It was a boring day when Sara was summoned to meet with her parents.It was unusual for her to meet her parents in such a formal way, normally her and her siblings would see their parents whenever they liked. Perhaps that was why robb threw her a puzzled look when the septa announced she was too speak to speak with them.

It wasn't uncommon for Sara and robb to spend their days together. When they were younger the two would be joined at the hip, where one was the other wouldn't be far. Now they were older nothing had changed, they still chose their own company except with the exception of letting Jon join them in their secret circle.

They were half of each other, they shared the same blood. And nothing would come between them.

"What do you think they want." robb questioned his sister, with the same puzzled expression on his face. "And why would they only want to talk to you." He added with a slight jealous tone

"How I am I supposed to know." Sara responded, smirking slightly at his jealously. Internally laughing at her brothers childish behaviour.

"I do hope you're not jealous brother." She teased, knowing full well he was. Sara knew the curiosity would get the better of him, he would undoubtedly gossip with Theon and Jon of what their parents wish to discuss with her.

Sara quickly stood before her brother could respond with a quick witted comment which he was definitely about to say

The twins often jested with each other, both of them desperately trying to best the other with funny lines and quips

"Don't panic, whatever mother and father have to say you will be the first to know."Sara promised her twin.

        ****

Sara made her way down stoned hallway to her parents chambers. Some found it odd that the married couple shared their bedroom, but for Sara and the rest of her family it second nature. After all they were married and why shouldn't they share a bed.

From a distance she could hear the muffled voices from her parents who were deep in conversation. The tone of their voices serious and somber, it didn't take long for Sara to realise something had happened.

A series of questions ran through her mind. An endless list of possibilities of what could have happened flooded her brain. She was so lost in her own thoughts to hear the voices stop and a set of footsteps walk across to the door.

By the time she had freed herself from the clutches of her own thoughts, her father had been revealed by the now open door. Behind him she could see her mother, her brows were creased in thought and her mouth in a thin, sharp line.

"Sara." Her father spoke softly in a comforting voice. He stepped aside from the door welcoming her into the room, allowing her to get a better view of her mother.

Ned had moved to stand next to his side and placed his hand over hers in a comforting gesture. He looked at his wife, speaking to her through silent language, almost asking her what he should do.

"The king has written to us." Ned finally announced. " He has found you a husband." He added in less confident tone.

Now it all made sense to Sara, why only her was sent to speak with her parents. Of course she should have expected this as the oldest daughter of Ned stark she knew that her time to marry was drawing closer. She just never would have thought the king himself would have arranged her marriage.

"His name is lyonel hightower." Ned continued. "The heir to oldtown."

"But oldtown is so far away, no where near the north, near you and mother" Sara complained "I would be so far from everything I know."

"I know leaving home can be a scary thought, I too had to leave my home and family to marry your father." Catelyn suddenly announced from beside her father.

Sara had almost forgotten her mother was there she had been so quiet. She knew what her mother was saying is true and she knew deep down her fears and concerns were nothing but childish. But winterfell was her home, her whole life she has known the security of its stone walls. Calling anywhere else home seemed strange to her

She would miss her siblings far too much. She would miss plaiting and styling sansas hair, watching Arya desperately try to fight with her older brothers, seeing how far bran can climb, playing with little Rickon with wooden toys and watching over Jon while he practices sword fighting with Theon. And robb, her twin she would miss him the most. She couldn't imagine her days without him in them. No more teasing or reading each others own thoughts.

Her mother had made her way over to her, a sympathetic look on her face. Before Sara knew it catelyn had taken hold of her hands and began to run comforting circles in an attempt to reassure her. It was then Sara realised how terrified she must of looked, to her mother she must of looked like a scared little girl.

"I've heard lyonel is a nice boy." Catelyn murmured to her daughter. "He'll be kind too you I'm sure of it."

Sara simply nodded, in truth she had nothing to say to her mother. Even if she had it would make no difference her life has been chosen for her. Not even her father could change the king's command, he was powerless in this matter.

"Has the king said when we are to be married." Sara questioned

"Robert wants the whole matter to be sorted in under a month" her father answered a slight harshness in his tone. Though Sara doubted the anger was directed at her.

"I suppose he wants to make an ally out of the Hightower's quickly." Her father added. "They sided with the Targaryen's in the rebellion."

"Leave us now Sara, we have some things we need to discuss." Her mother spoke, dropping her hands she was once clutching.

        ****

She now found herself wandering the halls of winterfell, trying to find something or someone to occupy her mind. Eventually she set off to the one place she knew robb would be. He would be training in the courtyard with Jon and Theon, all three of them taking it in turns to try and best each other.

The courtyard was normally bare, with a few stacks of bails of hay laying around and straw coating the floor. Along the sides were hundreds of weapons waiting to be used.

Sara was right in her guess, robb was sparing with Jon just had she'd predicted. Him and Jon were constantly going back and forth trying to take a hit on one another. Sara couldn't help but smile at her brothers, it did not matter to them they did not share the same mother, they were still brothers. It saddened Sara the way her mother treated her half brother, after all it was not his fault their father had been un-loyal, he had never asked to be born. Though she couldn't help but wonder how she would act if she found herself it a similar situation.

Her brothers must of noticed her presence as they had quickly stopped their sparring and dropped their weapons to the ground. Sara smirked at this, and couldn't help think how immature they were. Acting like children who and just been caught doing something they weren't supposed to by their mother.

As she climbed down the narrow steps into the courtyard she could see robbs eyes following her, his own eyes filled with questions. Jon too looked like her could burst from curiosity, sometimes Sara wondered if she knew her twin better then he knew himself

"Go on then." Ordered robb. "Are you going to tell us what they said, or are you going to leave us in suspense?"

At this Sara's smile dropped, she had nearly forgotten about her nearing marriage and departure from winterfell. She found her self almost anxious to tell robb her news.

When she had neared the group of three she had worked up the courage to tell her brother that she has been ordered by the king to leave winterfell.

"The king wrote to father" she emitted, as robbs brows furrowed. "He wrote to father that he and his council have found me a husband."

"The king has found you a husband?" Repeated robb, his face scrunched into a look of disgust. "Surely that is father's job."

"Apparently the hightowers are in need of a bride for their eldest son and I fit the part." Sara told her brother, trying to ignore the apparent look of displeasure that was plastered onto his face.

"And father has allowed this to happen?" Robb demanded, letting anger lace his voice.

"He is loyal to the king, you forget they are good friends." Sara spoke softly. "But I doubt father could change is mind even if he tried"

"Besides" Sara added "Father knows his duty, as I know mine and when the king himself personally arranges a match you would do well to obey him."

"I understand that but why must you marry a Hightower, can't you marry a northerner." Robb continued to argue. "Roose Bolton's heir is still unmarried, why can't you marry him."

"You would rather me leave here to go to the dreadfort and become a Bolton." His twin questioned, the Boltons were known for being violent when it came to their wives.

"When are you to leave." Jon inquired trying to prevent an argument between the twins that was starting to brew.

Jon face was one of sadness and concern for his sister. Sara had always been kind to him and treated him as a stark rather than a snow. He didn't want her to leave home, to leave him.

"We should be wed by the end of the month." She responded, sending her half-brother a kind smile. "Might as well get it over quickly and without fuss."

If robb wanted to say something he didn't, instead he found the top of his shoes exceedingly interesting. Sara knew there was no more to be said. In truth she knew why he was upset, as she was. She was leaving him here to start her knew life. However she couldn't help be cross at his brother, why should he get to be upset and argue what is already decided while she has to nod and agree with everything. After all it was her life being decided for her, not his.

      ****

It was now later in the evening at winterfell, dinner was long over and all her siblings had been informed about their elder sister's upcoming marriage. Rickon and bran didn't truly understand why her sister must leave their home and them, Sansa was ecstatic for her sister and seemingly very excited at the possibility to attend a southern wedding. Robb and Arya had sat in silence not quite meeting Sara's eye. She knew that Arya would miss her, to Arya it seemed that Sara was the only one who didn't find her strange for not wanting to be the perfect lady and would rather spend her days with her brothers practicing archery.

She had retired early from dinner, wanting time to herself after the day she had. She was still processing herself that she by next month she would a be a married woman. The thought had never scared her before, she had wanted to be a wife and mother, just like her mother. But now her future was decided she couldn't help but be nervous, after all she had never met the man she now was meant to spend her life with.

She had changed into her night gown and placed herself in front of her vanity, resting on a soft chair. She ran her brush through her hair while her mind ran wild with hundreds of thoughts of what her future will bring.

She wasn't sure how much time had past as she sat there but, at some point her door began to creak open. The door pulled open revealing her mother, she too had changed into her night clothes and had let her long her run free. Catelyn had stepped into her room, swiftly shutting her door and placing herself onto her daughter's bed.

It wasn't a secret of the love Catelyn felt for her eldest daughter, she was her first child after all. She found comfort in her daughter, she was the one who was most like her. She knew her daughter well enough that she'd be nervous for her marriage, just as she was. She patted the empty space on the bed next to her, signalling to her daughter to sit next to her.

As Sara sat Catelyn began to talk. "No one would be upset with you if you're nervous." She reassured her daughter, while stroking her brown hair.

"I know that." Sara mumbled in response to her mother. "I want to do my duty and marry lyonel hightower." She added, pausing ever so slightly.

Turning away from her mother in embarrassment she began to speak again. "I don't want you to all to forget me." Sara confesses. "It's just I'll be so far away and it's unlikely I'll be able to visit often if ever."

To her surprise her mothers begins to laugh at this, her mouth turning upwards into a smile. "Why would you ever think we would forget you." Catelyn inquired

Sara didn't know how to respond to her mother. She had no real reason to think her family would ever forget her. Her whole life her family had been nothing towards her, perhaps she was just upset that now she would have to sacrifice her family to start her new one.

" The king, Robert wrote that your father will be able to escort you to oldtown for your wedding." Her mother told her in attempt to reassure. "Me and the rest of the family must stay here to run winterfell in your father's absence."

"I'm glad father will be there with me, I'm not sure I would be able to leave home alone" Sara shared with her mother, suddenly feeling like a small child.

"I'm not as as strong as you." She whispered to her mother, near tears.

Catelyn cupped her daughter's face in her hands, stroking her cheeks softly. "Sara, you are much stronger than I ever was." She promised, removing her hands from Sara's face and placing a gentle kiss onto her forehead

Sara knew her mother had said what she needed to when she stood. Her eyes trained to wall opposite her, if she looked at her mother she would crumble and burst into never ending tears. She had tried so hard to find the positives of her new situation, to be the best lady and daughter she could be.

If her mother said goodnight she didn't hear it, as she found herself again lost just to her own thoughts. Eventually her eyes grew tired and she found it hard to stay awake. Sleep won over her mind as she drifted off into a pleasant slumber.