Ned

The girl was her parents' daughter. She had most of her father's facial features but none of his bulk, she was slender like her mother, and Ned thought she was small for her age, and her emerald eyes, but while Cersei Lannister's were piercing and sneaky, the girl's were soft and innocent. The angle of beauty she had seemed to be all Lannister. The girl didn't seem to have either her parents nature, however, for when she went to meet them from the wheelhouse, she kept her eyes down and moved shyly forwards, too small and meek to be compared to her mother or father. Her parents would be proud and tall when greeting them, but the girl had a right to be timid, she had crossed Westeros to settle with strangers without her family.

So he was assuring and patient, he gave her a warm smile as greeted her.

"Welcome to Winterfell, Your Grace".

"I thank you, Lord Stark" she answered quietly with a respectful nod, her face firm and guarded. Ned was pleased by her courtesy and his wife introduced herself next.

"Princess, we are most honored to have you with us" said Cat warmly.

"The honor is mine, my lady," said Joanna respectfully.

The children came next, Robb being charming and respectful while Sansa could barely contain her excitement. A quick look from Ned calmed her down, they shouldn't overwhelm the girl. Arya seemed at least mildly interested and greeted her politely.

Cat insisted on a small feast, a princess needed a proper welcome she insisted, so the Hall was embroidered with the Stark and Baratheon banners and a few important guests had been invited. The girl sat between Sansa and Arya. She looked small and meek next to them despite being older than the girls, keeping her eyes down. Her answers to their questions were automatic while she moved as little as possible, eating only a portion of the food before her.

He looked sadly across the room to see Jon where he usually was during the feast, at the back of the room, out of sight as Cat bid.

"It will be an insult to His Grace to sit a bastard by his daughter for all to see" she had said. "You know that Ned, do you want Robert's wrath to be invoked over your... other son."

Ned sighed. "Fine".

He told Jon himself. The boy had clearly expected it and kept his face polite and understanding as he always had, but Ned could see some sorrow in his eyes as he always did when Jon's status came in between him and his other children. He looked at Theon Greyjoy who was sitting by Robb laughing and thought sadly. He had no ill will for the boy, but seeing an Iron Born treated better than a Stark, for Jon was a Stark no matter what, at the heart of the North reminded Ned how unfair life could be.

Seeing Joanna in the same room as Jon was strange to Ned. A son of Rheagar Targaryen and the daughter of Robert Baratheon, two men who hated each other to the ends of the Earth over the love of his sister. He dreaded telling Jon the truth even more, if Joanna was in Winterfell at the time, Jon may take rage that would surely boil in him when he found out his true name out on her. unlikely as it was. Jon was a good lad and a kind one, but rage could make one the worst version of themselves and he feared Jon may attempt vengeance on the man who killed his true father. It hurt Ned to think of Rheagar is Jon's father, for he had raised the boy, not him, but that's who Rheagar was and Ned dreaded the day Jon would look at him with his sister's eyes and renounce him.

The feast came to a close and he and Cat led Joanna to her room in the family wing. The room itself was quite large and Ned hoped it would satisfy, knowing a princess's room would be more convenient. But the girl made no complaint and politely thanked them. Cat offered to help her unpack or have a servant do so, but the girl declined and began putting her things out her own way. A piece of parchment fell from her hand and Catelyn picked it up.

"Did you draw this, your Grace" she asked as Ned came closer to have a look. It was a drawing of a forest, trees dark and gloomy and full of shadows and Ned quickly realised that this was the Godswood of Winterfell.

"Aye, I did my lady," she said quietly.

"When did you draw this, your Grace?" asked Ned, surprised. She could not have drawn this here.

"On my way here, my lord".

"It's the Winterfell Godswood. Very vivid, very realistic, we could go outside and you'd see it's nearly identical".

"Oh, Jon Arryn, your foster father, my lord, described it to me when he told me about his visits to Winterfell. I memorized it and decided to draw it on my way here."

"I see, your Grace" he said, surprised that Jon Arryn retained such vivid memories of the Godswood from his visits to pass on to the princess.

They left her to her own devices, wishing her goodnight. Ned saw the rest of the children to their beds then went to speak to Jon as he usually did after feasts.

"I'm glad it went well, father," he told him.

"It did Jon, but are you sure you weren't hurt to be seated elsewhere?"

"No, father," he said with a small smile. "I'm glad not to have caused offense to the princess. What does she seem like to you, father?" he asked curiously.

"Quiet, she has a right to be, she has crossed Westeros to come to us, leaving her family behind. Make sure you are kind to her, though I know you would be anyway" Ned said fondly.

"I will father," he promised.

"Are you sure you mind your sitting?"

"No, father, it's only for feasts anyway".

"Aye, lad, now get to bed, its been a long day".

Jon smiled and did as bid, and Ned left him to sleep. As he walked towards his solar, he realised something to his horror. As a ward, Joanna would take her meals with his family, anything else would cause offense. He had never thought of it, and Cat in her preparations never mentioned this either. Jon took his regular meals with his family, but now that Joanna was with them, would Cat place him away for his children's regular meals as well. Would Jon be made to keep away from them all the time, lest he insult the princess?

Ned was filled with dread. Once again Jon would be alienated, reminded he was lesser than even an Ironborn boy who came to Winterfell as a hostage. A bastard. A Snow. He actually trembled as he almost felt Lyanna's angry eyes on him.

Joanna

The ride to Winterfell was long and hard, but most of all boring. There was not much company, for she only had Helga, a maid whom would be going south as soon as she could, and guards most of whom treated her as a nuisance, or a task. Ser Oswin was fun to be around. He let her ride his horse once in a while and tell her exciting stories about battles. She loved them, more so when she found they finally took her mind of from the horrible and preposterous suspicions she had in her head.

"The earth of Pyke ran red as we fought against those damn Iron Borns" he said in a funny voice that actually got a laugh from her.

"Ser Oswin" scoffed Helga, "a lady should not listen to such horrible things".

"I don't mind Helga," Joanna told her. "It is quite educational to learn about these things."

The older girl scoffed and instead went away towards the other guards who were resting by a tree near their camp. She later noticed her sneaking off to a tent with one of the younger guards. She could tell on her. A girl who lost her maidenhood would not make a good wife for a lord. She didn't like Helga, she was bossy and rude, had a loud, raspy voice and acted like she was smarter than everyone else, yet acted as though she and Joanna were dear friends. But instead of telling on her, she listened to more of Oswin's story. Later she drew Pyke based on his description, and he fondly complimented her style of drawing.

Drawing was what she did most during the journey, apart from reading. She drew all the things she saw that she thought she thought were worth drawing. The hills, cliffs, faraway mountains and the beautiful rivers. She also drew things she didn't really understand that just entered her mind when she had nothing to draw. A dark and gloomy forest covered in shadow and snow. A white wolf with gleaming red eyes and even a dragon, of blue and black with glowing eyes and blue fire surrounding it. The image filled her with dread as soon as she finished. It seemed to stare at her and she felt fear at the thought of it coming to life. She even wanted to tear it up, but for some reason she couldn't explain she couldn't force her hands to do so. So instead she put it between her other drawings and quickly it left her mind.

Her last picture before arriving was of a boy. She wasn't sure if she'd even seen him before but like with the dragon she didn't seem to comprehend who she was drawing before she was done. She assumed she just made him up. She gave him dark hair and pale skin and grey eyes and a small sullen smile.

She knew that they had arrived in the North when she saw the snow fall. She had never seen snow, it was described to her, but the actual sensation of it falling on her head or having it between her fingers when she scooped it up was enjoyable, even if it was cold. Oswin taught her how to make snowballs and she found it one of her favorite pastimes, as she kept "accidentally" throwing them at Helga's head.

They spent a night in an inn. She was given their best room with a guard outside her door. She found it hard to go to sleep due the heavy winds that rocked the inn. The next day they set out on their way, Helga shivering and shouting about how cold the "horrid place" as she called it was. She had a go at the old innkeeper fir failing to ensure they were kept warm and threatened to m have his head until Joanna practically dragged her out, earning a small smile from the innkeeper. Joanna didn't feel too cold in the North though, it was acceptable and she was glad of it, for she knew one way or another she'd have to get used to it.

She was taking a nap in her wheelhouse when Helga woke her with a shake and told her they were nearing Winterfell. Dragging Joanna upwards, she dressed her in her finest dress bearing the Baratheon colors. She slipped on the pendant Uncle Tyrion gave her, to Helga's disapproval as she thought it "ugly", though Joanna suspected she was referring to the person who gave it to her.

They passed through a place called Wintertown and Joanna could see people looking at the wheelhouse. Northmen were grim and untrusting, she was warned and she had been expecting such sullen faces staring at her. The Wheelhouse finally came to a halt and the doors opened as her guards lined up for her.

Exiting the carriage she felt worn down by nervousness at meeting the people she would live with from now on. What if they don't like her? What if they are grim and suspicious and will treat her like an intruder? What if one or all of their children were cruel like Joffrey?

She stepped out keeping her eyes down as she walked towards Lord Stark. She lifted her eyes slightly to get a good look at the man. He had the grey eyes and dark brown hair the Starks were known for. His face was indeed grim and icy, yet a surprisingly warm smile appeared on his face as he welcomed her. His wife came next. She was Southern, a Tully, with blue eyes and auburn hair. She looked prideful yet warm and Joanna felt some comfort with the pair, yet she still felt meek.

Their son was a boy not too older than her named Robb. He favored his Tully blood, yet she could see the Stark in him. He had a charming smile on his face. His eldest sister Sansa, took after their mother as well, and burst with excitement as she greeted her, polite albeit trembling with her happiness as she said how long she had waited to meet her. The younger daughter, Arya was a true Stark in appearance, her father's eyes and hair. She didn't seem as excited as her sister yet curious all the same. Their youngest was just a babe, but she could see that Brandon would take after his mother too, and she wondered how the lady felt at Lord Stark's sons not looking like him. They introduced their other ward too. Joanna had hoped he'd be a kindred spirit as a stranger to the North, but the girl was warned that he was a Greyjoy and not to be trusted. His smug grin made him look rather unlikable to Joanna.

They led her into the Great Hall, she had hoped they wouldn't do a feast at all but they settled fir a small one and Joanna made to handle the pressure of being the centre of attention. She didn't deal like

"What is it like in the capital" asked Sansa as she burst out yet another question.

"Very nice" answered Joanna automatically, a more honest answer would upset the girl.

"Is your father a great warrior as they say?" asked Arya excitedly. Lady Catelyn seemed to wish to say something to her daughter but was stopped by Lord Stark's pleading look.

"I imagine he is, I've never seen him fight" said Joanna.

Sansa asked about things she had expected, Lords and ladies and dresses, but Joanna welcomed Arya's different approach to her and she gave the girl a small smile.

"Jon and Robb are gonna be great warriors too" said Arya happily.

"Jon, my lady?" asked Joanna.

"Our brother," she said.

"Half brother" said Sansa.

"Our brother" said Arya stubbornly as she pointed to the back of the room, where a young boy sat on a small table. She had been told of Lord Stark's baseborn son, whom he'd famously acknowledged and raised as his own. Her father had many baseborns, brothers and sisters she would never meet, but she would trade for any one of them if they were any kinder than Joffrey.

She took a closer look at the boy, but he was too far away and Joanna had trouble seeing him properly half obscured in the shadow, but she could tell he looked more like his father than any of his brothers.

The feast ended and Lord and Lady Stark accompanied her to her chambers. They weren't as large as the ones in King's Landing but she was happy as it looked comfortable.

"Would you like some help unpacking, your Grace, from us or a servant?" asked Lady Catelyn.

"No thank you, my lady," she said. She didn't like people touching her things. She started unpacking and dropped one of her pictures, the one of the forest. Lady Stark picked it up and looked at it in awe.

Did you draw this, your Grace" she asked as Lord came to look.

"Aye, I did my lady," Joanna said meekly.

"When did you draw this, your Grace?" asked Lord Stark, surprised.

"On my way here, my lord" she answered carefully, suspicious at the look of shock on his face.

"It's the Winterfell Godswood. Very vivid, very realistic, we could go outside and you'd see it's nearly identical".

Joanna was shocked. The woods had come into her kind and she poured it on the paper, but she couldn't tell them that so she quickly lied.

"Oh, Jon Arryn, your foster father, my lord, described it to me when he told me about his visits to Winterfell" she said, trying not to give away anything suspicious. "I memorized it and decided to draw it on my way here."

"I see, your Grace" he said, apparently believing her.

They left her soon afterwards and she breathed in relief. They were not unpleasant but being in the company of strangers was overwhelming. She began to unpack to take her mind off it and dropped her drawings again, nearly cursing with a word she wasn't supposed to know as she jumped on the ground to pick them up.

A knock came at the door and she jolted upwards.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, I heard a thud" said a boy's voice, the Northern accent heavy.

"Come in" she said automatically, finding it awkward to talk through a door.

A boy entered, brown haired and grey eyes and he gasped as she took in his face.

"Your Grace.. I.."

But she didn't hear him, she knew that face, it was impossible, silly, but...

"I dropped my drawings, I'm alright. Thank you" she burst out looking him in the eyes.

``May I help, your Grace?" he asked politely. She nodded and he bent down to pick up some drawings. His face darkened as he picked up the dragon one, and fir a moment it seemed to move and be ready to burst out of the page making Joanna nearly scream.

"You have talent, your Grace '' said the boy nervously handing her the pictures. He knelt down to pick up the last one but she quickly snatched it.

"I thank you," she said politely. "What's your name?"

"Jon Snow, your Grace" he said, bowing nervously, clearly expecting her to become hostile when she learned who he was. But instead he found a smile.

"I hope to see you soon, Jon. Is your room in this wing?"

"No, your Grace," he said. "I was going to visit Robb when I heard you".

"Thank you for your help" she said with a nod. He gave a awkward bow and left, but nevertheless gave her small smile sge knew, and it suddenly warmed her heart.

When he left she looked at her picture. It was him. It was his hair, his face, his eyes, his smile. What did this mean?

She put the picture at the bottom of her chest along with the dragon one abd went to bed. She dreamt of blue dragon's and white wolves, and yet when she awoke she forgot all about her shock and the drawings.

She went to break her fast with the Starks when Arya came towards her.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" she shouted.

"Arya!" shouted Sansa running after her. "Stop it, she's our princess!"

"What is it, Arya?" asked Joanna, surprised. "Had I done something..."

"Jon can't sit with us anymore!" she cried. "He always sits with us at meals, but Mother says he can't from now on because you're at the table with us! I hate you!"

Joanna stared at the girl as she cried and struggled against her sister who was trying to calm her.

Then she went towards the Hall, the girl's following, angry at each other, and found Lord and Lady Stark waiting, Lord Stark visibly upset, while Lady Catelyn sat with a formal look.

"My lord," she began.

"Your Grace?"

"Arya tells me your son Jon has been barred from sitting with his swings during meals as he always does. I wish to let you know I have no desire to rob your children of their brother and am not offended by his presence"

"Your Grace?" asked Lord Stark in surprise.

"I would be the one shaming House Stark by not allowing you to welcome your son to your table in spite of his ...status" she said looking at Lady Catelyn who sat wide mouthed.

"Your Grace..."

"And you and your family may call me Joanna," she added. Your Grace made her feel like her mother.

"If you are sure...Joanna" said Lord Stark with relief in his eyes.

"Aye my lord" she confirmed.

He nodded and Arya let out an excited squeal, running out of the room to bring Jon to them, a small but happy smile on his face.

Soon afterwards, they were showing her around Winterfell when Arya made out a snowball and threw it at Joanna laughing. The others were shocked, but Joanna simply laughed and made a larger one and threw it at Arya, and soon they were all throwing snowballs at each other amid laughter.

Some time later, Robb invited her to see the tombs in the Winterfell crypts with them. The crypts were terrifying and she trembled slightly as he showed them their own tombs, speaking of walking dead and ghosts.

A white spirit stepped out of the time and Joanna screamed. But it was only Jon and soon they were laughing again. And Joanna, for the first time in her life, felt at home.

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