Jon kept his eyes on the horizon, despite the cold wind blowing into his face. In the distance a small banner swayed, moving all too slowly towards him.
Towards Cainhurst Castle.
The golden wolves on crimson fluttered above him flying high and proud, discernible even in the wind and snow. A symbol for all those around as to who exactly owned these cold, windy hills.
Not that anyone would not know in any case. Cainhurst was a name almost as well known as Stark, at least in the north.
As the Stark direwolf came ever closer and Jon saw the man at the head of the riders, he wondered which name he preferred, if he had a choice.
A Knight on guard rang the bell tower. Ding, a five second pause, ding. The toll for expected arrivals.
Briefly Jon was reminded of his lessons. If there was a three second pause, it was an unknown arrival. A second pause was for an attack.
The only time the bell tolled otherwise was hundreds of years ago, when Cainhurst was first discovered, when it was besieged.
Soon enough the riders under the Direwolf banner made their way up the narrow path towards the gates of Castle Cainhurst, which were, naturally, closed.
Jon moved near enough to the gatehouse so he could be witness to the ceremonial exchange.
"Who stands before the castle of Cainhurst?" A Houseguard called out.
"It's liege, Eddard Stark!" Jon's father called out.
"Cainhurst knows no liege than the Vilebloods!" Was the haughty reply.
"The Vilebloods know ME as liege!"
A few moments passed, Lord Eddard Stark and the Houseguard Ser Cregan staring intently at one another before the latter nodded, silver helmet bobbing.
"The liege is known! The liege may pass!" came the eventual announcement.
The portcullis was withdrawn with a winding of thick chains, then the great oak gates slowly pulled open and the second portcullis was lifted.
Finally, the Lord of Winterfell entered the domain of his vassal.
Jon thought he cut an impressive figure, if a bit of a grim one. Dark brown hair down to his chin, Stark grey eyes and a trimmed beard with a long face, his mouth set in a line as he surveyed the inside of Cainhurst for the fourteenth time.
For his bastard sons' fourteenth name day.
Jon was down in the courtyard by the time his father had dismounted, standing alongside a small group of knights dressed in the ceremonial wear of Cainhurst. A white silk shirt with long sleeves and frilled cuffs over which went a rich red linen waistcoat with a white neck frill, embroidered with silver leaf. Over that went a long rich black velvet coat, again embroidered with silver leaf, with large embroidered cuffs. Fine black leather boots adorned their feet and red leather gloved with a velvet lining covered their hands. A ruby, strung with pearls and within a silver pendant, hung around their necks to complete the ensemble.
Jon tugged at his own neck frill, a piece of garment peculiar to the denizens of Cainhurst. For his own dress he wore a simplified version of the Cainhurst garb though it was no less ostentatious in it's own way, still possessing the favoured silver leaf embroidery.
The Knights, and Jon, bowed to the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North.
"We greet you, liege-lord! Be welcome to Cainhurst!" They chorused.
"I am welcome" Lord Stark uttered and though Jon's head was bowed he could feel the man's eyes upon him.
Lord Stark and his escort were led through the castle followed by his guards and then Jon and three Knights. The Stark guards were gazing about in amazement at splendour on display, as well as the infinite number of statues that the castle contained. For Jon, who had grown up at Cainhurst, the statues were as normal as could be but it was times like this that reminded him of how foreign his host's home was.
Lord Stark on the other hand was unperturbed, striding forth with purpose. He had seen these statues and decorations as much as Jon had.
The Lord stopped before the door to the dining hall, two heralds flanking it on either side.
"Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, honoured guest!" They cried.
It was repeated on the inside by two other heralds.
There was a moment where shuffling could be heard behind the door, then it was opened and Jon's closed his eyes in reaction to the brightness that poured out from within.
Lord Stark similarly had to avert his eyes for a moment, then the dining room came into view.
Ostentatious was a good word to start describing the inside.
Gold chandeliers hung from the ceiling, reflecting light from the multitude of candles they held and thus bathing the room in a bright glow. Rich crimson and gold banners adorned the walls and long red velvet carpets covered the floor beneath the two large tables, laying atop a fine, polished pinewood floor. On the back wall within immediate view were the portraits of Vilebloods of note within golden frames, on the sides of the room stood tall, life-sized statues of the Vileblood Kings and Queens of old, their finely carved stone eyes looking down upon those seated at the tables. Entering the room the walls on either side of the door both held life-sized mirrors of polished silver as well as more portraits and statues.
On the tables, alongside gold and silver statuettes, a buffet of food was laid out, placed upon silver platters and lit by candles held in silver and gold candlesticks. Venison, wild boar, bear, fowls and birds, a large stuffed pork, fresh root vegetables, fresh soft white bread and more were laid out, all hot and steaming and every bit as rich as it was mouth watering.
It was far, far more than what the Vilebloods normally ate but then again, it was a special occasion.
The party entered, Lord Stark taking a reserved seat near the head of the noble table while the Stark guards were lead to their seats in the Knights table.
"Squire Jon" A soft, regal voice cut through the din of conversation. Or rather, conversation stopped when the voice spoke.
Jon, about to take a seat amongst the Knights and guards, stood straight, turned and then bowed at the waist at his host. "My Lady"
"Rise"
He did, and looked at the masked face of Lady Annalise, Lady of Castle Cainhurst and Ruler of the Vilebloods, as well as his host.
"I bid thee sit, thy father requests thy company" She gestured with a thin, pale arm towards an empty seat right across from Lord Stark who was looking at him with a grey-eyed gaze.
He bowed at an angle, dipping his right shoulder first, the action well remembered by his body. "As my lady bids"
Once he was settled and the Lady gave a small nod the conversation picked back up.
Except between Lady Annalise, Jon and Lord Stark, the three of whom were somewhat cut off from the rest of the table by a vacant seat next to Jon and his father, and by the fact that no one even glanced at them.
"How are you Jon?" Lord Stark asked, his hardened expression turning soft.
Jon inclined his head "I am well, Lord Stark. Lady Annalise is a gracious host"
The man's expression was stone faced but Jon could see it turn pinched for just a moment. "Very good to hear. You are a Squire now? To whom?"
He glanced at his Lady and she gave a slight nod of her head "Yes, I am squired to The Hunter" Another glance at the Lady, another nod. "She is a good Knight, with over a hundred heads under her belt"
Lord Stark raised a brow "The Hunter?"
It was Lady Annalise that answered him "Yes, she is rather curious this one. She knows not from whence she hails, or why or how she is here, but she is superbly skilled"
"How did she come to be in Cainhurst, this amnesiac?"
"She received an invitation"
Lord Stark kept an expectant look towards Lady Annalise but the latter did not elaborate, so Jon did not either when his Lord father turned to him.
Lord Stark muttered something about Vileblood reticence and ate his meal.
Jon thought the dinner was pleasant, he had the honour of sitting next to the Lady of the Castle and conversing with his Lord father, a special occasion only reserved for his name day.
It did not pass him by that his was the only name day celebrated in the castle but he had learned that such oddities were to be expected from the Vilebloods, if what his Lord Father said was true. Thus he did not know how old any of the denizens of the castle were and it was difficult to judge their age because of their ever present masks which, again, only he was exempt from wearing.
His father's stony yet warm expressions certainly made a better sight than the groveling of the servants, that was for certain.
The season was Summer and had been for quite some time, nearing a decade. In the South the sun shined upon bountiful fields fed with rain and caressed by gentles gales. In the North the sun shined upon tough shoots of grass growing through snow, suffering no hail nor snowstorm.
Jon watched the horizon from a tower in Cainhurst, beside his father as the Lord surveyed his vassal's domain.
"Are you happy here, Jon?" Lord Stark asked, turning to look at him.
Jon took his time answering that question "Yes, I suppose. I know no other life than as a ward of Cainhurst"
"And when you grow? Have you thought about what you wish to be? What you want to do after your squiring?"
The answer was obvious "A Knight"
His father regarded him with one of those hard to read expressions of his "Of Cainhurst"
Jon nodded "In the service of my Lady"
Lord Stark's brows furrowed "Do you wish to meet your siblings at least? Rob asks about you constantly, even tried to convince me to let him join me here. Sansa and Arya are the same, though they're not that obvious about it. The young ones are curious too"
Ah. Jon wondered when this topic would come up. His siblings, his family. Lord Stark spoke to him about them every time he visited, reminding him that he did have people outside of these walls other than him that wished to see him.
He did not know how to feel about that, but he enjoyed listening when his Lord father spoke about his siblings. He knew of Rob's incessant desire to meet him, even received a letter Lord Stark delivered when he was younger that he kept with him. He knew of Sansa and Arya's bickering and rivalry. He knew of young Brandon and Rickon, one a great climber and the other possessed of a great imagination.
Yet what he did not know was what he truly wished to.
"And my mother?"
Lord Stark sighed, expecting the question. He laid a hand upon Jon's shoulder and gave a light squeeze "Your mother…Jon, all you need to know is that your mother loved you dearly"
It was the same answer he received when he asked a year ago. And the year before that. And the year before that.
As far as he knew Lord Stark was a truthful man, so he had no reason to believe the words were a lie. Yet still the man would not tell him who his mother was and offered no explanation as to why.
Was he ashamed? Fearful? Did he not know himself?
Jon did not know.
"When you're of age"
Jon perked up.
Lord Stark's gaze bore into him, more solemn than ever "When you are a Knight, when you know the worth of vows and oaths. The, we'll talk about your mother"
Jon swallowed, then nodded. "Thank you, father"
Lord Stark made that expression he made whenever Jon addressed him as such, a complex interplay of emotions that spoke of things Jon simply could not read.
Father and Son shared a brief embrace and then separated, for another year.
"My Lady" Jon kneeled before the Lady Annalise who sat upon her gold and crimson throne.
"Has thy father informed thee yet?"
He shook his head "Not yet, but my Lord father promises to do so when I am knighted"
There was a graceful nod from a masked face, and a wave of a pale arm. "Very good. Now go, attend thy leeching. Keep thy humours in balance"
Jon departed the throne room leaving the Lady alone.