Raenerha was restless.

She had been at Castle Black for weeks now with no more ravens from Varys and no word on her sister's whereabouts. There was a gnawing at her insides, something telling her that she needed to move, but she didn't know where she could go. She also knew that because she ran from the Lannisters there would, no doubt, be soldiers looking for her.

The Lion gets what The Lion wants.

Raenerha clicked her tongue in agitation and continued twisting the hair that was pulled tight at the base of Gilly's head, twisting it into an intricate, and very beautiful, design all her own. Raenerha had worked to free the tangles from Gilly's hair, running her fingers as gently as she could through her brown locks before beginning.

It had given them both something to do. Little Sam had been asleep for nearly an hour, and both were glad to have something to occupy their time.

"It hurts," Gilly's voice was tight, but never moved her head. "Does it feel like this?"

"It does," Raenerha laughed slightly. "Such is the price for beauty, my love. Your scalp will adjust in time."

"I don't think mine will," Gilly stressed. "Is there blood?"

A puff of air shot from Raenerha's nose, a soft, snorting sound leaving the girl. "No, there's no blood, and you will grow used to it - either that or it will eventually just go numb."

Gilly made a noise in the back of her throat, but said nothing more.

Little Sam screamed until he was red in the face.

Tears leaked from his clenched eyes and drool had pooled down from his mouth and onto Gilly's shoulder as she tried to quiet her crying child. She had been walking for what seemed like hours, her eyes red from lack of sleep.

Raenerha watched her with pity - it had to be hard to be a new mother without guidance from another. She'd had experience with children. When she was working back in Braavos she'd helped her owner's family with their children, from the time they were born until she left - it was one of the hardest parts of being sold to the Lannisters back in King's Landing. She loved those children as if they were her own.

She turned her mind back to the poor woman before her, looking as if she were ready to break down at any moment.

"If I may?" Raenerha said quietly, her eyes watching the new mother as she nearly cried with exhaustion. Gilly stopped mid-step and turned to Raenerha wordlessly. "I am good with children, Gilly. I think I can help."

Gilly eyed her and simply tightened the hold she had on her son. His blankets had fallen slack around his squirmy little body and he fought against her with everything his little body had. Gilly looked desperate for relief, her arms nearly shaking from the amount of time she'd held the crying bundle to her chest. She pulled her lip between her teeth and sighed. "Alright. I guess it won't hurt."

Raenerha stepped forward with a smile, her arms outstretched for the screaming red thing. Gilly placed him in Raenerha's arms and stepped back to watch.

"Come now, Little Sam," Raenerha cooed gently, her hand on the baby's stomach. "Now, what's got you so grumpy?"

Gilly watched, her empty arms folded tightly against her chest.

Behind them the door opened and, after watching Gilly relax when she saw the figures in the doorway, Raenerha turned curiously. Sam and Jon had entered with trays of food, they still didn't trust their brothers not to harm the women. They greeted Gilly with a smile, but didn't speak as Raenerha talked to the baby.

Sam and Jon sat quietly on Raenerha's makeshift bed and watched her closely.

Raenerha positioned the baby so that his stomach and chest were rested against her forearm. One side of the baby was pressed against her body and the other side was hanging freely. The little boy was still screaming so Raenerha pat him gently on the back with her free hand a few times. A great belch left the boy, dragging a small chuckle out of his mother.

Raenerha glanced at Gilly, explaining the queer way she was holding him. "This helps free some of the air that's left in his stomach after feeding."

Gilly nodded, watching as Raenerha brought the child back to her chest, holding him like normal.

"Do you feel better now, little man?" Raenerha asked with a grin. The baby cooed and shook his fat little fists in the air happily. Raenerha rubbed his back and quickly to him back to his mother. "You have a beautiful son, Gilly."

"Thank you," Gilly said, taking her baby back.

Sam spoke up from his place on her bed. "You're quite good with children."

Raenerha blinked over at him. "Yes, well, I helped the families I stayed with raise their own. The mother was too busy with the extravagant feasts and balls she held and the father was only interested in the tourneys so I had them for a majority of the time."

"You weren't with your own family?" Gilly asked, her brown eyes curious.

Raenerha's face turned sad, her dark eyebrows pulled down. "No, I haven't seen my family since I one and ten."

"What happened to them, if you don't mind me asking?" Sam wondered aloud.

Raenerha shook her head gently. "I haven't heard from them in a long time. I served House Antaryon back in Braavos for six years, and the Lannisters for only a few moons after I arrived back in Westeros."

"The Lannisters." Jon had been quiet up until the mention of the richest family in the Seven Kingdoms. "You were with the Lannisters before you came here?"

Raenerha nodded slowly, gauging the man's reaction. His shoulders were tight and his eyes hardened. "Is that a problem?"

"The Lannisters killed my father, Ned Stark!" Jon sneered at her, venom dripping from his every word. "Were you there when his head left his shoulders?"

Raenerha's eyes widened. "You're Sansa's brother?"

Jon nodded, his eyes trained on her. "Have you come to put an end to me? Are you one of the Lannister's spies?"

"Of course not!" Raenerha exclaimed, her face burning with anger. "I came here to stay alive! The Lannisters had begun to piece together who I am, and if that happened my head would have joined your fathers on a pike!"

Jon raised to his feet with speed. "And who exactly are you?"

"Raenerha Targaryen! I am the sister of Daenerys Stormborn, the true heir to the Iron Throne!"

A collective gasp came from the room, but no one spoke. Everyone had heard stories of the Dragon Queen, they knew that she'd done the impossible and gathered armies of people who wanted to fight for her - she had three dragons and she was ready to retake the Seven Kingdoms. The three others looked at her with unreadable expressions and even Little Sam had been roused from his short sleep to look at her.

"Of course you're a Targaryen," Sam breathed as he looked at her. "Silver hair, violet eyes."

Raenerha nodded, her full lips pressed in a line. "I came here to try to find safety, to find my sister."

"Why would you come here for that?" Jon quickly. "The Dragon Queen isn't here, and you knew that."

Raenerha sighed at the dark-haired man. "I know she isn't here, but I had to go somewhere and as you know Targaryens aren't welcome in most parts of the Seven Kingdoms. Your Maester is the only family I have besides my sister."

"Maester Aemon will help you as much as he can, but he hasn't heard your sister either." Raenerha glanced at Sam when he spoke. "You are the first person that's requested a conference with him outside of the Night's Watch."

"I was told to come here by the Master of Secrets. He said I would find help here." Raenerha felt helpless. "I don't know what else to do."

Jon stalked over to the door and swung it open with force, not looking at a single one of them before he left the room. Sam swallowed thickly and shrugged his shoulders at his friend. "I don't know what's gotten into to him, Raenerha. I'll speak with him."

Raenerha gave him a tight smile, one that didn't truly reach her eyes. "Thank you, Sam."

Jon was angry.

Sam was confused, but followed him anyway trailing a few steps behind his friend.

"Jon?" He asked quietly.

Jon turned on his heel. "Sam, now's not the time."

"Raenerha's done nothing wrong, Jon," Sam said, his voice unusually stern. "She's just trying to survive. Where's the fault in that?"

"She came here from the Lannisters! You heard her yourself, she was with Sansa there, she knows what they were doing to her. If she could leave why couldn't she bring my sister with her?"

Sam gave Jon a look, his eyebrow raised. "You think she could sneak her out of her chambers and into the night?"

"She escaped."

"She also wasn't living in a castle, surrounded by guards day and night," Sam said gently. Jon had finally stopped walking and leaned against the wall of the hallway. "She was a servant, Jon."

Jon shook his head, a sigh leaving his lips. "I know. It's just hard to find sympathy for others when members of my family are getting killed off like animals."

"And she's not getting any sympathy for her family lost."

Jon looked up at Sam from beneath his brow. "You're too smart for your own good, Tarly."

"But not for your own good." Sam laughed.

Jon nudged Sam's shoulder and smiled. Sam laughed, too, and then they were quiet. "I should go apologize."

Sam nodded. "Yes, you should."

Jon sighed and looked back to the door he was sure he'd nearly broken on his way out. It was the right thing to do, he knew, to apologize for being out of line, it's what his father would have done. But his father wasn't here, and Jon was. Jon rolled his shoulders - his father was a good man, but he was not his father.

"Next time I see her, then." And then he disappeared into his room.

Raenerha braided a few more pieces together and tied it at the end with a spare tie she'd found in the bottom of her pack. She tucked the end of the hair inside the bun that sat at the crown of her head. Raenerha stepped back slightly, admiring her work - she was quite talented, even if she wouldn't admit it aloud - before giving Gilly's shoulder a little pat. "You're all done, Gilly."

Gilly raised from her feet and slowly went over to the window - they had no looking glass in their room - and stared at her reflection blinking back at her.

Raenerha could see from her position behind Gilly that her mouth opened and closed twice before her hand tentatively reached up and felt her head.

"I don't even recognize myself," Gilly said quietly.

Raenerha smiled, her heart filling with happiness. "It only adds to your natural beauty, Gilly."

Gilly turned quickly, a great smile stretched across her lips. "I've never felt pretty before."

Raenerha clicked her tongue again, this time at the girl before her. Could she be so blind? "Gilly. You are beautiful, and it isn't because of your hair - the hair doesn't make the woman. Not only are you gorgeous, but you are also learning to read - and take it from me, most of the young lords and ladies would envy the speed in which you've learned. You are a wonderful mother to your son."

If she looked closely, Raenerha could have sworn she could have seen tears shining in Gilly's eyes. Raenerha stepped forward, her hands gripping Gilly's own.

"And I am honored to call you a friend," Raenerha finished with a genuine smile.

Gilly grinned back at her, and then the moment was cut short with a quick rapping on the door.

"Are you decent?" Sam's voice sounded muffled through the door. "We've brought food."

Gilly opened the door for them to bring in the food while Raenerha watched Little Sam. The babe twitched slightly before his eyes sprang open at the sound of their visitors. He gurgled and stretched, but he never cried.

"Your hair," Raenerha heard Sam mumble. She turned and looked at him, his puffy cheeks reddening with every second. "Your hair looks beautiful, Gilly."

Gilly blushed as red as Sam. "Raenerha did it."

"Well done, Raenerha," Sam said under his breath. "Not that you needed it or anything," he clarified. "It just... it's how I imagine your hair to look on your wedding day, is all."

Gilly swallowed down a response, and instead stood there in silence.

Jon cleared his throat behind his friend, holding Raenerha's tray. He stepped around Sam and held the tray of food out for Raenerha.

"Right," Sam mumbled. He held the food out to Gilly, as Jon had for Raenerha. "Well, here's your food."

Raenerha took her food with a soft, 'thank you', and went to sit on her bed. She felt eyes on her, Jon's eyes, she knew, so she glanced up. It shocked her to see him looking up at her from beneath his brow, his full lips puckered out slightly, as if he were stuck in a deep thought. His tongue darted out to lick his bottom lip before he spoke.

"Raenerha," he said finally, "will you speak with me outside for a moment?"

Raenerha took a sip of the strong ale that was on the tray before she rose. "If you wish it."

Jon offered her the crook of his arm and she obliged him. He led her through the hallway and out to a balcony that overlooked the training yard. She watched the you men slashing away at each other, each swing of their swords more hazardous than the last. She winced when she saw one of them fall onto their back.

"They're not very good, are they?" She said quietly.

Jon sighed beside her. "No, they're not."

"You are a trained swordsman, are you not?" Raenerha wondered. "Have you tried training them?"

"I've trained some," Jon admitted softly.

Raenerha turned her head, her eyes raking over his profile. He was a handsome man, as bullheaded as he might have been, she could not deny that. He had hair, unlike any other man she'd seen - it looked soft and bouncy to the touch. And his eyes - she didn't think she'd ever seen eyes as dark as his.

"I take it these are not those men?" Raenerha said finally.

Jon looked down at her, the corner of his lips twitching up a bit. "No."

"To what do I owe the pleasure of speaking with you, Jon?" Raenerha freed him of her hold on his arm to lean against the railing. "Is there something you wished to ask of me?"

Jon took a breath, but his eyes never left her. "When you first came here I assumed the worst of you."

"Such as one does," Raenerha commented.

Jon's hands moved to the hilt of his sword to rest. "After I had some sense talked into me I realized that was wrong. You came here seeking refuge and I condemned you for it."

Raenerha smiled. "Was it Sam?"

Jon chuckled softly. "It was Sam."

They stood there for a moment, both smiling, before Raenerha decided to speak. "Not many men would apologize for something so small - their pride clouds their sense of honesty. It is refreshing to find someone who cares not for pride. I forgive you, Jon Snow."

Jon gave her a short nod.

"And as for Sansa Stark, I didn't see her very often, but when I did she looked well. Not happy, but no one could fare better in her situation. She is strong, your sister. She may survive us all."

Jon's eyes softened at her words, and a long breath left him. "She was always repeating the pretty words the Septa taught her."

"They may be her saving grace," Raenerha said.

The man offered his arm to her once more. "I will walk you back."

Raenerha nodded and took his arm.

In the weeks following their conversation Jon and Raenerha had grown closer. Sam had been the first to notice the change. He'd asked Jon about it one night in their quarters only to receive a brooding glare - something he'd grown used to. He was Jon's best friend, he was at the end of every brooding look there was.

"I'm a brother of the Night's Watch, Sam, just as you are," Jon said simply. "I took my vows, and I intend to honor them as best I can."

"You are a brother," Sam replied, "and so are the men that go to Mole's Town night after night to find pleasure in the brothel."

"I'm not those men."

Sam fought the urge to roll his eyes. "So you aren't denying that you've grown attached to Raenerha?"

"No," Jon admitted lowly, and he did not meet Sam's eyes. "I'm not denying it, but I'm not acting on it, either. I may feel something, but those feeling will leave me when she is no longer here."

"And if Raenerha feels the same?" Sam prodded gently. "If she has feelings for you?"

Jon shrugged slightly, and lay his hand on Ghost's great head to pat him. The best nuzzled into his owner's palm. "I will not forsake my vows."

Sam sighed at him as he tucked himself into bed that night, wondering if Jon Snow would ever allow himself happiness.