The Bull's Northern Rose

Chapter 4

(Gendry POV)

After having been traveling for a month, he could finally see the gates of Winterfell. Riding beside his father, the king, Gendry couldn't help but look around in awe of Winterfell. It was very different from Kings landing, the air smelt cleaner and fresher, and there were no beggars and whores lining the streets. He loved it.

"So, what do you think, boy?" His father asked from atop his horse beside him.

"It's amazing, how long do are we able to stay?" Gendry asked

The king grinned, glad that his favorite son found Winterfell as enchanting as he did, "Not long, I'm afraid. Two weeks at the most."

Gendry opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by a high pitched whine, "I hate it here, it's too damn cold and everything is so dark and gloomy." They could hear Joffrey's complaining from the front of the line, causing both Gendry and King Robert to roll their eyes at him.

"How many children does Lord Stark have again?" Gendry asked, ignoring his half brother's whining.

Robert gave a thoughtful look, as though trying to remember. "Six legitimate, I think, seven all together. Robb is the oldest at ten and nine; then you have Jon, his bastard son, also ten and nine, both of them just a bit older than you." Robert smirked at his son as he named off the next children, "ILyanna, his eldest daughter who is a year younger than you at ten and six; then there is Sansa, who is a year younger than Joffrey at ten and four; Arya, his youngest girl, is eleven. And lastly, the two youngest sons Bran is ten, a year older than Myrcella, and little Rickon is six, a year younger than Tommen."

Gendry stared at his father for a long moment, frowning at him. He noticed how his father's smirk widened when he mentioned Lord Stark's two eldest girls, "Making Lord Stark your hand isn't the only reason we are going to Winterfell, is it? You're looking to bind the Baratheon and Stark houses together, aren't you?"

King Robert threw his back and let out a roar of laughter, "By gods, can't get anything past you boy, can I?"

Gendry didn't get a chance to answer, because right at that moment they were walking through Winterfell's gate.

Gendry could see the people of Winterfell lined up to greet the royal party, he saw an older man, obviously Lord Stark, in the front of the line of people with a red headed woman standing beside him and an array of children with them.

They had finally come to a stop and Gendry was just about to get off of his horse when he caught eyes with a lovely young girl standing in the line with Lord Stark's children. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, even more so than his step mother, the queen, and he couldn't seem to keep his eyes away from her.

Gendry finally lost eye contact with her when the family went down on bended knee for his father. They stayed down until his father gestured for them to rise. "Your Grace." Lord Stark gave King Robert a half bow.

Standing in front of Lord Stark, King Robert seemed to be sizing him up. Finally his father spoke, though it was not what anyone would have expected for the king to say, "You've got fat!" and Gendry nearly choked on his laughter.

Lord Stark didn't say anything to his father, just gave him a mocking look, daring him to say another word. And with that Robert and Lord Stark were laughing and embracing one another.

After releasing Lord Stark from their embrace, Robert went over to Lady Stark and gave her a hug before moving back towards Lord Stark. Gendry tried not to laugh at the grimace on the little boy's face beside Lady stark after his father ruffled his hair.

"Nine years, why have I not seen you? Where the hell have you been?" His father asked Lord Stark as the Gendry's step mother and step siblings began exiting the royal carriage.

Lord Stark smiled at Robert, "Guarding the North for you, your Grace. Winterfell if yours."

"Where's the imp?" The youngest girl at then end of the line asked the other girl with red hair, standing beside her. The elder girl frowned angrily at her little sister; "Will you shut up." was the elder girls reply.

Gendry frowned at the two, and apparently he wasn't the only one who didn't like the way the elder girl was talking to her younger sister, because just then he saw the oldest girl reach over and pinch the red headed girl's side. The young girl flinched and shot her elder sister a dirty look.

And Gendry couldn't help but let out a quiet chuckle at the girls.

"And who have we here? You must be Robb." His father said, turning Gendry's attention away from the girls and back towards his father as he reached out to shake Robb, the eldest's hand. Robb didn't verbally reply, just gave the King a nod.

Next King Robert was standing in front of the beautiful girl. The girl gave his father a small curtsy, keeping her head down the entire time. Right when Gendry though his father was going to move on to the next girl, he stopped in front of her and grabbed her chin between his fingers, "I would look upon Lyanna's namesake, and see in you are worthy of it."

When his father lifted her head he froze and stared at her, his face turned ashen as though he was seeing a ghost. He stared at her for so long Gendry was beginning to get antsy, when he finally spoke. His words seemed to echo throughout Winterfell, and caused Gendry to grow worried, "My Lyanna." And he stared at her as through she was the most precious thing he had ever seen.