Winterfell
Jane stared at her husband as he entered their chambers, a small boy in his arms. Her face grew red with anger, how could he have betrayed her so soon after marriage.
"Calm yourself, Jane. Please. This is not what you think, you must believe me." He placed William in the small crib next to his own son, Thomas. He took Jane in his arms, kissing her forehead and he held her tightly. He whispered in her ear something that shocked her greatly. "He is not my son, my love. Anne is his mother." Jane pulled back staring at him blankly. "George..."
"Jane, promise me, as I promised Anne before she fell in her deep slumber. No one can know who William's true mother is...who his father is." He looked at her with such and intense stare. "Promise me Jane." She nodded before walking to the crib, she looked down at William and she could see it was true. The child even looked like him, but enough of his features even as a child could be seen as George's.
"He would kill him. He is my best friend, but he loves Anne so intensely. Anne was right to fear for her son." George then looked down at his own son, his little Thomas. He smiled as he saw his sons eyes blinked open. "Hello my little wolf."
Months grew into years of peace in the realm, the "half-brothers" were now terrorizing their governerness on a daily basis. Thomas and William were inseperable, and even though Jane knew the truth of who William's mother truly was it was hard for her to play the doting step-mother to the boy. It wasn't like she hated William, but she wasn't sure exactly how to interact with him. To the world he was the bastard William Snow, it would be strange for her to be completely attached to him.
"Jane, it is good to see you sister." Mary Boleyn hugged Jane tightly, well as tightly as she could with her ever growing belly. She was pregnant with her first child, a future prince or princess of Storm's End. "Has there been any change with Anne?" she asked cautiously. Anne had been moved to Winterfell against Charles desires in case she was to ever wake. "No, she still slumbers, but it is like she is not aging as she sleeps. George often falls asleep in her chambers at night." Mary sighed, George and Anne were always very close. As Jane and Mary walked into the keep, Lady, Mary's direwolf, trotted off to find her brother and sister. Anne's wolf, Athena, was at Winterfell when Anne has kidnapped. She had to be kept locked up during the war for her own protection, she was pivotal in located Anne. Athena now spent most of her time with her mistress, but had taken to basking in the sun with George's wolf, Nightwalker. The the wolves were found later that day curled up in a massive ball of fur asleep under the moonlit sky.
George looked across the courtyard watching as the direwolves played, he couldn't help remembering a time when he and his sisters used to play in the same area. He was feeling old even at his young age of twenty-four. He missed Anne's smile and her laugh, he hated the Tudors for what happened. He had heard the rumors of how the young Henry and Mary Tudor had been taken from the Red Keep and spirited away to Essos. He had worried they would be groomed to claim the throne, once again pushing the kingdoms to war. He was shaken from his thoughts the commotion below.
"William" Mary called out, Lady now trailing behind her protectively. Jane was on the other side of the courtyard, holding Thomas in her arms. "William" She called out. George ran down to the women, his eyes full of panic.
"Mary..."
"William is missing, we can't find him anywhere." Mary quickly answered.
"I looked away for only a little while, and he was gone." Jane was sobbing, she feared George would blame her if anything happened to their nephew. She began to regret her lack of mothering to the boy.
"Nightwalker, Athena." George called out the the other direwolves. "Find William" The two started running though the castle keep hoping that he hadn't left the safety of Winterfell. Soon they heard Athena howling, Lady tearing away from Mary to her sister.
George hot on the wolf's heels, running up the stairs and ending up at his sister's room. He pushed the door open slowly, his heart racing. He looked upon the bed, seeing William curled up next to Anne fast asleep. He had never even been in the room with his mother, nor did he even know that his "Aunt Anne" was in the keep. Athena had curled up on the bed next to her mistress, Lady and Nightwalker on the floor by the bed. Mary and Jane finally made it to the doorway, just as confused by the scene before them.
"Papa" Came a little voice from the bed, as Athena nuzzled the boy awake."
"William, my sweetling." Jane scooped him up, hugging him tightly. "Mama is here." She said, shocking even herself. She vowed to herself to be a true mother to William that day. His mother may never awake, never be there to hold him when he cries, but she would be until her dying day.
