Catelyn. She felt like a bit of an idiot when she just stood there and held her hair in place.

Without a word he went into the same room as Lady Catelyn had been in before, it was a large closet, she had seen. She heard how he did something in there and when he came back he held a small box in one hand. It was as elegantly carved as everything else in the room seemed to be.

“You seem to be in need of something to tie your hair with, my lady” he said as he opened it.

The box was full of ribbons in all imaginable colours. He took a white one and handed it to her before closing the box.

“I’m no lady, but thank you” she smiled as she accepted it.

She began tying it at the end of her braid while he went back into the closet and put the box away.

“Are you no lady?” he asked when he came out again.

“We don’t use titles like that where we’re from, so I’m no lady. And my husband’s no lord.”

“I never thought my name would be the name of commoners.”

“We aren’t commoners, we just don’t use titles” Ned protested.

He had taken the clothes and unfolded them to see what it was he had in front of him. It felt like they were dressing up for a very fancy and elaborate costume party. She couldn’t imagine having to dress like that every single day. She certainly felt beautiful in her dress, but she also missed her own clothes. She wore skirts and dresses often though they didn’t reach the floor and they didn’t have several layers. In the future she would appreciate pants so much. The boots and stockings she couldn’t complain about, though, those she liked.

“The more you speak the stranger you appear” Lord Stark said.

“That makes us two.”

Catelyn struggled to hold back a smile at their exchange of words and turned her back to the two men, opting to walk over to the window and look down on the courtyard below them instead.

Not much had changed from when she stood there earlier, except for that one thing caught her eye. Two boys sparred while an older man was watching them. They were too tall, and even from a distance she could see that they appeared older by maybe three or four years, but that had to be Robb and Jon. A boy with her own red curls and a boy with the Stark brown hair.

“How old is your eldest son and your nephew?” she asked. “They seem older than what they are in our world.”

“They are four-and-ten.”

Either the other them had met when they were younger and had therefore had Robb earlier or they were older.

“Our Robb and Jon are only twelve. How old are you?”

“Five-and-thirty.”

Same as Ned.

“I suppose your wife is thirty three, then. That’s my age.”

“That is right. Though I must correct you in that Robb and Jon are both my sons.”

He came to stand next to her, also looking down below them.

“Jon isn’t my son” Catelyn said.

She glanced at Lord Stark and it seemed like a shadow passed over his face for a second. He had the same face as Ned, she could tell when something was wrong. It was strange, she did not know that man and still she knew him better than she knew herself. He was not the same as Ned and still they were the same person.

“Neither is he Lady Catelyn’s, Jon is my bastard.”

She didn’t know if it was shame in his voice, though he was certainly not proud of it.

Ned snorted behind them.

“So you went and had a child with another woman while your wife carried your child?” he said. “Our Jon is Lyanna’s son.”

Lord Stark sighed.

“I am not proud of it, though I did not yet know my wife and we were separated because of the war.”

“That’s no excuse” Ned said. “It was still a bad thing to do.”

“The war?” Catelyn asked, trying to silence her husband.

Maybe it shouldn’t have been a surprise that there had been war in a society as the one she was currently in, though still that confused her more than the cheating. Not that she wasn’t confused by Jon being Lord Stark’s son, it didn’t add up. That wasn’t like Ned. Or Lord Stark was more different from Ned than she had first thought.

“No, I want to know–“ Ned continued.

“Oh be quiet.”

Lord Stark seemed taken aback by her harsh words to her husband, though after having looked between them and noticed that Ned said no more he started talking.

“Robert’s rebellion. Based on the lack of scarring on your body, my lord, you are either a much greater warrior than I am or you have never seen battle, and the second seems more likely than the first so it is no surprise you would not know of the rebellion.”

Obviously there were a lot more differences between their realities than she had assumed.

“We haven’t fought any wars” Catelyn confirmed.

“Then I envy you.”

There was a melancholy about Lord Stark that suddenly became so strong that Catelyn wondered how she had not felt it the second she saw him. It was like a cloud around him even though he did not say a word about his sadness and showed even less. There was Ned again.

The silence after his words was heavy, she could feel it weighing down on all three of them. Catelyn looked at him, he didn’t look back at her. Though he was looking out the window his mind was clearly elsewhere.

“What happened with Lyanna if Jon is yours?” Ned asked, breaking the silence.

“I do not wish to speak of my sister.”

Without a word he turned and the next moment he wasn’t in the room any longer and the door had closed between them.

“Something’s wrong with him” Ned muttered.

“Is this where I tell you he’s you?”

“I’ve never cheated on you and I’m very much willing to speak of my sister.”

“I think she’s dead. Either that or something terrible has happened to her, what other reason could there be?”

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t change that he seems to have his head up his ass.”

“He seems kind, he noticed I had nothing to tie my hair with and answered my questions. And clearly he has been through a lot.”

Catelyn’s head was pounding before she even opened her eyes, a dull ache behind her eyes. Had she managed to come down with something? Because it certainly felt that way. It had to be sinusitis. She hadn’t had alcohol the previous day, it had just been a common Wednesday, and she had felt just fine so there was no other reason for her headache.

No alarm was ringing, she realised as she became more awake, she must have woken up from the headache. She had to get a painkiller, she couldn’t live with that for longer then necessary.

So she opened her eyes, blinked herself awake, and found that she wasn’t in her room.

It took a moment for her to remember how one breathed as she let her gaze wander around in the room. It seemed like a room that didn’t belong in her time. Stone walls, dusty wooden floors, a large fireplace that was also made of stone. The bed she was in was canopied, the bedposts were intricately carved and instead of blankets there were furs. Her phone wasn’t on the bedside table, instead there was a heavy leather bound book and a candle. Sun came into the room from high windows on one wall. There were two doors, both made of heavy wood. Where did they lead?

At first she was so struck by wonder that no questions appeared in her mind, she just looked around at everything in the room. Then inevitably she came to her senses and began asking herself how the fuck she had ended up there. And where the hell she was.

When she sat up her hand almost on reflex began reaching out to her side, finding Ned’s shoulder and shaking if. He was next to her, he was there. She wasn’t alone, that was always something.

“Ned! Wake up!”

“I hear no alarm, what’s the matter?” he muttered.

“I don’t know, open your eyes and see for yourself.”

Clearly annoyed by her he rolled to his back and did as she said.

“What the fuck?”

He sat up, as well, looking around the room with wide eyes and his mouth slightly open. They sat in silence for a long while as he just looked around.

“Where are we?” he then asked, looking at her.

“If only I could have told you” Catelyn responded.

She got out of the bed and found that the seemingly only thing that was right then and there was that she was still wearing what she had worn when she fall asleep. A pair of pyjama shorts and one of Ned’s t-shirts. Ned was only in his underwear, always too warm to wear anything to bed.

Slowly she walked over to the window to see if maybe she could find something outside that might give them a clue. She was left even more confused. Below them was a large courtyard and there were lots of people doing different things, all dressed in what she would have called medieval fashion. She saw a man practicing sword fighting with several young boys, someone led two horses, boxes and chests were carried towards another building with large wooden doors. High walls surrounded it, and there had to be even more buildings on other sides of the one they were in.

“A castle. We’re in a castle” she said.

“A castle?” Ned asked.

She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the scene below her, only heard as Ned came up behind her.

“What sort of place is this? Why is everyone dressed like that?” he continued.

So many questions and not a single answer. Her headache was gone, but she couldn’t claim to be feeling well. Was she hallucinating? It was too vivid to be a dream, she was awake, but still something was very wrong.

“What should we do?” she sighed.

Could they leave the room? Who were all those people? Could someone help them get home, could someone tell them where they were? Did someone know what had happened to them? Could someone explain?

Before Ned gave an answer to her question one of the doors flung open. Both of them spun around, Catelyn almost thought her heart had stopped beating for a moment from the surprise.

In came a man and a woman, almost wrapped around one another in what could only be described as a passionate kiss. The woman backed the man up against the door, making it close. Both were dressed in the same fashion as the people they had seen outside, though their clothes were fancier. The woman’s dress was blue instead of a dull grey or brown and seemed to be made of a finer material. The man’s clothes were hard to see as the woman was in the way. She had the same red hair as Catelyn had, though very intricately braided back. Catelyn wondered if she had done those braids herself.

She couldn’t say a word, could only stand there and stare at the couple. Ned, on the other hand, regained his composure despite his almost naked state and cleared his throat.

“Excuse us.”

The woman whipped around and let out a yelp as she saw them. As did Catelyn, because she discovered that not only did the woman have her hair. She also had her exact face. It was like looking into a mirror.

“Holy fuck” Catelyn whispered.

She didn’t know what else to say, no words were large enough to express what she was feeling as she looked upon an exact copy of herself. Hopefully someone would take her to the hospital, she was hallucinating.

The woman grabbed the man’s arm and took a step backwards as if she wanted to be shielded from them. When she did so Catelyn looked at him. Somehow she was just as surprised when she saw Ned staring back at her. His hair was longer and had more grey in it. The same went for his beard, though it was still neatly trimmed. Half of his hair was tied back and he had small braids with silvery beads. Though there was no doubt about that he was the same as Ned.

“What sorcery is this?” the woman asked. “Who are you?”

Her expression went from surprise to something more guarded.

“We can’t answer the first question, we don’t know why we’re here or why we look the same as you” Catelyn said, glad that she had found her voice. “But I’m Catelyn Tully Stark and this is Eddard, my husband.”

“You want us to believe that you know nothing of how you ended up in Lady Catelyn’s chambers when you carry our appearances and our names?” the man almost growled. “Are you a witch?”

The cold reservation in the woman wasn’t mirrored in him, he was angry.

“You have to believe us, we just woke up here” Ned tried. “We don‘t want to be here, we want to go home and we won’t hurt you.”

They had nothing to hurt them with, they were in what they had worn to bed and had nothing else.

“Call for the guards” the woman said in a low voice.

“No!” Catelyn exclaimed, holding up her hands. “Please don’t hurt us, he’s telling the truth. We don’t know anything, we just want to get home to our kids.”

She really didn’t want to be arrested, the situation sucked enough as it was.

“Your what?” the man asked.

“Our kids. Our children. Please.”

The woman seemed to soften just a little at the mention of the kids. She didn’t leave her spot, stayed almost hidden behind the man, but there was less suspicion in her eyes.

“Do you have children?” she said.

“Five of them” Ned told her. “Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon.”

“Those names are the names of our children” the man said coolly. “Why should we believe what you say? What speaks against you being evil sorcerers who have taken our names and faces?”

Absolutely fucking nothing and that was an issue. What could they say? They were telling the truth, they had no idea about anything. But that also meant that they had very little to say in their defence.

“Nothing, I guess, but we promise not to cause trouble. All we want is to get home.”

“Where is your home?”

“We are from Winterfell.”

“You are in Winterfell.”

They were in a place called Winterfell, but it was wrong. That wasn’t there home, she wasn’t even sure if they were in the right world anymore. The time couldn’t be the same, could it? They hadn’t known what kids meant.

“I’m sorry, this isn’t our Winterfell” Catelyn said. “We don’t live in a castle.”

“I do not know what we should do with you, and we might be making a horrible mistake, but you can stay here until you can find your way to your home” the woman said. “Though gods be good, this is strange. I am not sure I am sane.”

“Though you shall not be allowed to leave this chamber” the man added. “While you insist you will do us no harm we cannot trust you.”

Catelyn wanted to ask how they were supposed to get home if they were locked up in a room, but she bit down on her tongue and nodded. She wasn’t stupid, she did realise that maybe just keeping her mouth shut was best. She had no power whatsoever and the other her and the other Ned had nothing to gain from being kind to them. They could just kill them, apparently they had guards to call upon.

“We understand how strange this is and we ensure you of that we are just as confused by this as you are, if not more so.”

“Are you in need of clothing?” the woman asked, looking them up and down.

There was a disdain in her voice that Catelyn was irritated by, but once more she just kept silent about that.

“We are” Catelyn said.

“Then we shall provide you with it.”

Cat is incredibly horny when she’s pregnant, insanely so

Which Ned can’t complain about because he can barely resist her when she’s pregnant with his baby

Ned’s issues with self esteem has led to a praise kink. Cat says he’s been good and he can’t think straight

Cat likes it when Ned pulls her hair

They’re big on quickies in the middle of the day, Cat visiting Ned in his solar is not an unusual occurrence

There are few places in the castle where they haven’t had sex. They’re horny drunks and give in too quickly to get to their chambers

Exactly once have they had sex in Ned’s high seat in the great hall, and it was uncomfortable but Cat has been chasing that high ever since. She felt very powerful

Both of them were ashamed of wanting to have sex with the other in the beginning and it took a long time for them to come to terms with it. Cat had been taught ladies shouldn’t want or initiate sex, Ned thought it was wildly inappropriate to feel such attraction to his late brother’s betrothed

Having sex helped them get closer to each other, the intimacy and closeness was something they couldn’t quite get in other situations

They had a very strange phase when Cat was pregnant with Sansa where they continued having sex despite that she was already pregnant but still justified it to themselves as it being for procreational purposes

Cat has an incredible stamina, she can go on for hours and hours. She also gets grumpy when she doesn’t get to go for as long as she wants to due to one thing or another

Ned might not be King of Westeros, but he’s king of eating his wife out. Might not be an excellent speaker, but he can work that tongue in other ways

Cat likes leaving marks on Ned’s body. Bite marks, scratch marks, love bites, anything that shows that he is hers (she’s more possessive than she likes to admit)

They have a reputation of being proper but also they will whore themselves out for each over the smallest of things. One look and BOOM, they’re naked

Pegging has happened and been enjoyed by both parties, Cat was the one to suggest it but she absolutely wouldn’t say where she got it from

Cat doesn’t mind being called by titles in bed, she likes the power of it. Which has also led to that she has been pavloved into feeling slightly horny whenever Ned says it in the wrong tone during other circumstances

Cat generally just likes feeling powerful when she has sex. She absolutely doesn’t mind if Ned takes the lead, but if he doesn’t she won’t hesitate to take control of it

While he has been a high lord for some time he was still made to follow from the beginning and he enjoys following his wife’s commands. It takes the pressure away from him, something he desperately needs from time to time

Ned’s hands are quite rough and calloused after years of handling swords and there’s nothing that feels better on Cat’s skin

Ned didn’t actually enjoy sex that much in the beginning, he did it because he knew he had to, but as he got to know Cat he liked it more and more

They were both virgins when they married and have therefore only ever had sex with each other. Ned, bless his heart, had been close more than once (Robert definitely had a part in that) but backed out of it because he just didn’t want it

The conclusion is that Ned is demisexual :) he’s also bi

Back to sexy times with his wife, man can’t resist her. Not that she can resist him, mind you

Cat is torn about the scarring on his chest, on one hand it’s sexy as fuck but on the other hand he almost died getting those scars. Most often the horny part of her wins over the worried part

Cat prefers being on top, but she also loves feeling Ned’s weight on top of her

Ned’s not picky about positions, but he likes being able to see her face so most often he won’t initiate taking her from behind

Ned was not particularly strict on people knocking and waiting for an answer before entering his solar, but he also appreciated when that was followed.

So when the door opened without a warning he hoped the little wave of annoyance did not show in his expression. Only to have that be washed away when he saw the frown on his wife’s face.

“Is Arya not with you?” she asked after having looked around the room.

“I have not seen her since supper.”

After they had eaten he had immediately gone to his solar to finish his work for the day before retiring for the night, he had not seen the children. They had not so much as briefly visited him and he had not left his chair.

Catelyn did not respond to that, she turned on her heels and walked out, leaving the door open behind her.

At first Ned did not quite understand what had happened and for a moment he simply looked at the open door. Though quickly he came to his senses and followed her.

“Do you not know where she is?” he called after her.

“She was not in her bed when I went there to see if she and Sansa were sleeping and no one has seen her leave their room.”

It was as if cold water ran along Ned’s spine, making every muscle in his body tense.

“How could no one have seen her? There are guards at their doors at night!”

At least there was supposed to be guards outside the children’s doors to keep them from disappearing after having gone to bed. To keep them out of danger and to make sure no danger would come inside.

“The one on duty says he only left his post for a few moments because he heard a noise down the hall and went to investigate, he did not see her leave.”

Her voice cut through the air like a whip. Cold, hard, unforgiving. He could not fault her for it, it was no small thing that had disappeared. It was their daughter. Their youngest daughter.

Surely she could not have left the keep, it was heavily guarded as soon as the sun disappeared underneath the horizon. At least two guards at every entrance, it was impossible to get in or leave without being seen. Unless something had happened.

“Is she with Robb?”

She could have got into her head that she would rather share a room with Robb that night. Robb and Jon, Arya was fond of them both. Catelyn had objections regarding the second but he was Arya’s brother, as well.

“I do not think so” Catelyn responded.

She stopped and turned to look at him. And for a short moment there was something lost in her eyes, as if she didn’t know how to proceed. Though it was gone as soon as Ned had noticed it, replaced by determination.

“I will go to Robb’s room” he told her.

If that was where she was it was better if he found her.

“Do so, I will look for her in the nursery.”

He did not want to believe anything other than that he would find her with Robb and Jon. The alternative was that he had no idea where she was. Unless she was in the nursery and Catelyn found her instead. His little girl could not have disappeared, she was nearby. Within minutes they would find her unharmed and bring her back to her bed. It had to be that way.

Though he could not deny that his heart was beating faster than usual and that his strides were longer. Perhaps his hand trembled slightly when he opened the door to Robb and Jon’s room, not even looking at the guard standing by the door.

At first his eyes struggled to adjust to what little light that came from the dying fire in the hearth, but when he stepped into the room it became apparent that there was no Arya in there. Robb and Jon were sleeping peacefully in their beds, no little sister had joined them.

It was hard to ignore the way that suddenly his throat tightened and it was harder to breathe. Even after he knew she was not there he could not quite get himself to stop letting his eyes wander through the room, still hoping for that he would find her there.

Though he managed to get to his senses and left the room after having assured himself of that Robb and Jon were still asleep in their beds.

“Is there something I might do for you, my lord?” the guard asked when he closed the door.

Before Ned had time to answer that he heard Catelyn call for him.

“Ned! I found her!”

The wave of relief that washed over him was welcome. He let out a sigh, forgetting about the guard and immediately going over to his wife.

She had a smile on her face, quite obviously as relieved as he was.

“Was she in the nursery?”

“I shall show you where she is.”

She took his hand, making him follow as she turned and walked. It quickly became apparent that it wasn’t the nursery they were going towards, and still Ned was surprised when she stopped at the door to her chamber. The chamber they shared much more often than not.

It took Ned a moment to find Arya after Catelyn had opened the door, only a messy head of brown hair was visible among the furs in their beds. Though he should have found her sooner because she also snored softly.

“I cannot bring myself to wake her up and take her back to her own bed” Catelyn whispered.

She still held onto his hand.

“So let her stay.”

Ned knew that also meant it was he who had to return to his own bed. Arya took up a lot of space despite being so small. She was spread out in the middle of the bed and had taken all the furs for herself.

They stood in silence for a while, hand in hand, and just watched their sleeping daughter. Ned did not want to leave, he wanted to linger there. Though when Catelyn let go of him and began undressing he knew it was time.

“Where are you going?” Catelyn’s low voice came before he had even reached the door.

“To my chamber” he responded.

“Why?”

“Because there is already someone at my side of your bed.”

She was on both their sides, but he guessed Catelyn would manage to take hers back. And while he preferred sleeping in the same bed as his wife he had no objections to giving his place to one of their children.

“Stay here, my love, there is room for all three of us.”

Ned made his way back to her, pulled her into an embrace and kissed her forehead.

“I shall see you on the morrow” he mumbled.

“No, don’t go.”

It wasn’t Catelyn’s voice that responded to him, it was a small voice belonging to a small little girl.

They turned their heads to see that Arya had woken and was slowly pushing herself up into a sitting position, rubbing her eyes.

“It is alright, Arya, you can sleep here” he said. “You need not worry for me.”

He left Catelyn’s embrace and sat of the edge of the bed, and immediately Arya crawled out from her nest of furs and placed herself in his lap.

“I want you both” she said, holding onto his shirt with her little hands.

When she looked at him all signs of tiredness was as blown away, and there was a determination in her eyes that was much like Catelyn’s.

“Stay, please” she continued.

He had been told that he sometimes struggled with telling his daughters no, especially Arya. And while he could not always see it himself he knew then and there that he could not refuse her request for him to stay.

“When you ask so kindly I have little choice” he chuckled.

He placed a kiss on the top of her head before gently lifting her up and placing her on the bed.

“You have your father under a spell, sweetling” Catelyn said, making Arya giggle.

She immediately made herself comfortable in the middle once more while Ned and Catelyn began changing into their night attire.

It was only when they were all in bed Ned realised that Arya most likely should have been berated in some way for sneaking out of her room at night. She knew she was not to do that.

“Arya, why did you leave your room without telling anyone?” he asked as Arya cuddled up against Catelyn.

She considered for a moment, silent.

“I really wanted to be with you, and I thought they wouldn’t let me.”

“If we say so they will always let you” Catelyn said softly, running a hand through her hair. “We were very worried when we couldn’t find you.”

“Sorry.”

“Just don’t do it again.”

Arya closed her eyes, trying to fall back asleep, but opened them again a moment later to look at Ned.

“Can you please sing me a song?” she asked. “The one about the wolf.”

Arya’s favourite song, one about a mother singing to a wolf was one Catelyn had brought with her north.

“Your mother knows it better than I do, you should ask her.”

“She always sings it wrong.”

Catelyn scoffed at that.

“I do not sing it wrong” she said.

“You do! You say the wolf should stay away, but the wolf is our friend!”

In the song the mother told the wolf to stay away, that it would never get her child, but Arya saw issue with that. The direwolf was their sigil, she had grown up with stories of wolves, and she insisted that wolves were their friends.

“You’re my child and I would never give you to a wolf. The wolf gets other food in the song, I promise he doesn’t starve.”

“But he is starving! It’s in the song.”

“Before he gets the food, yes, but after he will not starve.”

Ned could not help but smile as he watched them. His wife and his youngest daughter, oh how he loved them. Oh how he loved all his children.

In the end Catelyn was the one to sing the song, and by then Arya was too tired to argue when she sang it the way she had been taught as a child. She was asleep by the time Catelyn had finished singing, once more snoring softly.

“Sleep well, my love” Ned whispered.