Chapter 7

Out of place

"It's beautiful here," Lady Minea said. "The air is very…fresh."

"Yes," Jon replied.

"And the wildlife, lovely."

She was smiling, but Jon could tell that she was cold. It wasn't difficult to see that she felt out of place. They were walking outside the walls of Winterfell, accompanied by her handmaiden and four guards who were walking few steps behind them. The guards weren't here to protect her only because she was Robb's wife, they were here because she was a Lannister. There was no doubt many people in the north who would like to harm her.

"So, do you usually spend a lot of time outdoors, my lady?" Jon asked.

"I… Not a lot, but I do enjoy swimming in the sea."

"I see. Unfortunately there's no sea here."

"No, but this is nonetheless a beautiful place. A little cold perhaps, but beautiful."

"Hmm. I'm guessing that you don't like cold much."

She hesitated for a brief moment before replying.

"Not very much, but I'm sure I will adjust quickly."

"I am sure you will."

Jon couldn't really imagine what it would be like to someone who had lived in the south her whole life, never even seeing snow, to suddenly come here. Not to mention she hadn't exactly received a warm welcome. So far Jon hadn't noticed anything deceitful about her; perhaps she actually was what she seemed to be. Or then she was an excellent actress.

As much as Jon would have liked to believe that she wasn't an enemy, he couldn't simply ignore the fact that she was a Lannister. As far as he could tell, their whole family was rotten. The only one of them Jon didn't completely despise was Tyrion. Not that they were friends either, but unlike his father and siblings, Tyrion seemed to have at least some kind of moral. As far as Minea Lannister was concerned, Jon really wasn't sure yet what to make of her.

"So," he continued after a moment of silence. "What did you usually do in Casterly Rock, my lady? Since you mentioned you didn't spend much time outdoors."

"I studied," she replied. "I spent most of my time in the library and… Well, I was hoping that perhaps I could continue my studies. Of course that wasn't really an option, but it was my dream."

"What would you have liked to do then?" Jon asked. "If you could have done anything."

"I would have loved to work as a scribe," she replied. "Archive and make copies of texts and maps in the library. Study and analyze them."

That sounded very boring to Jon, but he could see the spark in her eyes when she talked. That had really been her dream.

"The library was a safe place for me," she continued. "I enjoyed spending time there."

Somehow Jon could see her in that kind of environment. Where she was now was a complete opposite of that. No wonder she felt out of place. And it seemed that she was still cold.

"Here," Jon stated and wrapped his cloak around her shoulders.

She was clearly surprised.

"Thank you, my lord."

"You're welcome."

"You did not have to…"

"Right now you are under my care, my lady and I'm sure my brother wouldn't want you to be cold."

She didn't reply to that, but it wasn't difficult to see what she was thinking. She doubted that Robb cared at all if she was cold or not.

"My brother is a good man, my lady," Jon stated after a moment of silence. "I understand you may not see that right now, but he is. He has lost a lot."

"I know, my lord," she replied quietly. "I am deeply sorry for his loss. As well as yours."

"Thank you. And to be clear, I do not approve how you were treated. You did nothing to deserve that."

"Thank you, my lord, I appreciate you saying that."

"Sure. Perhaps we should continue the tour inside. It seems to me that my cloak didn't help you much."

"It did," she assured quickly. "I am just… Perhaps I need a little more time adjusting."

Jon smiled.

"There is no reason to be embarrassed, my lady. Between you and me, I am not always so fond of the cold either."

She smiled too.

"Somehow I find that hard to believe, my lord. You seem like a man who could survive anywhere."

"Then you have obviously never seen me dancing."

She burst into laughter and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

"Forgive me, my lord."

"No need to apologize. I really can't dance."

"Well, it's harder than it looks. I didn't enjoy my dancing lessons very much, not like a proper lady should have."

"That's understandable. I can't imagine who could enjoy something like that."

"I definitely agree."

She was smiling as they returned to the Winterfell and if Jon wasn't mistaken, her smile was genuine. He was starting to believe that she really was exactly what she seemed to be. Whether that was a good thing or not was another matter. If she really was as innocent as she seemed to be, Robb had a lot to apologize for. Hopefully he would see that and hopefully she would find a way to forgive him.