Chapter 4
The day of my wedding with Lyanna has come. It should be standard with all of the Northern traditions except the Bedding ceremony, Lyanna is mine and no fucking way I let someone other touch her.
I headed to solar where I found Father and Mother debating something. They sure changed after Mother transitioned to an Old Gods, maybe my compulsion for her to care about Jon had something to do with it too. By removing a thorn in their relationship they could grow closer together and by her becoming a follower of Old Gods they didn't even have different opinions in matters of traditions and proper behavior.
Destroying the Temple of Seven and running the sept out was the best decision I made, without sept to talk nonsense and yell eternal damnation at everything, not by her liking(faith) my siblings could develop by Northrend traditions.
Sansa is not dreaming about knights in shining armor like in the original timeline, instead, she is a highly educated young Lady and I convinced her father to let her try at managing Winterfell's finances and trade with the help of Maester Luwin. Of course, a father must have approved everything. She took to it like fish to water, Sansa is talented in numbers and organization, by her hand and with help of Maester Luwin, our income from just trade in Winterfell rose by 20% in the last 2 years.
Little Arya is just as wild as in the original timeline except she has a great relationship with Sansa and the rest of the siblings, they acknowledge that they like different things but it didn't come between them, and without septa to spite the relationship they have a truly deep bond as sisters. Either way, I sicked Arya at my bothered to teach her ways of house Mormont. They forged a good friendship. I'm contemplating to persuade father to let Arya act as the squire to my future wife after giving her regeneration. She is family and every single of my siblings is taught the meaning of pack so there is zero chance that she will tell my secrets.
Bran is an adventurer of old trough and trough, he loves to explore and climb every damned thing. I expect him to be out of the house by the time he turns 16 and heading for the mountains. I will gift him the regeneration and climbing gear that I commissioned as a parting gift when he leaves.
Little Rickon Just managed to walk on his own, he is curious about everything and if he is not with my mother or father he always follows one of us. Lyanna gets the linking to him and when they play she is giving me those eyes that make all my instincts scream at me to run for my life, women are scary.
And at last Jon, my right hand. He builds his reputation as the fastest sword in the North, they call him Shadow Cat, because when the spar starts his opponent doesn't get a chance to blink and he is already at his back with the swords at neck and kidney. Seriously, he is faster than me with strengthening. Scary man, I'm glad he is my brother.
Anyway, I came to talk to my parents about the Bedding ceremony, it would not do to kill half the guests for touching my woman.
"Father, mother I came to talk to you about the wedding, specifically about the Bedding ceremony," I say as I walk to them
Mother grimaces and looks pointedly at father, he just looks resigned.
Taking a peek at their surface thoughts, they already talked about it, father wants for me to have a full ceremony because of bannerman opinions and mother is vehemently against it.
"Listel Robb" father starts "the ceremony is tradition, you need to follow them" he tries
I look him in the eyes with a grim expression
"I understand that it is tradition father, "he looks relieved so I quickly crush his imagination "but if I see someone touching my Lyanna I will cut their arm off. Do you really want to risk something like that happening at my wedding? What will the bannerman say?" I add in amusement
Mother looks triumphant
"See? I told you he will not have that abomination of the ceremony. Since I became a follower of Old Gods I grew to like all the different traditions and history but this one is horrible" she declared
Father then look helplessly at her then me and after seeing in my hard eyes that I will not back down on this he relented.
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I found my future wife in the training yard sparing with Arya. Noticing me they stopped
"Greetings brother" Arya yelled
Coming to her I rub her hair, I know it annoys her to no end but it's fun
"Arya, sparing again I see,"
letting go of Arya I step closer to Lyanna, arm going around her waist I pull her to me
"Hello love, I spoke with parents, we will not have a bedding ceremony."
She hugs me back while Arya is doing a gagging noise in the background. "How did you manage to persuade Lord Stark?" she asks
"I told him that if someone touches you then they will lose the hand, what will bannerman think of us when that happens?" I reply smugly.
She laughs and that is a song for my ears,
"Yea, what will they think?" she then puts her lips at mine.
I respond in kind. We are broken from our little moment by Arya
"Oh cmon you two lovebirds, you will soon be married and you will be doing that all day after that I want to fight now" Lyanna just giggles at the antics of my little sister. I shot her betrayed look.
Our moment was broken, I start sparing with them, two on one.
"You know Arya" I start to say while blocking both here attacks casually. Lyanna is getting better after the regeneration but she is still behind me and Jon even after all the training we come through with our North Wolfes." I thought about persuading my father to let you quire to Lyanna. I have Jon to have my back in battle and Lyanna will need someone trustworthy too" I mention casually.
The next moment, faster than I blink, Arya is hugging me with all her power. "Really? Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are the best brother in the world!" Arya declares. Lyanna is looking amused with a smile tugging in corner of her lips.
"Yes, I think so, of course only if Lyanna will have you." Arya immediately lets go of me and is at Lyanas waist, does Arya have power too? teleportation?
"Lyanna can I? Please say yes!" I just laugh at Lyannas's betrayed look. None can resist Arya's hyperactive cuteness.
Lyanna sighs, "Yes you can, but you need to train really hard I will not take you if you are not ready." she declares.
"YES!" Arya squeals in happiness.
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The guests for the wedding started arriving, the most notable ones I remember from a previous life are Umber, Karstark, Bolton, and Mormont.
From house Umber I can see Greatjon and his son Smalljon, funny names, lightly scanning their minds I can see that that they are fine people, loyal to the Starks with pride in their house just like it should be in my opinion. Maybe I'm a bit biased since I am the next Lord.
From house Karstark only Rickard Karstark arrived, from his mind, I see that he not as loyal but he prides himself in his family like any right Northerner and I would not expect trouble from them.
From the House of Mormont only Maege arrives, we talked briefly when she was in Winterfell last time. She is a fierce warrior and willful woman, Lyanna must have had her hard head from her. From her mind, I gleam that she is happy about our arrangement. Apparently, Lyanna send her a few letters and described our interactions. I'm happy I will not have to deal with unhappy In-laws, especially Maege. I shutter what hell I would have to live in.
And last but not least from House Bolton rides Roose Bolton with his bastard Ramsay Snow, I know from my previous life that these two should be a problem so I delve into their minds. Roose Bolton is a cold and cruel man and he is already thinking about betrayals, he is thinking about assassinating and will do it if the right opportunity arrives. Well I can't let that happen, can I? I plant some nasty suggestions, when he is thinking about anything that could harm House Stark he will feel an immense sense of dread as if hundreds of eyes were watching him, and when he sleeps the dreams will be full of dire wolves tearing him apart. That will continue until he stops thinking about betrayal.
Looking into Ramsay I see a sociopath that finds pleasure in hurting people. It is what I expected from what I remember. Ramsay is a bastard so he not important and with the changes I did to Roose Bolton's mind he is unnecessary. I just plant a compulsion that has him jump from Dreadfort tower. Anticlimactic I know.
My family gets to greet every guest and after Maege gets hold of Lyanna and drags her somewhere for dreaded girl talk that apparently even she-bears have, I make myself scarce.
I track down Jon and go hunting until Lord Father manages to sort our guests out.
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Walking through the forest I ask Jon an important question
"You know Jon, I will soon be married and Lyanna is a wonderful girl but what about you? Did you think of someone?" I ask casually
Apparently, that question surprised Jon because he stumbled, I didn't see him miss a step from the day I gave him regeneration.
"No way Robb, I'm too young and we have a lot of time ahead of us"
Jon is blushing! Omg, I forgot how he was in the original timeline. In this, he managed to grow into a confident man, still serious and loyal to the fault but nothing like the undervalued bastard boy from original. But I guess just like before he doesn't have any experience with a woman.
Not that I can talk, the only woman I was with was an older whore in Winterfell that I asked to teach me, she was greatly surprised apparently such customers don't exist but I didn't want to fumble in bed on my wedding night. I want to show Lyanna that she was right to choose me even in bed.
Back to the topic at hand,
"True, you have enough time but take it from me, having someone to share your life with is much more enjoyable, and even if we are technically immortal you don't want to spend that time alone, you will go crazy"
I wisely, at least I think I sound-wise, advised.
Jon looks thoughtful for a second.
"Yeah, you are right I will think about it."
We continued on our path in comfortable silence.
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A short while later when we were following tracks of boar we find it, but already dead and a short distance away laying on the ground covered in blood is a big fucking dire wolf, I guess dire wolf pups were Starks destiny no matter how I changed things.