A/N: A good portion of the dialogue at the beginning is heavily based on Jon's first chapter from A Game of Thrones. As the story begins to diverge more, this will happen less often.
There were very few times when Jon Snow was glad he was a bastard. This feast was one of them. His Lord Father couldn't stop him from drinking all the ale he wished down here at the squires' table. The air was hazy with smoke down there, and a bard was singing an old Northern song in the Old Tongue of the First Men. Jon thought he had seen the bard before, but quickly chalked it up to the bard having likely performed there before.
After Jon downed another cup of wine, he felt a brush at his legs. He looked down to see Ghost peeking up at him with his red eyes. After a confirmation from the little pup that he was hungry, Jon reached forward to cut a piece off the honeyed chicken on the table in front of him. However, as he was doing so, his knife got stuck in the chicken, and he couldn't cut through the chicken any further. However, Jon had an idea then. He pulled the chicken with the knife and tossed it to the ground, his knife coming free in the process.
Ghost immediately dove at the chicken and dug into it in complete silence. Jon's siblings weren't allowed to bring their wolves to the feast, despite pleadings from Arya on the matter. Lady Catelyn hadn't even considered it. However, down on the lower levels, there were so more hounds than Jon could even care to count. He saw several following the serving girls looking for food. Of course, watching too long caused his eyes to water from the smoke. Stopping to rub his eyes, he looked down to see another dog try to take some of the chicken from Ghost. After a brief standoff, the other dog fled.
"This one of the direwolf pups I heard about?" he heard a voice from behind him say. Turning around, Jon saw his uncle Benjen standing there in his grey speckled black uniform.
"Aye." Jon said. "His name is Ghost." At the sound of his name, Ghost looked up at Jon, before returning to eating his chicken. One of the squires stopped telling a story and moved over to make room for Benjen to sit next to Jon. He took the cup of wine from Jon's hands with little protest. "Summerwine." He said after a taste. "Some of the sweetest anywhere. And how many cups have you had?" Jon just smiled at him. Benjen sighed. "I feared as much. It is of little consequence. I was around 15 when I first got truly and sincerely drunk." he said, taking some food from the table.
Benjen looked down at Ghost intently. "He's very quiet."
Jon looked at his wolf then back at his uncle. "Aye, that's why I named him Ghost, he rarely makes a sound. That and he's white. His siblings are all either dark or grey."
"I've heard direwolves beyond the wall. They howl in the night, causing even hardened veterans of a hundred rangings fear for their lives, and fear cuts deeper than any sword." Benjen said, a hint of sadness with that saying. "Don't you usually eat up at the table with your brothers?"
"Mostly." Jon replied flatly. "But tonight Lady Stark felt it would be an insult to the Royal Family to seat a bastard amongst them. Ne-Prince Edric may have appreciated my company, but the other royals may not."
"I see." Benjen said, looking up at the high table. Jon's attention flicked to where Arya was sitting and talking with Edric, before both looked to their right. Jon looked in that direction and saw Theon's cousin raising a wine cup at them before turning back to his own part of the table. "My brother doesn't seem to be enjoying the festivities."
Jon had noticed, but had chosen not to say anything about that. His father had followed courtesy, but he had an aura of caution about him, and a tightness in his face that he rarely exhibited. Whereas a few seats away, the King was currently enjoying himself, eating into both his latest dish as the mouth of a serving girl. The Queen gave the King a hard look before beginning to converse with Lady Stark. "The Queen is angry, too. Father took the King down to the crypts, the Queen didn't want him to go."
Benjen chuckled slightly. "You don't miss much, do you Jon? I wish there were more men like that in the Watch."
Jon felt his pride swell up. "Robb is the better lance, but I'm the better sword, and I can ride just as well as any in the castle."
"Notable achievements."
"Take me with you when you go back to the Wall." Jon said quickly. "Father will give me leave to go if you ask him, I know he will."
Benjen turned and looked at Jon sternly. "The Wall isn't all you think it is, Jon. It is a hard place, even for hard men."
"I'm a man grown, I'm seven-and-ten, I'll be eight and ten come my next nameday, and Maester Luwin told me bastards grow up faster than trueborn children." Jon said.
"Aye, that's true. But you also must think of what you leave behind." Benjen said, filling up Jon's cup and downing it quickly. "Even if I only joined the watch for five years, it is still five years I must spend on the Wall, or be considered a deserter as much as any brother sworn for life. My son thinks I abandoned him, and I don't even know my daughter beyond her name."
"I have no such attachments. I want to serve in the Night's Watch, uncle." Jon insisted.
"Do you understand what you ask, Jon? The men of the Night's Watch have no family. Their wife is duty, their mistress is honour. If you go to the Wall, you will certainly choose to spend the rest of your life there. I have vowed to myself that when my five years are finished I will swear for life. The Watch is in a sorry state, they need all the good men they can get." Benjen replied.
"Then why-" Jon began.
"You may be a man grown, but you still don't understand what you'd give up." Benjen continued. "Come." he said standing up. "We shall continue this outside the hall, people are paying too close attention to us." Benjen began to walk toward the door to the courtyard, and Jon stood up and followed him, Ghost hot on his heels, having finished off the chicken. Jon stood at the door and looked back at his siblings.
In that moment, Arya launched a spoonful of stew at Sansa, which hit her cheek and slid down her face before landing on her dress. Lady Stark made a signal to Robb, who walked over to Arya and picked her up out of her seat and moved to the other side of the table to send to bed. However, immediately after, Prince Edric stood up and seemed to say something to Robb. While Robb was facing in his direction and seemed to not like what he was saying, though what the Prince was saying in return Jon could not tell.
At one point, Robb turned away toward Arya, and Edric grabbed his arm to try and stop him. Robb flicked his arm to shake the boy off, and he fell backward, tripping and crashing through a chair at the high table. Suddenly the entire hall went very quiet as the King himself stood up from his seat, and Jon heard, though didn't see, steel being drawn. Robb, for his part, looked shocked at what had just occurred. However, the boy was on the ground shaking, and Arya ran over to him as Addam Greyjoy slowly made his way over to him.
Due to where Greyjoy was standing, Jon was unable to see what transpired, but Addam helped Edric to his feet, and they began to make their way out of the hall, as Arya walked toward the opposite exit. After Addam and Edric had walked by, Jon began to turn out of the hall. Lady Stark looked furious, the Queen looked annoyed, the King seemed unhappy, and his father seemed the same as he had been, only more so.
Exiting the hall, he saw Addam checking Edric over, looking at him as if to see that he wasn't injured. The moment he saw Jon however, he stopped and turned to face him, crossing his arms.
"Another Stark?" Addam asked.
"No." Edric interjected. "He's Jon Snow, Lord Stark's natural son."
"Ah. A bastard." Addam surmised, seeming to size him up. "Well, he certainly looks more like a Stark than any of Lord Eddard's other children, barring Little Stark."
"Didn't she ask you to stop calling her that?"
"I don't mean it in any cruel way, so I don't see why I should."
"Excuse me." Jon said to the two of them. "What exactly happened in the hall?" Both of their faces darkened.
"Wouldn't you like to know." Addam said, before spinning on his heel and walking away, Edric shook his head slowly at Jon before following after him.
"Charming pair, aren't they?" Jon heard a voice say from behind him. He turned to see the imp, Tyrion Lannister, walking up behind him. "Don't blame them too much. Addam takes time to understand, I know from experience. Edric puts on armour around himself, and it takes a steady hand to open that shell."
"How would you know much about them." Jon asked him.
"Simple. Addam is my cousin and he has lived in King's Landing for eight years. Ample time to understand someone. As for Edric, he's my nephew, and I have known the boy for most of his life. I knew him before he was like that, and I know how he became like that." the imp replied.
"How did he become like that?" Jon asked. He had always wondered that. During the times they would see each other, the boy rarely spoke unless it was necessary, and never really showed anything about himself. However, in the past few months, Arya had been able to get him to talk more and he had started to respond to Jon, if only minimally.
The imp shook his head. "I cannot say, unfortunately. If you wish to know, he will have to tell you of his own accord. I will not tell someone of it behind his back." he said, as he opened the door and walked into the hall.
Jon wished to think on his words, but then shook his head. He had to find his uncle, after all. There would be plenty of time to think on the Imp's words later.
A/N: Please review! Also, since a guest asked for it, a descendancy chart (underlined represents an OC, Italics is a Lord.):
House Baratheon
Descendants of Steffon Baratheon:
-King Robert Baratheon (b. 264) m. Cersei Lannister (b. 266)
-Prince Joffrey Baratheon (b. early 286)
-Prince Edric Baratheon (b. late 286)
-Princess Myrcella Baratheon (b. 290)
-Prince Tommen Baratheon (b. 291)
-14 bastard children
-Lord Stannis Baratheon m. Delena Florent
-Lyonel Baratheon (b. 288)
-Cassana Baratheon (b. 289, Shireen's twin)
-Shireen Baratheon (b. 289, Cassana's twin)
-Ormund Baratheon (b. 298)
-Lord Renly Baratheon
House Arryn
Descendants of Jasper Arryn:
-Lord Jon Arryn (b. 219 d. 300) m. Jeyne Royce m. Rowena Arryn (childless)
-Jeyne Arryn (stillborn)
-Ronnel Arryn (b. 223 d. 265) m. Sylvia Belmore (b. 246 d. 297)
-Lord Elbert Arryn (b. 265) m. Lysa Tully (b. 267)
-Robert Arryn (b. 286)
-Jon Arryn (b. 289, stillborn)
-Jasper Arryn (b. 294)
-Minisa Arryn (b. 294, lived for only a few days, Jasper's twin)
-Sylvia Arryn (b. 296, stillborn)
-Rowena Arryn (b. 300)
-Alys Arryn (b. 230 d. 275) m. Elys Waynwood (b. 224)
-Irya Waynwood (b. 253) m. Denys Arryn (b. 261)
-'Little' Jon Arryn (b. 282) m. Ysilla Royce (b. 281)
-Donnel Arryn (b. 286)
-Jasper Waynwood (b. 253 d. 256)
-Kyla Waynwood (b. 255 d. 259)
-Shilya Waynwood (b. 256 d. 259)
-Clemensa Waynwood (b. 260) (Silent Sister)
-Lyonel Stone (b. 276, stillborn)
-Cathryn Waynwood (b. 262) m. Lymond Bracken (b. 259)[Lord Bracken's younger brother]
-Hendry Bracken (b. 279)
-Kyla Bracken (b. 283)
-Meredyth Waynwood (b. 264) m. Ser Gylbert Hardyng (b. 260)
-Harrold Hardyng
-Rowena Waynwood (b. 265, d. 297) m. Benjen Stark (b. 267)
-Edwyle Stark (b. 287)
-Lyarra Stark (b. 297)
-Tarysa Waynwood (b. 267) m. Lord **
-Aloysius ** (born 288)
The stars there indicate spoilers, btw.
House Lannister
Descendants of Jason Lannister:
by serving girl:
-Lynora Hill (b. 242, d. 299)
by Alys Stackspear:
-Damon Lannister (b. 245, d. 296) m. Ella Lannister[Lannisport] (b. 250, d. 298)
-Damion Lannister (b. 265) m. Shiera Crakehall (b. 257, d. 275)
by Marla Prester:
-Joanna Lannister (b. 247, d. 273) m. Tywin Lannister
-We all know their children
-Stafford Lannister (b. 249) m. Myranda Lefford (b. 252)
-Daven Lannister (b. 274)
-Cerenna Lannister (b. 276)
-Myrielle Lannister (b. 278)
-Gerold Lannister (b. 252 d. 275)
-Jeyne Lannister (b. 253, d. 261)
-Cerenna Lannister (b. 255, d. 282) m. Victarion Greyjoy (b. 257)
-Addam Greyjoy (b. 278)
-Addam Lannister (b. 258, d. 261)
If you have any further questions on this, feel free to leave a review or PM me.