Hi, guys! I gotta be honest, this is a long chapter but Im super excited for you guys to read it.
I'm proud of this part. But I'm open to any suggestions and comments you guys might have.
p.s.
this story is already finished in my head. And I'm losing sleep coz I wanted to write em right away...
but a girl's gotta finish school... hahaha!
lastly, thanks for the follows/fave and reviews. CIAO!
JON
"Who are you? And what do you need from him?" Robb asked,
"My name is Edris. I am collecting debts to my brother, Elmyr. Surely, you've heard of his infamy in the kingdom." The guy standing before Robb introduced himself.
Robb's stern reaction seemed like he did know.
Jon fought hard to stand on his feet, spat of blood and saliva. His tongue felt the cut inside of his cheek.
"I have no debt to no one! I already told you." Jon insisted, breathing heavily.
Another kick on his rib was released by the man standing before Jon, sending Jon on his knees again.
"Jon! Stop it, you stupid animal!" Koreen cried out, cursing at the strangers.
"Shut it, copper head! Or I will cut your hair along with your neck." The guy holding Koreen threatened, his foul breath against her ear.
"You would have to forgive my guards, Troy and Ferros. They are very... violent." Edris was acting cavalier in spite of his wounded face. "So, as the girl called the boy, we can establish that he is in fact Jon Snow, no?" Edris concluded.
"He is Jon Snow. I am Robb Stark. We are sons of Lord Eddard Stark of House Winterfell."
"I know Lord Eddard Stark. I also know his heir, Robb Stark. We've never met formally. But there's no common people who doesn't know of Lord Eddard Stark of House Winterfell." Edris said Ned's name with a tone of mockery.
"This is going on for too long. What do you need?" Robb asked, gritting his teeth.
"A quarter of moon back, your brother, Jon Snow played a game of chance with my brother, Elmyr. My brother won, yours lost. He betted ten silvers which he never paid. Elmyr was kind enough to let your brother go that night, who promised him the silvers and a significant amount of interest on the fortnight."
"That was not me, Robb. I swear on my life!" Jon yelled.
A jab on his face made a cut on Jon's eyebrow. Jon mustered all his strength to keep himself conscious. He cannot leave his brother and Koreen in this dire situation.
"Jon Snow waited the night out, struck my brother behind his head; he was drunk of mead and beer and defenseless! He left Elmyr bruised and battered on the road side. He was left there to die!" Edris voice was husky and eerie.
"I never did such a thing..." Jon cried out. Coughing, gasping for air.
"I'll pay it." Robb declared.
"Robb, I do not know this people! I have never gambled in my life, let alone beat another man to death-" another kick on Jon's side sent him curled on the ground writhing in pain.
"Please, shut up, Jon!" Koreen cried out.
"Thirty silvers. That will cover the bet, interest and the lost profit while your brother was recovering." Robb offered. He held on his sword tighter, obviously keeping his anger controlled.
"Your brother beat my brother up unconscious!" Edris voice was loud and intimidating.
"My brother is too strong for you and your guards. That was not our fault." Robb defended calmly and with authority.
"Thirty five and we have an agreement..." Edris challenged.
"Let my mistress go, move away from my brother, lower your sword and we are done with this deal."
Edris paused, weighing Robb's honesty, and then gestured to his men. And they followed.
Koreen ran immediately to Jon's side and laid his head on her lap. The cut on his eyebrow was bleeding profusely and was starting to swell. She tore a piece from her top and put it over the wound.
When Edris lowered his sword, Robb pulled a purse tied to his belt.
"Forty silvers. Keep the difference for the pledge to never cause my family any more trouble. Is that clear?" he tossed the pouch to Edris.
Edris checked the content of the pouch heavy with silver coins.
"Crystal." He said, smiling smugly at Robb. "Oh, and your brother dropped this." Edris threw Jon's sword to the ground near him, turned his back on them, rode on their horses and left.
"I have never met those men. They made that story up to force money out of you. You shouldn't have paid them."
"They were holding a knife against Koreen and beaten you to a pulp, Jon! What choice did I have? True or not, I will make that choice again."
Koreen, feeling guilty, looked at Robb.
Jon seemed to handle the fight well before she came out of the cave. Only when one of the men held a dagger to her throat that Jon started to catch the offenses, making her feel guiltier.
"They might come again for more. We should alert father-" Jon tiredly said.
"I will handle it, do not worry. We need to get you back to the castle right away." Robb assured.
"Can you walk?" asked Koreen, quickly wiping the tears on her face.
"I can if I have to." Jon tried to stand up, wincing at the pain now that his adrenalin has gone.
"That's not wise; you might be bleeding inside, for all we know. Take this," Robb handed Koreen Jon's long sword. "I need you to be brave, Koreen. Make sure that he does not doze off. Whatever you do, do not let him fall asleep, do you understand?" Robb directed.
"Come back soon, Robb. Jon's injuries are serious." Koreen's voice was breaking. Even she, herself was confused with panic.
"I will come back as soon as I can." Robb kissed her forehead and rose. Robb ran as fast as he could.
Jon's head was still resting on Koreen's lap. A drop of tear fell on Jon's face, waking Jon.
"Yesterday... you were a tough wildling hunter... and now you are a cry baby..." Jon mocked Koreen, taking all the energy he could muster just to tease her.
"Shut up! You should not be talking." said Koreen sniffing, "you took this upon yourself, you know." She said.
"I...ugh, I'm telling the truth... I never left the castle... for over a month." He shifted a bit to find a more comfortable position, wincing at every move.
"I said shut it! You were quiet all the time I've known you, and you prefer to talk now? No wonder that monster Ferros stomped on your ribs." Koreen said, annoyed but cared.
Jon managed a soft laugh. He had never imagined her that way, vulnerable and scared. Seeing her fighting her tears from falling, made her look endearing and tame.
Jon thought of what his father will say when he sees him like this, battered and bloodied. He hated how his father worried about him, how he looked at him merciful and concerned each time he had to leave Winterfell and be gone for months.
He tried to hide the pain. It was not easy. And it was more difficult to pretend he was all right.
He much rather hide from him; avoid him if he can, for Jon cannot lie to his father. It was only fortunate that he was not asking the right questions.
"Jon!" Koreed cried out.
"What?"
"Do not sleep!" he ordered.
"I was not!"
"You were quiet, I thought you were-"
"You told me to shut up... remember?"
Koreen breathed a sigh of relief.
"Do you always do that? Follow as you are told?"
"Yes.—ugh, lately, I do." He grunted when he tried to move again.
Silence fell.
"We are not far from different, you and I." Koreen said. "I never knew my parents, or maybe I did, I just don't remember. All I had were a couple of savages who would sell me to the market if we did not hunt enough for the day."
"I do not know my mother. I gave up asking. But at least I have Lord Stark and my brothers and sisters." Jon felt his left eye swelling. "Well, Sansa never liked me that much…. Perhaps being older than the younger kids, she understands better who I really am. Or she loves Lady Stark greatly... "
He never thought of Koreen as an orphan. All she pictured her was a wildling girl she heard from knights who fought against them. They are savages.
"Did you ever imagined what our life could have been if we were born of a different name?" Koreen wondered out loud.
"I did, when I was younger..." his sides are aching, "I wanted to be a knight, I dreamt it when I was a child playing swords with Robb as the lord I protect... But I learned too early what a bastard child can be as an adult... I stopped dreaming far too long time ago."
He imagined being a knight, parading along King's Landing, toying girls who are proud to sit beside him in a drinking bar.
"I have a confession to make." Koreen confides.
"Please, don't tell me, Koreen..." Jon requested, making a face.
"Why not?"
"I do not want to hear... what you and my brother... did inside that cave..."
"We did nothing! We saw the lake, the sky, the birds... it is not the picture you have on your mind!"
"Robb referred to you as his mistress." He said.
"Your ears must be filled with blood, then." She denied.
"You heard him."
"I didn't."
Jon smiled. He then regretted it after feeling all the pain on his face.
From a distance, sound of hooves stomping against the earth can be heard.
"They are here." She looked afar.
"Can you help me sit up?" asked Jon grimacing.
"You might hurt yourself more, Jon." Koreen said.
"I don't want my father seeing me lying on dirt... please..." he was pleading.
Koreen reluctantly took Jon's arm around her shoulder and lifted him up to sit, his back on a tree trunk.
Koreen looked at him distressed and concerned. He had never come face to face with her or any girl for that matter. Her eyebrows were thin and brownish red. Her cheeks freckled and sun burnt. She was beautiful.
"Thank you." Jon said and cleared his throat.
Jon felt a bit of relief when he noticed that Lord Stark was not with their rescue party.
"Where is father, Ser Jory?" Jon asked as the guard helped him up his horse.
"I was sent by Lady Stark before dawn to search your camp. Lord Jon Arynn was in Winterfell Castle with his wife since last night."
"Aunt Lysa is in Winterfell?" Jon asked.
He reminded himself to address Lady Stark's sister with her title. He was, after all not her nephew.
"Yes, Lord Stark left with Lord Arynn a while ago to attend an emergency council assembly." said Ser Jory.
"Where are Arya and Bran?" Jon asked.
"Ser Rodrik took them to the castle." The knight answered.
"Theon and I were disassembling your camp, when Robb came running to us, saying you were hurt and beaten by Edris, brother of Elmyr."
Jon swallowed. He looked at Robb who was busy preparing Koreen's horse. Koreen looked at him.
"They said I owe them silvers, I never met them before, Ser. But they knew my name and where I live."
"We will seek justice once your father is back in Winterfell."
Jon caught Robb looking at Theon who was silent the entire time they arrived. He thought of it odd that Theon was not the arrogant lordling he knew.
Theon was quiet and looking worried, taking glances at Robb.
And then he understood.
Jon took his eyes away from them. He was confused, disappointed and heartbroken.
"My place for you is be your brother. Whatever they lead you on, in my heart that's what you should be to me..."
"Is everyone ready?" Ser Jory asked. Nobody answered. "Then let's go, you need Maester Luwin to see those injuries right away, Jon." Ser Jory hit his horse and their horses followed suit.
He was brought to the sick bay immediately and Maester Luwin made him drink two vials of milk of the poppy as soon as he checked his sides, making sure no bones broke. He was lucky. HIs side was purple with bruise, but he will heal fast.
The Maester pushed compressed snow wrapped in cloth on his swollen eyebrow.
All these should have been painful. But he didn't feel a thing anymore. He was already too hurt. He was numb.
When the maester was to cut his clothes off, he stopped him. When Maester Luwin was convinced that he was in no grave danger, he let him go to his room and clean up himself as he requested. He put his bloodied fur coat with difficulty and left at once.
"Jon!" he turned to see Luna approaching him in the hall. "Lady Catelyn would like a word with you. She's in her study."
"Of course, Luna." He was exhausted. "Thank you." He said glumly.
"It's almost noon. I can bring you some hot broth and bread in your chamber, Jon. You must be famished."
"Thank you so much. But I am not yet hungry." He politely declined.
"I will bring it up, anyways. I hope you feel better, Jon." The maid was old enough to be his mother. He would have been lucky if she was his mother. He would be proud to be a son of a kitchen maid.
He drew a deep breath and knocked on Lady Catelyn's study.
Lady Catelyn was seated beside the fireplace, knitting a little coat probably for Rickon.
He stood before her, exhausted. Shamed that he wasnt able to at least wipe the dried blood on his face.
Lady Catelyn glared at him from head to foot.
"I heard about you being in trouble with a gambling loan shark of King's Road. Are these stories true, bastard?" she asked not taking her eyes off her work.
He cleared his throat. Even swallowing hurt, but he had to endure.
"I don't know what was spread, my Lady. But I was wrongfully accused. Someone might have used my name and -"
"Your name? Jon Snow? Jon Bastard of the North?" Jon was not surprise that Lady Stark will not believe him. He was always watching him, waiting for a mistake. Lurking and looking for a reason to punish him. "A moron would have believed your story, bastard. Unfortunately, I am no idiot." The insult stung.
He was reminded that even criminals won't dare be a Snow.
"Have you no mercy to the Stark family name, bastard? Will you bring nothing in this castle but shame and humiliation? Those criminals should have done a better job at you for forty silvers!"
Jon did not answer. He closed his fist hard, too hard that he felt his nails piercing his palms.
"You are to apologize to Lord Eddard for bringing shame to his castle as soon he is back from the assembly. Is that understood?"
"Yes, my Lady." he answered.
He wondered if he can ask her if she could go to his chamber now but then she was to speak.
"Thank your Lord Robb for his mercy." she said, "He told me everything. Be grateful to him for cleaning up your dirt." she coldly ordered.
"But I can not stand how she treats you, Jon. Not even if she's my mother!"
"I will, Lady Stark."
"Forty silvers? Your life doesn't cost that much, my son clearly overpaid."
"I agree, my Lady. I agree."
"...Robb cleary overpaid."
He drew a deep breath. A few more moment and he was in the staircase leading to his chamber.
His limpy walk to his room at the top floor was pure hell, but he felt like he was a ghost.
He took off his clothes and saw his bruised body, he felt disgusted.
He looked at his reflection. Jon Bastard of the North.
"I want you to promise me, Jon that you will never leave Winterfell without my permission. Is that understood?"
Now he understood what that vow entails. His father knew that he would one day tire of the pain and he would want to flee Winterfell. That's why he made him promise.
Now he understood why his brother gladly paid Edris… so he would not come after Theon Greyjoy.
He was in pain, betrayed, alone and trapped.
And against it all, he knelt down on the floor at the end of his bed…
"…for Father's protection, for Lady Stark's change of heart… and to keep my mother safe,... wherever she would be, ...whatever she is doing,...whoever she is ."