It had been two days since the king had departed with Lord Stark in tow. Robb had easily taken over his Father's position as Warden of the North, but he had found the role to be tiring. It had only been two days. Could he imagine doing this for the rest of his life?

His son seemed to be doing well. According to his mother, who had finally left Bran's side to visit her grandson for a very short time, the boy was strange. He slept through the night. He did not cry unless hungry or in need of a linens change. Unlike any of the children Catelyn had encountered, her grandson's demeanor was unheard of.

Zipporah had insisted that she be the one to feed their son. A wet nurse was not necessary. It wasn't abnormal to see the babe bound against his wife's chest or back. The entire castle was enchanted by the duo, and soon, word spread across the North. Ravens were received at all hours of the night, the Realm congratulating House Stark on their new addition.

While there was celebration resounding through the North, there was a somber undertone. Bran had not yet awaken. Lady Catelyn had only left his side once. She was convinced that Bran needed her there. Zipporah had tried to convince her that he was alright, but she remained unconvinced. Thus, Robb found himself along with his wife trying to convince his Mother to rest.

Maester Luwin had also joined them and carefully asserted, "It's time we reviewed the accounts, my lady. You'll want to know how much this royal visit has cost us."

"Talk to Poole about it." She muttered as her eyes glanced at Robb who regarded her with raised eyebrows.

"Poole went south with Lord Stark, my lady. We need a new steward, and there are several other appointments that require our immediate attention..." The Maester replied with a sad expression. He hadn't wanted to do this, however, Lord Robb was already doing much more than expected of him, and Lady Zipporah, only a few days after giving birth, was running the house to the best of her abilities. Lady Catelyn needed to return to her post as the matriarch of House Stark.

Zipporah shifted her sleeping son, who was currently wrapped against her chest, and glanced at her mother in law. The woman looked crazed. It was clear that running Winterfell was at the bottom of her list.

"I don't care about appointments!" She hissed with anger. Aiden stirred and whimpered at his grandma's tone.

"I'll make the appointments. We'll talk about it first thing in the morning." Robb asserted in a commanding yet respectful tone. Zipporah wanted to roll her eyes. Was there anything else that Robb could possibly add to his plate?

"Very good, my Lord. My Lady." Maester Luwin conceded. The older man's aura was dark with worry. Zipporah knew that darkness was coming. She could feel it in her bones. The Maester silently left the room, heading back to his quarters to iron out more household details.

"When was the last time you left this room ?" Robb challenged with fire in his eyes. His mother was better than this.

"I have to take care of him." She replied with conviction.

"He's not going to die, mother. Zi healed his spine, and Maester Luwin says the most dangerous time has passed."

"What if he's wrong? What if she didn't? Bran needs me."
Zipporah bristled at her words. How dare she insinuate that she had not healed Bran's spine. He needed rest. His body and mind were dealing with extensive trauma.

"Rickon needs you. He's six. He doesn't know what's happening. He follows me around all day, clutching my leg, crying..." Robb's voice trailed off. Loud shouts were coming from the courtyard. The smell of smoke reached the young duo's noses.

Catelyn seemed to lose it even more, "Close the windows! I can't stand it! Please make them stop!" Zipporah moved to comfort her, and Robb swiftly closed the shutters. The yells and smoke were snuffed out. The woman's sanity was close to breaking.

"Fire. You and Zi stay here. I'll come back." Robb ordered as he exited the room quickly. Zipporah softly rubbed circles into her mother in law's back. Silence settled around them. Zipporah glanced at Bran who was breathing strong and evenly. Searching for words, Zipporah whispered, "My lady, Bran's heart and lungs are strong. I can hear them. His mind is awake. He can hear us. His body is still sorting out the trauma. He'll be awake soon, with his memory in tact."

Catelyn did not verbally respond, but her body visibly relaxed. As both settled into comfortable silence. Aiden gurgled causing both women to have ghosts of a smile on each of their faces.

Their smiles faded as the door opened to reveal a man neither had seen before. Dressed in all black, the rat-like man fervently glanced between the two women and muttered annoyedly, "You're not supposed to be here. No one is supposed to be here. It's a mercy. He's dead already." The man brandished a knife causing Catelyn to wail , "No!"

Anger flooded Zipporah's being. How dare this man enter her husband's home and threaten her family?

The dark side called to her and in that moment, she welcomed it. As he moved toward the two, Zi stiffened. He intended to attack the two women. Instinctively, she reached her hand out and formed her hand into a 'C' like shape. The force seized the man, raised him off the ground, and as she closed her hand, the man began to choke. Catelyn watched in awe and terror as her daughter defended her son. The gods had given her great power.

The man dropped the knife to the ground, Catelyn scrambled to get it. Clutching it, she pointed it at the intruder,

"Who sent you?" Zipporah ground out. Her eyes were in slits, and dark in color. Aiden seemed to borrow into her for protection.

"I—"

"She will not show mercy if you do not tell us who hired you. You may live if you tell the truth." Catelyn explained as she examined the knife and turned her attention back toward the breathless male.

"Joffrey Baratheon." The man murmured. Hatred welled up in both women. The lions had, indeed, struck first. Zipporah mentally vowed to get vengeance. First the push from his "uncle",now an assassin to finish the job?

Growls sounded from the door way. Summer, Grey Wind, and Vader stalked into the room. Each animal had his heckles raised and canines showing. They must have sensed their master's stress. Summer easily jumped up and onto the bed,eyes never leaving the gasping man. Grey Wind moved to sit beside Lady Catelyn, who gave the wolf a scratch behind the ears, and Vader sauntered over to Zipporah and claimed his spot beside her. The man's eyes widened at the sight of the animals.

"I'm sor—" he choked.

"Zipporah, release him, let the animals guard him." Catelyn ordered in a stern voice. She wanted him alive, as a witness to the crimes of the Lannisters and their sinful offspring.

The darkness wanted blood, and Zipporah was fighting against the bloodlust. She had to make a choice. By default, she opted to delay the man's death.

Slowly lowering her hand, his body dropped to the ground into a heap. The man began sobbing.

"Vader, Grey Wind, watch. If he moves, take a bite." Zi hissed in a dark tone. The two animals moved in tandem to guard the man.

Intruder. Bran's room. Vader and Grey have him, awaiting your judgment. She mentally thought to Robb.

Zi's eyes remained fixed on the man before her. While she trusted the animals to protect them, she wanted to hear everything the man was blubbering on about.

"She really has powers. She almost killed me. The gods are going to be angry with me. Oh gods. I wronged the goddess. The gold wasn't worth this."

The man moved carefully to sit on his butt and pull his knees into his chest. Vader hissed a warning to the man who quickly apologized for shifting.

"My ladies, I am so very sorry."

"Don't even go down that road." Zi snapped with dark eyes. Her anger had not dissolved, which was strange. A part of her felt shame for giving into the Dark Side. The other part felt proud that she had protected her new family. Both sides were warring for control.

Her inner battle was interrupted by Aiden crying. Unwrapping him from her chest, she moved him to her muscled arms. He easily moved to her chest, signaling that he was hungry. His small hands reached for her chest. Holding a laugh, she undid her top to allow her son access. As he suckled, she covered herself from view with her cloak. The sniveling man didn't dare look at the goddess and her son. He knew that if he lifted his eyes, he'd end up losing a limb.

Many footsteps sounded in the hall. Robb entered and assessed the situation. He had murder on his mind, and there was very little that could stop him.

The darkness swarmed the room. It grasped at the walls and dug its claws into the tapestries. It made itself embedded in all the materials of the room, save for Bran, who was emanating pure light. He was not fully aware of the circumstances surrounding his injury, nor did he know that his family was about to go to war. The Dark Side had found a prime opportunity to taunt the Light. The light side users were in pain and felt raw anger bleeding through their typical calm, collected demeanor. Zipporah was glaringly aware that Winterfell was not under the control of the Light Side. The series of events had led the wolves to embrace passion rather than serenity. She knew that eventually she'd have to re-center herself and reorganize the force flowing through the castle.

As he stared at the man before him, he felt an intense emotion. One that he had not truly understood. The fury he felt was unlike anything he had experienced before. This sad excuse for a man had infiltrated Winterfell and attempted to kill Bran. The only reason his brother was breathing was because of his wife and mother. Robb mentally noted that Zi's sky blues looked dark like the Northern seas. Abnormal. His hearing told him that his son was awake and content. Another almost tragedy. What if their son was hurt by this man?

"Who sent you?" Robb roared. He was unconcerned with the man's name. He only cared about motive.

"My lord, I—"

Robb easily and skillfully cut him off, "Save your words of regret. Who. Sent. You." He gritted his teeth to keep himself from ranting in his angered state. Grey Wind added a deep, menacing growl. An animalistic threat that did not go unnoticed by the groveling man.

"My Lord, I came on my own."

"DO. NOT. LIE." Robb howled causing the animals to inch closer with their teeth barred. No one else dared to interrupt this conversation. The Lord of Winterfell would not be merciful.

"Joffrey. Prince Joffrey.." The man whispered with wide, terrified eyes and a violently shaking body.

Robb's face darkened even more. This admission meant war. How would be able to tell his Father of this sinister plot?

Can you reach my Father from here?

I can try. Do want him to turn around?

No. Warn him.

Zipporah handed her son over to her husband's Mother, moved away from them both, closed her eyes, and reached for the force that flowed through the castle. As she tapped into it, she felt the castles inhabitants emotions and even future actions. Attempting to ignore these distractions, she pushed her reach past Winterfell and into the landscape. After some time of her searching for Lord Stark's force signature, she was able to locate it. It was strong, which meant he was healthy.

Lord Stark, there has been an incident. An assassin was sent to kill Bran. Lady Stark and I were able to stop him. He gave a name.

It took some time for a response or even an acknowledgement that the message had been received.

Who's name? Was the only response. She could feel his righteous anger and also shame. He felt shameful for not being there to protect his son. However, he initially let her stay to help his family. By allowing her to live in Winterfell, he had inadvertently made plans to protect his family.

Prince Joffrey.

It felt like he pushed her away. She wasn't sure what course of action he was going to take from there. Hopefully, it would not be a rash decision, one that could cost the Stark family even more.

Carefully, she pulled back to herself in Winterfell. Once she felt fully present, she opened her eyes and stated to Robb, who was speaking quietly with Jon, "Lord Stark has been notified."

"What did he say?" Jon asked with a brow raised. He was surprised that she had been able to reach his Uncle.

"He asked for a name. Then he pushed me out and away." She shrugged nonchalantly. "I felt his anger. We need to be ready."

"Aye." The two men replied. Robb looked to Jon and the men who had originally accompanied him and ordered, "Take him to the dungeons. Chain him. Have someone there to guard him until justice is carried out."

Desperately trying to keep himself composed, the man sucked in a burst of air, but his attempt failed. His eyes watered again.

Zipporah felt little to no compassion for the man. His signature only showed darkness. He had done many terrible things, and this attempt on Bran's life was just the latest addition to his long list of nefarious deeds.

"Save your tears, Catspaw. You will not find compassion nor redemption from the Wolves of Winterfell." She hissed as she turned back to look at Catelyn whose demeanor looked downcast, yet her eyes blazed with fire.

Aiden was staring at his mother with a curious expression strewn across his pudgy face. He sensed the tension in the room and was unsure of how to respond. Gesturing for the return of her son, Zi reached and took him back into her arms.

Ru, my son. It's alright.

The baby seemed to settle at his mother's words. Jon silently motioned for the man to be taken away. Grey Wind followed Jon out while Vader returned to sit beside Zi. Robb sighed heavily, "I will station guards outside of Bran's room. Summer will be sleeping with him from now. Mother, you must rest. My love, I will meet you in our chambers later. I must speak with Sir Rodrick and Maester Luwin."

She read between the lines. He was going to ask for advice. Does he call the banners or wait for his Father's next move?

No doubt that little shit of Lannister blood was thinking himself genius for hiring an assassin to put Bran "out of misery."

What was the Prince's motive? To gain his Father's approval? To get revenge for Bran nearly beating Tommen in the yard?

Who knew?

Tommen. Someone needed to talk to Tommen. Nodding to herself and the room, Zipporah left her husband and mother in law and headed to Tommen's room. As she approached she could hear hushed voices.

"My brother is mean, Arya. Yours, all four of them are nice. Why can't Joffrey be kind like Jon or Robb?" She could guess, based on Robb's recollection of his encounter with the Prince, how cruel he could be. Han had said that there was something off about the boy. He had killed many animals, most of which belonged to his two younger siblings. Cersei had spawned a child who was emotionally stunted. His emotional dysfunction was going to lead to war.

"I don't know Tommen. My brothers were raised in the North. We are wolves, not lions or stags." Zipporah smirked at Arya's confidence.

"Do you think your family will let me be a wolf too?" Zipporah held in a verbal 'aww.' She could feel his desperation of wanting to belong. He could already see the differences between the two families. It was clear.

Zipporah knocked, paused, and entered the room.

Arya grinned at the sight of her nephew. "Aiden!" She squealed as she made a b-line to Zipporah. Her hands shot out to hold him. Her enthusiasm was infectious causing Aiden to gurgle with happiness and lean toward his aunt's arms.

As Arya cradled the baby in her arms, Zipporah looked at Tommen's face. He was curious about Aiden. He was the youngest of the siblings and had never seen a baby before.

"Want to hold him, Tommen?" Arya offered with a smile. Zi stiffened at the idea of a Lannister holding her son. Quickly, she told herself to calm down. There was no darkness in Tommen. His intent was kindness. He was the opposite of Joffrey.

As Tommen reached to touch Aiden's unkept hair, Aiden reached for Tommen's hand. The baby held onto him for but a moment, but the connection was created. Aiden had won over Tommen with a hand grab.

Knowing that she had to deliver the news,"I want you two to be careful. An assassin was stopped tonight. He was trying to kill Bran."

Both kids stared at her in horror.

"An assassin?" Arya questioned with a raised eyebrow. Who, in the North, would dare try to harm a Stark? The North was content with who was in power, save the Boltons, but they weren't involved in this plot. If news leaked that someone had attempted to kill Bran, the North would desire revenge. The North was much larger than the South, and little did the South know: they were surrounded.

"Yes. He was caught."

"By who?" Tommen asked with interest. Boys always gravitate towards violence.

"My bet is on Zipporah." Arya offered before Zipporah could answer. "And by your facial expression, I'm right!" Arya beamed at her sister in law. Zi gave her a small smile back. She wasn't proud of her actions. She had channeled and used the Dark Side of the Force.

"Sure." Zipporah sighed.

"He had a valerian steel dagger with a red handle. Pretty fancy for a commoner."

Tommen's face paled at her words. Arya noticed his sickly demeanor.

"What's wrong Tommen?"

"I know whose dagger that is." He whispered with sad eyes. Zipporah crouched to be eye level with him, "Tommen, we are not mad at you. You're not in trouble. I promise to keep you safe."

"Joffrey stole it from Father's chambers just before we left. I saw him playing with it."

Tommen looked to Arya who had easily put all the information together. "Joffrey tried to kill Bran."

"I'm sorry Arya! I didn't know Joffrey was going to do this!" His eyes watered, and tears easily fell. It was clear that he was afraid of losing his friend. He hadn't had a real one besides Myrcella.

Arya closed her eyes. She felt anger towards the Lannisters and even the Baratheon King. How could Joffrey pull something like this off?

Tommen remained quiet and waited for Arya, his new and only friend, to say something.

Arya looked down at Aiden and then at Zipporah and Tommen. She wasn't sure what to say. "I don't blame you, Tommen. But your brother tried to kill mine."

Tommen nodded and replied, "I know, and he has to pay for what he did." Zipporah and Arya both could not mask the surprise they felt at the young prince's words. Had it really been that simple? A lion had sided with the Stark's. Zipporah immediately blamed his familial switch on his young age and lack of consistency on Cersei's part. The lioness had neglected her cub.

"Tommen, do you understand what you've just said?" Arya asked as shifted Aiden in her arms.

"I do. My brother is a brute! Your family has done nothing but nice things for everyone!" He spoke loudly and with animated expressions. Arya quirked an eyebrow as he ranted about his older brother. Zipporah inwardly sighed.

"Tell me Tommen, what will your Mother say about what Joffrey's done?" Tommen halted his movements and stiffened. He seemed to be mulling it over, and judging by the sour look on his face, Tommen knew that Joffrey would have Cersei in his corner.

"Mother will protect him." He flopped down on his bed and huffed.

"If we have to go against your Mother, who will you side with?" Arya asked as she handed Aiden back. She didn't want to hurt her nephew in her anger.

Tommen lifted his head up from the bed with reddish, tear brimmed eyes. Zipporah could feel how overwhelmed both children were, but this moment was necessary. When she had been younger, she had been faced with similar circumstances. However, her experience began with abandonment and ended with a new family.

After a long pause, Tommen smiled sadly, "I would choose my new family. Mother will always love Joffrey more...my Father is not like yours."

The room became saturated with silence.

Zipporah searched for words to say, but none came to mind. This boy just uttered the words of familial betrayal. She wondered what Cersei's reaction would be to her youngest son's words, that he saw that she loved the older boy more. What did that say about her? Blatant favoritism to a monster while neglecting her sweet ones. A part of her was happy that Tommen was here in a Winterfell. He was safe from his brother's cruelty. The other half of her was sad that he'd probably never see his family again. She'd have to convince Robb to allow him to become a Stark, even if he was pure Lannister. The boy would be useful in the future. He'd swear fealty to Robb and House Stark. Robb would be content with the admission, but he'd be even more interested that dagger was originally the king's, and the prince had swiped it from the fat royal.

Arya, stay with him for the time being. Be sure that he's sure.

The young girl gave a slight nod to the older woman and sat beside the troubled boy. Taking Aiden, Zipporah wordlessly left the room and headed for where Robb was meeting with Sir Rodrick, Maester Luwin, Han Solo and Jon. She needed to tell them what Tommen had told her.
The whole mind broadcasting was appealing, but she did want to hear the plans. If she had to guess, they were trying reach a consensus about what to do until Lord Stark was in a better position to communicate with them. Her gut told her that it wouldn't be long until something happened.

It wasn't long before she found herself at the meeting door. She decided not to knock, and simply entered the room. The men were hunched over a map, pointing and murmuring to one another.

"I said we were not to be disturbed." Robb's voice called out as his finger tapped impatiently at the map before him.

"I'm not disturbing. I'm informing." She quipped with a smirk. Robb turned and gave her a slight smile. Han chuckled as Jon sighed at her.

"The dagger was once Robert's. Joffrey lifted it from him. Tommen confirmed seeing his brother playing with it."

"You spoke with the Lannister?" Jon asked with a guarded expression. He glanced at his cousin who also seemed unhappy.

"I did, and it's a good thing I did. He swore off his claim to the iron throne and forsook his family. He wants to swear to you, Robb."

"Did you convince him of this?"

"Not really. I simply told them of the assassin and to be careful. I may have mentioned how unique the dagger was. The boy readily blabbed about his brother, admitted his mother loved prince douche more, and asked if he could stay here with us."

"Prince Douche!?" Han howled with laughter. He wouldn't admit it aloud that she made this planet, world, or wherever they were tolerable. The king had wanted him to come to King's Landing, but Han could sense that his wife was the devil incarnate. He couldn't live near or around her.

"So ladylike." Jon teased as his shoulders shook with laughter.

Robb remained quiet, mulling over his wife's words. Aiden leaned towards his father, wanting to be in his arms. As if reading the babe's mind, Robb took him into his arms and replied, "I'll be sure to get his pledges in writing. As for the Prince, we will need to seek justice."

"I say spread the word." Han stated cockily, "let the rumor spread through the North and slowly head South."

"Words are poison." Maester Luwin cautioned.

"Normally, I'd agree with the Maester, but this might be the best way." Rodrick offered with slouched shoulders signaling his displeasure.

"The court of public opinion is an important one to win." Han pushed as he crossed his arms.

"Aye, the people would be for us." Jon agreed.

"Then they'd be surrounded, right? Martells in the South, us in the North, and the people of Westeros. Han, remind me to give you my spare blaster."

"You have a blaster?" Han questioned with excitement.

"Yup. And a saber. I was supposed to transport it. Oops." She animatedly shrugged and feigned innocence.

"Are you sure you're not a Solo?" Han joked as he glanced at the other men. Many seemed lost, but Robb looked amused. He understood what they were talking about. She had shared their world with him.

"We done here? I'm old and growing tired of this plotting."

Rolling his eyes, Robb moved to address the room. "Rodrick send out the word to the people of the North. Luwin, please write Sun Spear, tell them Sansa will be with them after Winter has come and passed. Jon, take Ghost and have him and Grey Wind run patrol of the castle. Love, shall we put our son to bed?"

As the men departed for their assigned tasks, the couple left the room with their son and walked back to their chambers in comfortable silence. Robb felt like this week had aged him, yet his wife appeared flawless and seemed much better equipped at playing the game of thrones well. Cersei Lannister had met her match and didn't even know it. The older lady had written her off as a beautiful foreign seductress. This was to the Starks' advantage. The she-lion wouldn't see Zi coming.

The thought of battle crossed his mind. His otherworldly wife would want to participate. Would he be okay with it? The last thing he wanted was to see her hurt or in danger. War could produce both of those things. An image of her with her saber and war outfit flashed through his mind. He noticed the curved hilt of the blade that glowed white. He made a mental note to ask her about the blade. She had mentioned before that the Jedi used green and blue sabers while the evil doers used red. Why was her's white?

He fought a grin making its way onto his face. Her "look" alone would be intimidating. He'd need her on the battlefield. Her abilities would spook the southerners who were superstitious. The Seven had made them worry—were the gods happy with them?

The old, northern gods were stoic. They were meant to be more than just prayed to. It was a perspective meant to make man humble and aware of his or her finiteness. The gods of old were meant to be feared. Robb wanted to chuckle as he thought of Old Nan's scary stories. Who knew they'd be coming true? The northerners were known for withstanding the Long Night, and they would do it again. The Seven would not be able she to stand against the old gods of the north.

"It's white, because the original wielder did not choose a side. I'm beginning to think that's where I belong too." Her voice floated along the strong walls. He didn't think she'd explain herself tonight, but then again, they were a couple with little secrets between them.

Her delicate hands opened the door for the duo. Robb was surprised to find his son nearly asleep against his chest. He still couldn't believe that they had created another human being. To Robb, Aiden was perfect. His wife had given him two great gifts: her devotion that was unquestionable and a son that would carry on the Stark name. Gently and swiftly, Robb set the babe into the hand-made wooden cradle sent by House Umber. Pulling the hand sewn blankets over his own, Robb noted how easy his son made their lives. With his son's eyes closed and soft but steady breathing reaching him, he noted that he was an easy sleeper. A blessing from the gods.

"Robb," Zi beckoned from behind him. Turning, he spied his wife stalking toward him with an indiscernible facial expression. Her hands lopped themselves around his neck, pulling him flush against her body. She stared up into his eyes, beckoning him. He would never admit it, but he was completely and totally devoted to her.

Pressing his lips to hers, he felt the energy flow between the two of them. It made his heart beat align with hers. His hands moved from her waist to hastily unlacing her gown. Pulling away, he twisted her to face away from him. His lips trailed kisses up and down her neck as he finished unlacing her. As the gown pulled around her feet, she twisted to undress him. In a matter of moments, Robb found himself onto and inside her. He had missed this. By the gods, they should've been doing this sooner. She met each of his thrusts. Equal pleasure. Equal relief. Their minds were connected, intensifying the experience. It wasn't long before both reached satisfaction. They lazily slid under the covers to sleep soundly. Robb vaguely noticed that GreyWind had stationed himself by Aiden's cradle and Vader had laid beside the door. Both animals in tune with the security concerns of their masters. Robb's mind didn't register that Grey Wind had gone on patrol with his cousin, nor that Jon had carefully let the dire wolf in and not disturbed the couple.

Jon knew his cousin needed this evening. He had a sinking feeling that they'd be few and far between. Winter was coming.