I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who has been reading this story as it's updated! I appreciate all of your reviews, follows and favourites! It always makes me smile when I get email notifications on my phone from you guys!
I also wanted to to let you guys know that I've been nominated for a Game of Thrones 2014 award for best one shot for Some Nights. It would mean a lot to me if you guys could check the story out (if you haven't already) and would vote for it! I tried to post the url on here, but it wouldn't let me. (Or, I couldn't figure out how to post the link!) So, find Maddie Rose's profile, and you can find the link for the awards there! Finding out I was even nominated for an award was amazing, and I'd be so grateful if you could take a moment to vote for it. It makes me smile just thinking someone liked my writing enough to nominate it for something!
If you need the link to the voting page, just send me a message and I'll gladly send it to you! :)
She knew she would find him out here.
Gwynne lifted the fabric of her skirt above her ankles, quickening her pace to reach Jon across the field. When she got close enough for him to hear her, he looked up and she heard an aggitated groan slip through his lips. Remaining silent, Jon pushed himself off the tree trunk he had been sitting on and turned walk away from Gwynne.
She called out his name and quickened her pace even more, finally catching up to him as he pushed past the thick, towering trees. She pulled him to a stop, a firm grip holding onto his arm to try and keep him in place.
"Leave me alone, Gwynne." He said through gritted teeth. He kept his back turned to her, refusing to face her.
"Jon, stop being difficult. Come back to the castle." She tried to pull him towards her but it was useless. They had already began to enter adulthood and he had grown so much that she could budge him from his spot no longer.
"I need to leave this place. I shouldn't have to stay."
Gwynne let out a small sigh, her hand finally letting go of him. "And just where would you go, Jon? The Wall?"
He shrugged. "Why not? They'll take me."
"Jon, the Wall isn't going anywhere." She reminded him.
"Yes, and neither is Winterfell."
She could hear the smile in his voice and walked so she stood in front of him. She saw him smiling and playfully hit his arm.
"You're just about the worst person in Winterfell right now, Jon Snow." She followed him back to the trunk he had been sitting on. He motioned for her to take a seat while he found comfort against the hard ground below.
"Oh? And who is truly the worst person in Winterfell?" He crossed his arms around his knees as his legs drew into his chest, interested to hear what she had to say though he already had decent idea of her answer.
"Is Theon still there?" She grinned widely.
They shared a laugh and suddenly it felt as though they were children once again. Running away from the castle to play in an imaginary world where they were a queen, a knight, a king, whatever they could think of. Once they had made Robb a deadly firebreathing dragon that was out to destroy Winterfell who could only be stopped by Queen Gwynne and her loyal knight, Jon.
That had been a different time, though. They had no worries, no troubles in the world. Once they ended their games, they went back to being normal children. Their biggest worry had been sneaking out of their bedchambers at night without catching the attention of a guard. Marriage, one day becoming the Lord of Winterfell and giving up a future to pledge your life to the Nights Watch had never once crossed their minds.
The grass somehow seemed greener, then. The air was light and crisp, always sending a cool shiver through their small bodies as they ran after each other in the field with laughter. But somewhere in between then and now, Jon had noticed things had begun to change. Responsibilities and duties had replaced endless daydreaming about who or what they might one day become.
"You're not really serious about the Nights Watch, are you?"
Jon looked over at his friend and shrugged. "I don't see why not. I don't have many other options, Gwynne. I'm never going to be anything here. Lady Stark will be sure to see to that."
"Well...when your brother becomes the Lord of Winterfell, he can make you one of his guards!" Jon came alive when there was a sword in his hand. She had always noticed the fire that grew in him during his sparring lessons.
"You act as though taking the black is the most horrid thing in the world." It couldn't have been that bad, could it? The stories always made it seem like nothing but a league of strong men, bonded by brotherhood and loyal to protecting the land.
"You'll probably never see your family again."
"Uncle Benjen comes back from the Wall time to time."
"To give your father updates on the Wall. Not everyone gets to leave whenever they want, Jon."
He scoffed and rolled his eyes. Why was she trying so hard to convince him not to go? Why did she care so much? He opened his mouth to say something but she interrupted him to finish her point.
"You'll never fall in love." Her voice was filled with longing and he knew who she was thinking about. His brother, Robb. She had not so secretly been in love with him since they were children. She had tried her best to hide it from Jon as they got older, but he could always see right through her.
"I don't understand why you let yourself get so upset over Robb." The truth was, he had gotten used to hearing her whine and complain about his brother whenever she saw him around town with another girl. At first he had tried to convince her to forget about Robb but when that proved to be easier said than done, he had found himself trying to convince her to accept the things she was unable to change. If he is meant to be with you, he'll be with you, he had always assured her. "You know father will most likely have the two of you marry. Father began talking about it the moment you started becoming a woman."
"But I don't want him to marry me because his father wants him to. I want him to marry me because he loves me!" She said in a huff. When it came to Robb, she never felt good enough. She wasn't a lady, wasn't nearly as developed as the other girls he would spend his time with...how would he ever happily agree to marrying her?
"Lady Stark wasn't meant to marry my father...she was meant for his brother." Jon reminded her. He had heard the tale so many times he was sure he had the entire story memorized by heart as accurately as it had been told to him.
Gwynne sighed. He always brought up the same example."I know."
"So, maybe one day he'll learn to love you. Don't sell yourself so short, Gwynne. You're not that bad." Jon said with a smile.
She couldn't help but laugh as her eyes watched him carefully. If there was one person in the world that she knew like the back of her hand, it was Jon. And though he sat there, making jokes and laughing along with her, she could still see the sadness lurking deep within in his eyes.
"Let's run away, Jon."
He looked at her, confused. Had he heard her correctly? "What?"
"You and me, let's leave. Let's find horses and ride as far away from Winterfell as they'll take us."
Jon laughed and shook his head. He appreciated the effort, he had to admit. "We can't run away, Gwynne."
"Why not?"
"Father will be furious! And we've no food and no money. How far do you suspect we'll get before we're forced to come back?"
"You think too much, Jon." Gwynne pouted.
He let out a sigh and smiled slightly. "I appreciate you trying, Gwynne."
She rolled her eyes and silently admitted defeat. "Okay, but promise me something, Jon." He nodded, staring at her intently. "If things ever get too hard for you, if you're ever on the verge of breaking, I want you to find me."
He gave her a puzzled look. "Why?"
"Because we'll go far away together and we'll never look back. I'll be with you every step of the way so you're never alone out there. And until then, know that I'm still here for you, regardless of what may happen. I'll always be here for you, Jon."
Her words warmed his heart. She had become a part of his family at the cost of her father's life but he could never imagine his life being without her. He couldn't even picture himself at the Wall without her by his side.
She held out her hand. "Promise?"
He couldn't help the grin that spread across his lips. He took a hold of her hand and watched as it disappeared under his. "I promise, Gwynne."
Gwynne jumped to her feet, her hands coming together to rub her face nervously. She began to pace back and forth. Jon stood up and watched her, his heart beating like a wild drum within his chest.
Say something. Jon's mind screamed at him to say the words aloud but they never came. His entire body was shaking, his mind swarming with thoughts of her rejection and of a friendship that he cherished more than anything, ruined.
Finally, as though she had an epiphany of some sort, she stopped pacing and turned to face Jon. She walked up to him, reaching out and grabbing a hold of his wrists.
"Let's go, Jon."
Those weren't the three words he was hoping to hear. But they caught him off guard, nonetheless. "What?"
"Let's get on our horses and go somewhere. Somewhere far away!" She tugged on him with urgency.
"What?" He repeated. Was she being serious? She definitely looked serious. "Gwynne, we can't. You can't leave Winterfell. Do you know what father will go through if you appear to be missing? He'll tear the entire city apart before he sends guards out to find you."
"Then we'd better get moving." She said nothing else as she ran to her horse, pulling herself to a comfortable position in its saddle. With a gentle kick to its side, the horse trotted forward until she pulled it to a stop beside Jon. "Are you coming?"
He reached out and grabbed a hold of the horse's reigns to make sure she didn't take off without him. "Please think this through. You can't go any further."
She leaned forward in the saddle. "We may have no future together, Jon, but that doesn't mean we can't have a few days in a lifetime. I've always wanted to travel across the land. Why don't we do that now? We may not have many more opportunities to do it."
She didn't want to leave Winterfell. In fact, she wanted the opposite. But, as of late, that was where all of her problems seemed to stem from. She was conflicted, her heart torn between two men, and she needed to get away. She couldn't look into the eyes of Ned Stark knowing she harboured feelings for his bastard. She couldn't lie to him when she would agree to marry Robb when her heart yearned for Jon. If she got away, maybe she could take some time to think about what it was she truly wanted.
Jon said nothing more as he made his way back to his horse. Climbing into the saddle, he kicked his horse forward and glanced back to see Gwynne quickly catching up to be by his side. He didn't know where they were going and he didn't care. He would give her what she needed, time away to accept that her carefree childhood was officially over. She's to be wed, and she's to become a lady soon and bear children for his beloved brother. It was something she had always wanted and yet suddenly it was the thing that was driving her away.
They rode nonstop for the better of the day. They barely spoke to one another, neither of them fully knowing what to say. Jon had tried, but every time he opened his mouth he found himself at a loss of words. He had come to conclusion that maybe it was for the best and didn't bother trying any further. He tried to remember every twist and turn they took as they switched from roads to wilderness and prayed to the Gods to allow him to remember their way once they decided to head back. The last thing he needed was to get lost with Gwynne by his side. If he ever went back to Winterfell, he would never hear the end of it.
The sun was beginning to set and it was then that Jon realized how unprepared they truly were. When Jon had left on his own, he had decided that he was going to sleep out in the open. But with a woman by his side he began to fear that he alone would not be enough to protect her should anyone stumble upon their camp.
"We need to look for shelter." Jon shouted over the sound of their horses galloping hoofs.
"Do you know if there's somewhere for us to sleep close by?" By that, she meant an inn of some sort. And Jon was completely aware of that. She tried to act like one of the boys, tried her best to seem as though bugs and wolves didn't scare her. But Jon knew her too well.
He looked over the horizon, narrowing his eyes as though it would help him see further. "I see smoke. That could be an inn of some sort."
She smiled in response and kicked her horse once more, sending it faster down the path and towards the smoke.
Jon found himself on edge for the remainder of the way. How could he be sure that they weren't approaching a campsite filled with people who meant them harm? What if it was an ambush? Finally, his thoughts got the best of him.
"Gwynne, maybe we should be more cautious. They might not be friendly."
"I can see it!" She pointed out happily.
Jon looked up and saw they were approaching a decent sized house. Just beyond it were smaller houses and if he looked hard enough, he could see people walking around the streets calmly. There were women and children, carrying hay and leading horses to the stable. From first sight they didn't seem like much of a threat. His hand absentmindedly reached for his sword handle for reassurance as he climbed off his horse. If he needed his sword, it was there.
They tied their horses to a tree nestled outside of the inn and made their way into the building. Jon kept his eyes out for anyone who might have known him or could verify that he was Ned Stark's bastard. His father would find out what they did eventually and he would have to deal with the consequences of what he did when that happened, but it wasn't something that he wanted to deal with just yet. He would bring Gwynne back to Winterfell in a few days time and would accept the punishment deemed fit for him under the circumstances. All he wanted was a few days to spend with Gwynne, free from deadly stares he got from Cat and Theon, free from Robb interrupting their time alone. He would bring her back in one piece and would assure his father that it would never happen again. He would say goodbye to her and head for the Wall at the first opportunity that would present itself and she would never have to deal with him again.
Gwynne spoke to the innkeeper and handed over some coin. She continued to speak to the woman but Jon couldn't hear what they were saying. He was too caught up in searching for a familiar face to notice anything that was said between the women. It wasn't until he felt a hand against his arm that he realized Gwynne standing by his side.
"They've already broken their fast, but she's going to check to see if there's anything left over that we can have to tide us over until morning. But she did happen to mention something about there being plenty of wine for us in the next room." Jon swore had never seen her so happy in all the years he had known her.
He motioned for her to lead the way and she did so eagerly with a smile on her face. They found a table and took a seat across from each other. A serving woman came over, asked what they wanted, and promptly brought back thick wooden mugs filled with wine.
"To the beginning of our adventure!" Gwynne said with a smile, lifting her glass up towards Jon. He tapped his mug against hers and took a gulp of wine as she did.
To the beginning of the end, Jon thought.
Thank you so, so much for reading! Let me know what you think in a review, and don't forget to go and vote for my Jon Snow one shot, Some Nights, in the 2014 Game of Thrones Awards! Thanks again, guys!