Jon

He felt strange when he awoke. His brow was wet with sweat, but he felt surprisingly chilly. His vision was still blurry and he thought he saw a flash of auburn waves and blue eyes staring at him (Robb?) then they went away.

"I think he's awake" a voice said, but he couldn't tell whose it was. As his vision cleared, he saw the relieved face of Maester Luwin.

"How are you feeling Jon?" he asked softly.

"Strange" he answered weakly. "What happened?"

"You had the pox, Jon. It was very serious. We were all very worried".

"Where's my father?" he said, but could guess the answer.

"I believe he's in the Godswood", I can send for him if you like." Jon smiled weakly. He knew his father well enough to know the only other place he could be if not by his bedside or with his siblings.

"Yes, please," he answered.

Luwin nodded. He came back quickly afterwards, he checked Jon for signs of further illness.

"Looks like you'll be alright, my lord" he said. "You're siblings were very worried. Robb and Arya refused, quite stubbornly, to leave your side. Arya even clang onto your bed when we bid her to rest. I thought the guards would have to pull her off, but your father convinced her eventually. I hear they both went to sleep quite uneasily."

Jon smiled at the thought of his brother and sister. "Did Sansa..."

"She came once to wish you well".

"Oh" Jon signed. Jon appreciated his sister's gesture, but compared to what his brother and sister did, it saddened him. He and Sansa had never been close, but it hurt him.

Luwin left soon afterwards, and ad he left he caught sight of Lady Catelyn standing by his door. He opened his mouth to speak, but she quickly went, leaving him confused. He wondered how she thought of illness. Surely she couldn't be disappointed he didn't die, could she?

When his father came, his confusion was replaced by warm, and then surprise as he saw who was accompanying him. It was his Uncle Benjen.

"Uncle Ben?" he said weakly.

"Hello lad" said Uncle Benjen with a warm smile.

"What...how".

"Benjen was coming for Robb's name day" said his father. It was meant to be a surprise. How are you feeling Jon"?

"I'm well, father."

"Good, we were all worried," his father answered, a tired, sad look in his eyes.

"Maester Luwin told me. Apparently Arya more than anyone else."

His father smiled warmly.

"Aye she was. I should go get her and your brother."

His father left, leaving him with Uncle Benjen.

"You gave us a scare lad. Don't do it again".

"I won't, Uncle," said Jon, smiling.

"Good," said Benjen with an even larger smile. "So lad, what's her name"?

"Whose?" said Jon in confusion.

"You were muttering about a girl. Saying you had to find her and all that. Didn't catch her name, but you called out to her. Don't tell you're in love already?"

"I don't remember," said Jon in confusion. He remembered he had dreamt, but he couldn't recall what his dreams were about. All that came into his mind was an eagle. Girl? What girl?

But it was far from his mind when his siblings burst through the door to wrap their arms around him.

"You stupid!" called Arya, tearful. "You scared us".

"I'm sorry, Jon" called Robb. "I shouldn't have let him spar with you."

But soon they were all laughing and joking heartily. Sansa came to say she was happy he had recovered, and Jon welcomed her despite her awkward approach.

Jon's recovery went well, and he was out of bed by the time Robb's name day arrived. The celebrations were fun, and Robb was happy with the bow Jon had made for him. Lady Catelyn kept her distance as always, but he caught her giving him neutral looks instead of the scowls he had grown to know well.

Having Uncle Benjen around was fun. Jon loved his stories of the Wall and the fights against the Wildlings and giving him and Robb sparring pointers. When it was time for him to leave Jon nearly cried.

"You'll visit again won't you".

"I promise, lad" Benjen answered happily.

The days went by as usual, he soared with Robb and had lessons with Maester Luwin until. Catelyn Stark avoided him while his father seemed to five him extra attention, watching his spars and accompanying him to the Godswood much more regularly, Jon was not complaining, for he loved his father with all his heart. Life had returned to normal, until one day Lord Stark called them all to his solar.

"I have news for all of you. King Robert has sent me a request to foster his elder daughter Joanna here at Winterfell."

Jon's face lit up in shock as he looked at the bemused faces of his siblings.

"Does that mean I'll meet a princess?" asked Sansa, in her sweetest, most excited voice.

Lord Stark smiled.

"Aye, my dear, you will".

Casterly Rock

Joanna

When her father told her she was to be fostered at the home of Lord Eddard Stark, she was speechless. Thousands of questions span through her mind. "Why Lord Stark?" That was easily answered, he was her father's best friend after all. "What did her mother think of this?" Joanna doubted she would care very much. But the most frequent ones were "Why"? and "Why now?"

Her father answered the first with "your a big and smart girl and you'll be better off seeing more of the world. Trust me, the North will seem like another damn world to you!" and the second with "why wait, you've learned all you could from the court, its time to get a taste of something else."

He had beamed as usual about Lord Stark, crying how he was a war hero and a man of honor and she would be well looked after in Winterfell.

"He has two daughters himself, you'll have plenty of company. And he built a Sept for his wife, you can keep up with your prayers."

It was slowly getting aggravating to hear all the positives of going North. Her mother, on the other hand, was more pleasant to her than ever, telling her how much fun she will have in the North.

"It will be like an adventure" she said in a sweet voice, and Joanna almost told her she wasn't a baby anymore but she held her tongue. Her mother continued her chatter, overseeing that she took the Maester's treatment and showered her with presents, dresses and necklaces and cosmetics. Trying to buy my consent, Mother? Glad you know me well enough to know I'd find some way to get put of this if I wanted to. But the truth is, Mother, I'm not sad that I'm going?

This was true, for she actually felt somewhat joyful that she was leaving, albeit coupled with nervousness and sadness. She could go without her mother and father, they weren't around her mostly. She would miss Uncle Jaime a bit, she felt much warmer about him after he risked his life to save her.

"Thank you for what you did Uncle" she told him.

He smiled at her.

"No need for it, niece. And good luck in the North. But don't get too friendly with those boys."

She laughed warmly.

She'd miss Baby Myrcella, her sweet little sister, and above all she'd miss Uncle Tyrion.

His farewell gifts consisted of parchment to draw everything she saw on her journey, and books to pass the time.

"Why are they sending me away, Uncle"? she asked him.

"Because you're better off away from the court and will do better seeing more of Westeros. The North is very different from the South."

"Will I be better away from Joffrey?" she asked suspiciously.

He looked her in the eyes but did not answer. Instead he looked over the books she was taking with her.

"You won't get bored with these, I'm sure." He smiled at her. "You'll be happy in Winterfell. Lord Stark is a man of honor and he'll look after Robert's daughter."

She nodded, tears in her eyes. He handed her a small box. She opened it, inside was a pendant, a yellow Stag and Lion intertwined in red and black.

"To remember where you come from" he said as she put it around her neck.

"I'll miss you, Uncle Tyrion" she said softly.

"I'll miss you too, Flamespitter," Tyrion said sadly.

As she was packing, Stannis Baratheon of all people came into her chambers.

"So, you are on your way to the Northmen?" he asked.

She nodded. Uncle Stannis was never the warmest towars her, but she respected him. He wasn't as false as most of the others, the pride and power he beamed with was more genuine. Perhaps the wrong Baratheon sat on the Throne.

"Learn their ways, niece, you ought to understand all around, friend or foe."

"Why?" she asked cautiously. He seemed pleased by her enquiry.

"You will know how not to lose your friend and know how to defeat your foe. Understand?"

"Yes, Uncle," she said.

He nodded. Then he looked at her with his piercing eyes and she felt so tiny compared to him.

"Joanna, if there's ever something worrying you, you know you can talk to me?"

She hesitated, the image she was trying to suppress in her mind.

"Yes, Uncle".

They left the Rock two weeks after she got out of bed following her fall. Her father, mother, brother and sister, were leaving their King's Landing, she was heading North with a small but secure escort. Uncle Tyrion wanted to accompany her, but her grandfather reluctantly stated he had business with him at the Rock. As such, the wheelhouse waiting at the front gates was for her and her temporary maid alone. Her family came with her to say goodbye.

Her father hugged her and she was surprised to see tears in his eyes.

"Give Ned hell, daughter, so he doesn't die of boredom in that frost land".

She actually smiled at that. Her mother embraced her and looked at her with a smile.

"Don't forget who you are my dear, or where you come from."

She looked for a moment like she wanted to say something more, but then her eyes darted towards her father and she instead smiled and nodded. Her brother had a charming smile for her and she shivered, though she tried not to show. She fought to smile back then moved on to little Myrcella. The girl weeped and Joanna was overcome with sadness. Her sister may be nearly her age by the time she saw her again.

Her grandfather gave her a small smile.

"Farewell, princess, remember, you represent the Crown at Winterfell. Make us proud."

She nodded, obscured in his tall shadow and rightfully saw. She had felt a type of respect for Tywin Lannister than she ever had for either of her parents. He was a proud man, a true lion, and as dry as their relationship was, she always tried to please him. Uncle Jaime had a warm smile and a pat on the back for her. Uncle Renly's farewell was warm enough, while Stannis simply nodded towards her.

As she expected, it was Uncle Tyrion whom she was the most heartbroken to part with. They embraced for what seemed like a decade. Then they parted and she stepped into the wheelhouse. The door snapped shut behind her and she finally realised she was really leaving. She was heading North, to people she never met and with no one familiar. Another world her father said.

She looked outside as the wheelhouse began to move and say her father crying, while her mother's expression was unreadable. Then she saw Uncle Jaime and Joffrey and Myrcella beside her. Green, xat like eyes, golden hair. Lannister. The image came into her kind but this time her mother and uncle weren't just kissing. She snapped her head back, her own dark hair falling in her eyes. Baratheon. She shook her head, desperate to clear her head of the absurd thought,, no,no,no... This couldn't be true. She should forget it. Forget it all.

Jon

The news that the princess was going to be ward of House Stark spread like wildfire and soon the whole of Winterfell and Wintertown was talking about it. Meanwhile, Lady Catelyn was overseeing the preparations, overseeing the choice of the girl's chambers, which she insisted was in the family wing. Sansa was excited beyond comprehension going on about how she and the princess were going to be best friends, and Jon could see envy in Jeyne Poole's eyes. Arya dreaded that they would have "another Sansa '' around. Lord Stark mainly helped his wife with the preparations and did not speak much about the situation, telling them to simply treat the princess well.

Jon was alone in the yard when Theon Greyjoy found him.

"Better, bastard?" he asked snidely.

Jon stared at him coldly.

"Aye, Greyjoy, did you miss me?"

"Not really, though no one really did, your only baseborn after all."

Jon boiled with rage at the smirk on the Ironborn's face, but he kept it cool. He knew he was lying.

"How was your sparring, Greyjoy? Last time I beat you when I was half dead.

Greyjoy's face contorted in anger. He raised a sparring sword and Jon prepared to reach for his own when Jory came into the yard.

"The entourage was spotted on the King's Road. Its time."

Greyjoy turned to Jon with a smile.

"Another time, Snow. You better take your place."

The courtyard was decorated with Stark and Baratheon banners as the wheelhouse came in through the gates. His father and siblings were lined up with Lady Catelyn while Jon looked on from the doors into the Great Hall.

The Wheelhouse came to a stop and the guards lined up as the door opened. A brown haired maid stepped aside as the princess came out and Jon nearly gasped.

The girl was very beautiful, slender and graceful with green, cat-like eyes and wavy dark hair that fell to her shoulders. She was dressed in a golden and black dress that must have cost more coin than the entire entourage. But the shock came from something else, for Jon was certain he had seen her before, even though it was impossible.

She kept her eyes down timidly as she walked towards the Starks with a noticeable meekness.

Lord Stark smiled warmly.

"Welcome to Winterfell, Your Grace".

(Please leave your thoughts in the comments. I enjoy reading your reviews (: )