25 JON X

Could it get any worse? Now, he was not only responsible for his and Lya's misery but also for an innocent soul that will be tainted by his bastard blood. He once vowed he would never father a child. He would never commit any helpless child to this kind of shame. All his childhood memories came back to him. All the indignities, the agony, the shame. He can't forget Arya's face crying to him, fearing she might be a bastard. He can't bear it again

He was so angry and miserable. Robb did this to him. Unfair punishment for uncommitted crime. A very harsh one. The Harrenhal curse, that must be it, he was now cursed with no way out.

If gods took pity on him and somehow Alys became pregnant in the next couple of months, one of his troubles will be solved but the surname curse will never vanish. It's almost idiotic to hope for legitimization by Robb but he may be able to deflect the name from his son, or daughter preferably. The Starks will be more kind to a girl than a boy. A girl with Lya's beauty. He should have loved that

Poor Lya to get tangled in all of this. Maybe it was better for her to marry Ser Gendry after all. He did not have the heart to ask her to end the pregnancy. She doesn't look anything like Cersei who would have done it in a heartbeat. Despite her volatile temper, she didn't remind him of Cersei anymore, but rather of King Robert. He should ask her anyway and risk her anger. She might prefer to get rid of the child. Somehow she still consider herself a princess of some kind!

There was still a small chance she wasn't pregnant and just misunderstood her symptoms but knowing his luck, he wouldn't put much hope on it.

I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. *

Now to the first of my inconvenience, asking Robb for permission for Lya to accompany me to the Gift. I waited for Robb after dinner and asked for an audience

"Your grace" and I bowed low

"Come in Jon, how are you?"

"Fine your grace, I wanted to ask you a favor if you wouldn't mind"

He raised a brow and I gulped before I managed "it's Lya, your grace. She has been confined in Winterfell since she came here and I thought she might make use of visiting the Gift with me"

"Oh, she is Lya now! How cute. Your love is to be envied" he mocked but to be truthful, his relationship with Alys was so lacking even comparing to our poor relation. I even heard rumors of hi…..

"Now what's the game you are playing Snow?"

I was taken aback. Surely he couldn't have known, no way. I flustered but answered "No games your grace. She is just hot tempered and and I am trying to pacify her a little"

He laughed hard at this. "You are such a shameful excuse of a northern Snow" well Robb, I will leave the toughness to you. Gods be with Alys in her ordeal!

I kept waiting for the verdict and he finally condescended to accept. I bowed and took his hand to kiss it. Was it his other hand in my hair ruffling it, or maybe I was imagining things?

"Thank you, your grace"

In two days, we were on our way to the Gift. Of course we were not entitled the carriage and we had to go on horseback. Lya was so tired to ride for such a long distance alone so we bound her horse with us but she sat in front of me sideway. Baelish raised his eyebrows when he saw us but I gave him a smug smile. He must think us madly on love or something.

Lya was embarrassed by the riding arrangement but she couldn't think of another way with the current lack of carriage. Putting my hand around her belly, she didn't felt pregnant to me. But she was eating more than I ever saw her doing, she even ate the pork pie she considered way beneath her palate. On a practical note, this new stamina was a continuous annoyance as there was no servant to attend her, I had to go to the kitchen most of the times but Brendon and Wex usually stop me midway and do it themselves. God bless them.

We have been on the road for an hour or so when Baelish said "apparently your lady was not used on waking early and nodded to lya who was in deep sleep with her mouth open a little with a little bit of drool, thankfully she wasn't snoring. She was falling asleep in most inappropriate places and times now. Maybe it was a pregnancy related thing. I hope little finger doesn't know enough about pregnancy to guess it. Oh he still wait for my answer..

"Oh, yes. She is used to laziness"

I don't know if it was my voice or my luck but she woke to hear this, gave me a death glare but continued to sleep nonetheless!

"Do you think they will pay?" he talked again, can't he just grace us with his silence!

But if you want my opinion little finger, I don't think so but I only gave him a vague "maybe"

After a tiring journey we were finally there. Tormund was shocked to see us apparently the raven thing still doesn't work with them. But he was his usual boisterous self and crushed me in a bear hug. He totally ignored little finger till I told him "mmm Tormund, this is Lord Petyr Baelish, the master of coin and the king envoy to the free folk" master of coin and envoy were quite mysterious words to Tormund. I tried to explain " mmm the king sent him to talk to you"

Tormund snorted loudly at this. He gave Ghost a far more welcome than little finger but he invited us all to sit, other free folk leaders came and they invited us to that horrible fermented goat milk. I wanted to warn Lya before she sputter it and insult them but she was on the other side and there was nothing I could do about it. And in a minute came the splutter, but it was from little finger. I almost laughed at it. He kept apologizing with his insincere silky voice but the harm was already done.

Val came next to great us, and leaned at me suggestively before she said "we missed you Lord Snow!" I knew her ways and I knew she meant nothing but Lord Baelish interest was at its highest level. I thought of a way to distract him and get on with our plan. I told Tormund "maybe the ladies can leave us so we can discuss the king's message" they all look at me in astonishment as if I grew another head or something.

I shifted uncomfortably not knowing what to do. It was awkward for a while till Lya "forgive us, I needed to relieve myself. Jon was just shy, please excuse him" and she smiled brilliantly and looked to Val "would you lead the way princess". Val nodded and left us to our predicament

"Har, how are you doing with your wife?I bet she wears you off every day, such a mare"

I colored at his question "we are fine, thanks Tormund"

"Why didn't you bring the big woman with you? Isn't she living in Winterfell, who is this mouse you are bringing instead?" I closed my eyes not believing what he just said in the loudest voice you could imagine. I tried to talk him out of such talk then conversed with the others for a while about the land and how they were settling in. They gave us couple of rounds of the milk mead which we drank them courageously one after another and we sat silent not knowing what to say anymore. It was up to little finger now

Little finger tried to diffuse the tension by few compliments but the free folk didn't humor him. I leaned at him and whispered "it's better to speak about the message, they wouldn't appreciate anymore small talk"

He seemed terrified of them "so may be its better if you lead the talk"

"No way my lord" I let him stutter the king's demand

"What to do you mean by pay the king, we are not renting this land, and we were given it by King Jon Snow, King in the north"

"The thing is, Jon isn't currently the king and his decisions shouldn't be binding to his grace"

Tormund looked at me with anger "what does this mean, do you agree with this fart?"

Baelish looked like he was going to faint and looked to me terrified as Tormund voice raised and raised

"Calm down Tormund, that was only a suggestion and the king appreciated the free folk and their sacrifices for the north and Winterfell, he is only asking for help"

"Help? And what was we doing with you at the battle of the bastards and the long night and later when we chased the unsullied?Where was your fucking king then?"

I open my mouth to speak but Tormund cut me "You kneel to your brother, give him the crown, give him the dragon, it's your choice but we are free and we did kneel to no king"

And in a final threatening tone, he looked to little finger and said "We earn this land with our blood and flesh, if he want it back he have to fight us for it!"

He stood to leave and there was Lya at the door stunned by the raised voices. She almost came running to my side "What dragon? What is he talking about?"

I looked at her and answered hastily "I rode one of Dany's dragon in the long night" but I was focusing on Tormund who was talking with another free folk who was apparently trying to persuade him not to leave

"What?" She asked incredulously and I repeated my answer in annoyance

"I heard you but what to do you mean by riding dragon? Only Targaryen ride dragons!"

Tormund left in anger and I moved to follow him but was interrupted with Val who pleaded with me to prevent the war to come. She warned me against certain Dalba who was trying to raise the free folk against the crown for some time now. She did so with her characteristic whispering melodic voice and her hand was moving on my shoulder and chest as she talks and ended her speech holding my hand and kissing it. I left her and ran outside to talk to Tormund

It was a hell of struggle to convince him to calm a bit, but I managed at last and promised him to talk to the king whom he didn't believe in anymore and of course never again to involve any southern lords or cunts as he called them

It was hours before we could travel back we had a very awkward lunch with them, no one wanted to talk or even look to the other. Even Lya looked angry. She must think the present company was beneath her, their table manners were far from what she used to, or she might hated the venison or maybe Val confirmed our doubts. I couldn't know which of which. I didn't have a chance to ask her or Val. Little finger kept by my side apparently thinking they will eat him alive!

Finally we were saying our goodbye, Tormund took my face in his hand and said "I believe in you Snow don't let me down!" and he hugged me even harder than his habit. Dalba nodded to me in obvious hatred but Val took me in her arms and whispered "thank you my lord" and kissed my hair and hand in emotional gesture. She was shaken by the war more than I thought

Little finger gave multiple polite courtesies but no one bothered to answer. He was however grateful he escaped with his life!

The strangest thing was when Lya gave them a general courtesy and went to ride her own horse in a brisk steps without sparing any of us a glance and when I asked if she wouldn't ride with me, she spat a very angry no and nudge her horse to move leaving me open mouthed

Gods, it is going to be a long ride

*The Night Watch oath