Chapter 1 ~ The North Remembers ~

We’d moved camp once again and at this point I was completely lost, if I knew where we were on a map I would’ve been happy but after a small out burst that involved a dagger and a Frey man who ended up dead I was no longer allowed to do anything that caused me to come into contact with men that weren’t my brother and the guards that shadowed me.

 

I sat and watched as Storm and Grey Wind napped in the sun, there was a touch of snow on the ground and the soldiers were struggling to escape the cold “you think too much” Theon said from my left causing me to snort in a very unladylike fashion. 

 

“And you think to little Squid” I replied as he sat down next to me, I eyed him from my periphery and realised he looked as haggard as I felt. 

 

“I’m sorry about your Lord father” he said quietly, Theon and I always had an odd relationship with one another, it wasn’t that we disliked each other it was more we squabbled as siblings do, just more so. 

 

“He was your father as well,” I sniffled, taking in the air that smelt of rain “just in a different way” we locked eye for a moment and nodded to each other in understanding. 

 

“You never once called me his prisoner like others do” he said, his voice was slightly bitter at the thought of whoever thought he was locked in Winterfell. 

 

“Because you aren’t, I was there when father brought you to Winterfell when you were 8, you were a scared child in a place you’d never been with people you’d never met” I eyed him for a moment, “it’s too bad you didn’t stay the likeable young boy you were” I teased, knocking my shoulder with his. 

 

“You’re one to talk Wolfling” he said with a quiet laugh, “why do you stay loyal to the Kingslayer?” He asked and I raised my eyebrow in question “Robb was saying you demanded that the Kingslayer ride with you on your horse because you didn’t trust the guards”

 

“And I still don’t, I married Jaime knowing who he was and what he had done, I married out of duty because it’s what was expected of me. He earned my loyalty by being there for me when I needed him” I shrugged as Storm got up and ambled her way towards us, I held my hand out and she butted her giant head into my palm “without Robb I was alone, yes I had father in the Capital and my sisters but I needed someone to work with me, Jaime was that someone” I sighed deeply. 

 

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about” Theon admitted, his hand scratching the back of his neck.

 

“Of course you don’t, my loyalty to Jaime is different to my loyalty to my family, it’s more complex then words can describe” I shrugged again and scratched Storm under her chin “some days I wish Jon Arryn hadn’t died and that Robert never came to Winterfell but then I remember that if things didn’t happen the way they have I wouldn’t have Jaime” I glanced at some Karstark men who eyed Storm cautiously “I just wish that everything else didn’t happen, Bran falling from the Tower, father getting hurt, Mother taking Tyrion prisoner” I gulped harshly to get rid of the lump that formed in my throat “father being killed” I shook my head, I had been having dreams of father in the crypts below Winterfell, his head in one hand, his other raised to grab me while his once grey eyes were turned a glowing blue that sent me screaming into wakefulness. 

 

“I’m sure a lot of us wish the same thing Wolf” we looked at one another and he shrugged, I knew he was enjoying the war more then he was letting on, Theon was always a little blood thirsty and he was always up for a fight and I was sure going to war was his idea that he had planted in Robb’s head.

 

“You’re a terrible liar Squid” I got up from my seat with both Grey Wind and Storm by my side, I made my way to Jaime, it was too early for me to bring him dinner as I had just sent over some food earlier in the day but I needed someone to talk to, I was planning on trying to convince mother and Robb to let us free, to go back to the Capital and bring Arya and Sansa home but I needed to plan it better.

 

Grey Wind broke off from Storm and I as we passed Robb’s tent and while no one stopped us on our way to Jaime’s cage a few of the men watched as if they were waiting for me to let him go “do you ever get tired seeing me covered in my own shit?” Jaime asked as I neared him.

 

“Distracts from your good looks but your stellar personality makes up for it,” I replied with a smile, for the first time since I had received news about my father it was a genuine smile, I felt like I had been floating in some kind of nightmare since the day Jaime had attacked father outside of Baelish’s brothel.

 

“If I wasn’t chained to this stake I would make you regret that comment” he said with a chuckle making me laugh lightly, “still having bad dreams?” He asked making me shift from one foot to another, he noticed the obvious black circles under my eyes. 

 

“Yes, I just don’t understand what they could be about other then father” I rubbed my forehead and sighed deeply “this mornings was slightly better then the others though” I told him, recalling the heat of melting stone and cries of people as they were engulfed in flames, I opened his cage and stooped down to enter, the thing was cramped and foul but I knew it was better then what his fathers prisoners would be going through “the capital was on fire, the flames were everywhere, people were dying either from being trampled, being murdered by sword wielding shadows or being burned alive by something else” I sighed and thought to what I had seen before I had woken up, Cersei lay dead on the steps of the Iron Throne, the walls of the throne room had been destroyed and Jaime sat on the throne with his sword in his hand, the blade still bloodied, his face was frozen but his eyes looked at where I had stood with utter devotion and love.

 

“The only thing that could melt stone is Dragon fire and all the dragons are dead Ris, perhaps you should talk to a Maester and get something to help aid you in sleep” we met eyes and I pressed my forehead against his filthy one, “I worry more for you then I do for myself” he said quietly as some men walked past us.

 

“I’m not caged like an animal, surrounded by men who want my innards to be spilling in the mud” I told him, while the men would make comments about me I knew they would never raise a hand against me, even Lord Karstark with his quick temper and sharp tongue knew better then to draw his sword. 

 

“Charming imagination you have there” he said with a laugh, his lips touched mine briefly and he nodded to the open door “go, get some rest, I’ll see you later” I nodded and left him but not before closing the cage. 

 

—————

 

Humming Jenny of Oldstones to myself as I came closer to Jaime I was surprised to find Robb at the opening of the cage with Grey Wind stalking the darkness “does Ris know?” Jaime obviously didn’t answer so Robb asked again louder “does Anaris know!?” 

 

“Does Ris know what?” I asked as I stepped up and petted Grey Wind on the head softly, the large wolf made a rumbling noise in the back of his throat and plodded off again. 

 

“Don’t Stark” Jaime did with a glare, I looked from Jaime to Robb as they glared at one another “she should hear it from me”

 

“You had your time, Kingslayer” Robb spat with hatred “there was a raven from Dragonstone, Stannis has declared himself king,” Robb handed me the parchment “father sent word to Stannis before he was killed” I unfurled the paper and read the words that were scrolled hastily on the page. 

 

“I declare upon the honour of my house that my brother Robert left no true-born heirs;” I read out loud using the light from a torch that was close by, my eyes strained to read the ink “the boy Joffrey, the boy Tommen, and the girl Myrcella, being born of incest between Cersei Lannister and Ser Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer” I stopped and looked at Jaime, his sullen face telling me exactly what I needed to know “By right of birth and blood, I do this day lay claim to the Iron Throne of Westeros. Let all true men declare their loyalty” 

 

“So now you know the truth” Robb said, he watched as I burnt the letter and let it flutter to the ground where it lay burning. 

 

“Leave us” I said as I watched the parchment smoulder, when Robb didn’t move I raised my voice “go, I will not ask you again” I took his spot in the door way of the cage and looked at Jaime “why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, my voice deadly quiet. 

 

“Ris, if I did…” he stopped and took a breath but he didn’t continue his sentence which caused my anger to flare up. 

 

“What? You thought I’d think differently?” I scoffed and crossed my arms to stop from slapping him, hitting a man while he was tied was a lower blow then anything I could do “you’d already told me that you and Cersei were lovers” I hissed out as I clenched my fists “all you had to do was go ‘oh Ris, one more thing, Robert’s children aren’t actually his, they’re mine’” I lowered my voice to match his “it’s that easy, Gods Jaime!”

 

“Would you have treated them differently?” Jaime asked quietly “treated Cersei differently? What about me?” He finally looked up at me and I scoffed. 

 

“If I had known we could’ve talked through it, instead I had to find out from Robb,” something clicked in my memory and I recalled the book my father had on his desk the months we were in the Capital, the lineages of the Great Houses of Westeros had descriptions of all the true born children “my father found out, he worked it out and he probably went to Cersei, he was a man of honour he would’ve wanted to save the children” I shook my head as my tears welled in my eyes “I can’t do this right now” I mumbled, I turned from him and all but ran to my tent with Storm beside me. 

 

“Ris!” Jaime called from behind me but it was too late.