Ok. So this is just some thing I put together while watching Game of Thrones. It started off as innocent writing and as the show progressed, so did the ideas and it has lead to this. Let me first say, I apologize for the first two chapters. I have tried to work them out different ways for a while, but this is what I have. If you would like to, the story picks up more so around chapter 3 so you could skip there (when I post it). Chapters 1 and 2 are just setting up the basis for everything.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.
Game of Thrones does not belong to me.
She woke in a bed of straw with her hands in shackles.
'Shackles? Where am I?' she thought.
"She's awake," a deep voice said quite roughly. "Go and fetch the bastard. He will want to know she has woken."
The door reopened quickly to reveal a man dressed in all black filling its frame. The light poured in from behind, showing only a silhouette. Out of fear, she slinked back farther onto the bed hoping to get away from him. He just stood there beaming at her.
'Why was he so happy that I was awake?'
The worst thought filled her head.
"I was afraid you had died," he said in a much gentler voice than she had anticipated. He seemed quite relieved to find that she hadn't. "You hit your head pretty hard."
No words formed in her head. She knew she should not have been as scared as she was, but she couldn't help it. Even as she sat cowering from him, which felt very unnatural, she could see that she was not in a prison cell, but more of a hospital set up. They, whoever they were, were trying to take care of her. But who were they and why were they taking care of her?
"Did I?" she asked tenderly touching her head. "I don't remember."
"With a bump like that, I can't imagine that you would."
He sat there looking at her with his brown eyes for a long moment before taking a worried seat at the foot of her bed. "Do you… recognize me?"
His brown eyes bore into her violet ones expectantly, but she had no clue who he was. Slowly, she shook her head.
"Do you know where you are?"
She shook her head and a knot formed in her chest.
"Do you know who you are?"
Tears welled in her eyes as she shook her head no.
"Do you—"
"I can't remember who I am!" came the sudden tear filled explosion. She had not meant to cry, but the tears came anyway.
She cried for what must have been hours, crying about not knowing where she was, who she was with, why she had been running, but he stayed by her side every second. Maybe he felt guilty for being present when she bumped her head or because he was present when she began crying, but regardless of his reasoning, he stayed by her side until she wept herself to sleep.
Prior to sleep, in the hours spent weeping, she discovered that the boy's name was Jon Snow. He was the bastard of Eddard Stark of Winterfell and had five half siblings. Robb Start being the oldest, followed by Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon.
She also discovered that she had hit her head three days prior and had been unconscious ever since.
Despite being highly distressed, she could tell he was keeping something form her. She also realized that it was absolutely freezing in Winterfell.
.. .. ..
She didn't see Jon for the next three days. The girl didn't see him mostly because the doctor at Winterfell kept him out in order to conduct tests upon her. He was trying to find out why she had absolutely no memories from before three days prior.
On the fifth day, she woke to find a red dress sitting on the chair in the corner of the room. It sat there glowing at her as if smiling. It was trying to remind her of something she couldn't remember.
The doctor had said that she was fit to roam the castle as she desired and that the rest of the family would be delighted to meet her, but she was hesitant to meet any new people.
'What would I say to them? Hello, my name is unknown and I have no recollection of who I am. How are you today? That was not a good way to meet someone. How many of them already know who I am? How many did I know before?'
After dressing, the girl made her way through the halls silently to find the Stark family at the breakfast table. Considering that she hadn't met them in person, she was going off of Jon's descriptions of each of them.
A deep sinking feeling filled her stomach at the sight of them smiling especially Jon nudging his brother. It arose a feeling she could not name.
She didn't duck away quickly enough because he met her eyes. The joyful expression on his face fell immediately the second he saw her disappear down the hallway.
"Where are you going?" he shouted, after chasing her down the hall. "Come back, please."
"Leave me alone," she cried. "Please. I don't want to ruin your breakfast."
"It already was," he smiled at her. "Besides, I'll be able to have breakfast with them tomorrow and the next day."
Pain filled her stomach at his words. "That may be true, but what if you forget them?"
His silence wasn't reassuring but his eyes were kind.
"Steward," he called. "Please fetch us something to eat from the kitchen. We'll be dining in the guest room."
"No, don't-"
"You dare defy a lord?" he asked mockingly as he smiled and escorted the girl back to her room.
She truly appreciated that he didn't make her dine with the others. The second they saw her they would want to know who she was, what her name was and where she came from. Questions she couldn't answer. Questions she hadn't been able to answer for a week.
A knock came from the door causing the girl to jump.
"Who is it?" Jon asked the door.
"Who else would it be," a young girl's voice spoke, muffled by the wood. "Now let me in."
His eyes were soft. "That's my sister Arya. Do you mind if she joins us? She is not going to make you feel uncomfortable."
She shook her head and Arya entered. They were introduced and back stories were exchanged and Arya absorbed every word of it.
"I cannot say I have ever lost my memory," Jon spoke between bites. "But I can't imagine you want many people knowing."
It amazed her how right he was. It was almost as if he knew exactly what she was feeling.
"It's humiliating knowing people want answers and you have nothing to tell them. What I do know is that it is wretchedly cold up here."
Arya belted out a laugh as only she could.
Jon smiled as Arya fetched her a blanket from the wardrobe in the room.
"I do not appreciate being laughed at," she jested lightly, all ready beginning to feel more comfortable.
"I am smiling because we know one thing now. You are not from the north."
"No. I most certainly am not. I must live where the sun always shines and no one is cold."
"You must be from the south then," Arya said.
"Yes," she smiled. "The south."
If what she was feeling was nothing other than a feeling, then that was fine with her. It was more than what she felt this morning. It was a starting point in remembering who she was and where she came from.
"If you came from the south, then what were you doing this far north I wonder?" Arya asked aloud.
"I don't know."
"Maybe you were vacationing up north."
"Why would I vacation up north when I am from the south? The different temperatures alone are vast and uncomfortable."
The blanket was warm around her shoulders.
"Where is your cloak?" Arya asked.
She shrugged her shoulders. "I do not think I own one."
"Why not?"
"Arya," Jon scolded. "Calm yourself. I will see that we find one for you to stay warm."
"Thank you."
They ate the remainder of the meal in silence and he added more from his plate to Arya's and hers when they finished eating. Not really table worthy manners, but still classier than eating alone or nothing at all. It also didn't waste food which was still edible.
"My brothers and I are going out later today if you would like to join us. It's just going to be a walk in the woods. No wandering eyes."
She nodded. "I would like that very much. Thank you."
.. .. ..
Arya and Rickon stayed close to her side as she went around meeting the rest of the Stark children. It did not escape her attention that all the men carried weapons on their hips.
"Should I be expecting animals on this walk?" she asked, getting smiles from the rest.
Robb was the first to respond. "Hopefully not, but these are in case of animals or Wildlings."
"People from beyond the wall," Jon answered her confused look.
Along the walk, she learned about the Winterfell castle being built upon a hot spring to keep the walls warm during the winter. She learned that the second youngest boy was an enthusiastic climber, the eldest daughter was outstanding at anything lady like while Arya struggled to wrap her hair properly.
The deeper the small group went into the woods, the more uneasy she began to feel.
"Look what I found!" Arya cheered.
"Whatever it is, don't touch it," Robb ordered her getting Jon to laugh.
At the base of a tree, they found a bow with some scattered arrows. Seeing as she was among the older people in the group, she was given the bow to carry and it felt strangely familiar in her hands and slung over her shoulder.
Rickon had taken her hand while they continued deeper and across the path of several wildlings.
"Give us everythin' you've got an' we'll let you live," one of them snarled through crooked teeth.
Robb drew his sword and held it before him. "And if we don't?"
"Then we'll just 'ave to kill ya."
"Step anywhere near us and it'll be the last thing you do," Jon spat at them before turning to her. "You know how to use it?" She knew he meant the bow.
One of the thieves took his chance to lunge for them and in one movement, she pushed Rickon behind her, drew the bow from her back, and launched an arrow into his calf and drew two more arrows, knocking the first one. A second Wildling tried to reach for Arya and she shot them in the arm. From behind, another tried to attack and the arrow missed his arm and burrowed deep into his chest killing him instantly.
'Oh, no.' she thought. 'How did I know how to do this?' Like it was a hot stone plucked from the fire, she dropped the bow and sprinted away from everyone dead, alive, and injured and into the woods. Shooting those people so naturally had frightened her causing her to flee. She learned one thing from the incident, that she had never killed a man before because the pain tearing through her would have been something unforgettable.
Giant arms wrapped around her bringing her to an immediate halt.
"How did you do that?" Arya asked bewildered.
Jon retorted quickly. "Not now, Arya."
"But she just wiped out three-"
"Not now, Arya!"
The castle guards were there quickly enough to grab the wildlings and do away with them.
"How did you do that?" Jon asked.
"I don't know," she trembled frightened of what she would do next.
"You've grown pale," Robb commented concerned. "Come, we will return with the rest." He said taking her elbow.
Behind him, Jon collected Rickon and Arya and all of them returned to the castle.
If you made it this far, let me personally thank you. I know the chapter was long-ish and kinda not exciting. I promise that it does start to pick up. I didn't want to post it until I had more written, but I think there's enough to at least get started.