During the next few days Joanna smiled when appropriate and was the perfect guest. Once she was well enough to walk she slowly began to gain the old couples trust. Whenever they queried about her past she would lie effortlessly, as she began to gain information about her location. She was about equal distance between the Stark camp and Kings Landing. The Lannister family wasn't popular in the area however they were far enough from the north to not have the full support of the Starks.

To them she was Emicah Waters, the bastard daughter of a unimportant Western Lord who was travelling to Kings Landing to live with her mother's family. This fake story explained both her accent and why she was travelling east.

As her health improved Joanna began gathering supplies for her journey. Tomas and Hema wanted her to stay until she was completely recovered however Joanna had no intention of staying that long. Almost drowning meant that she now became out of breath much faster than before, her chest aching from when Tomas resuscitated her.

She was grateful to them, without a doubt, they had no idea that they were housing a princess. However they were happy and cheerful to the point when Joanna felt sick. They were so in love that thinking about it made her heart hurt. It stirred an emotion in her that she had never felt before, it resembled jealousy but she would never admit it.

One evening, the trio sat in the single candle-lit room with tiny portions of food and the conversation turned to how Tomas and Hema had met. Truthfully Joanna couldn't care less about them but she didn't wish to appear rude.

"When did you realise you loved each other?" Joanna attempted to appear interested but the bland gruel she was spooning down her throat was making it incredibly hard.

As they gushed to her, their hearts open and singing true, Joanna tuned their voices out from her mind. Her thoughts turned to the past, to a time several years earlier; to the moment she realised that she was in love.

A 12 year old Joanna ran through the Red Keep, her blonde curls trailing behind her small figure. Her crimson slippers had been abandoned a long time before to aid her speed. Narrowly missing a collision with a servant she giggled and turned a corner to the corridor containing both hers and Joffrey's rooms. However everyone knew that they rarely spent their time in their own chambers, much preferring to spend their time together.

Their siblings were almost always excluded from their fun, Tommen being only 6, and a 9 year old Myrcella more concerned with needlework. The twins were practically joined at the hip and luckily for Tommen and Myrcella meant that Joffrey had little time to torment them.

Joanna had bled for the first time a few moons before and since then the Queen had tried to make her spend more time with other young Ladies, much to Joanna's displeasure. But even Cersei couldn't keep them apart for long.

"Keep up Joff!" she turned her head and shouted, her emerald eyes gleaming mischievously. Her twin quickly came into sight and smirked as her chased her down the hall.

She pushed open her door and sprinted into her bedchamber where she leapt on to the bed in a less than graceful manner. Seconds later her male counterpart tackled her across the bed. Soon they came to a stop, with Joanna face-up on the covers with Joffrey poised above her, pinning her down.

Theirs faces were almost touching and the only noise was their tired breathing. The next few seconds felt like eternity and their eyes locked and no words were spoken.

"I won." Joffrey smirked, his face drawing closer.

Joanna scoffed. "What do you want-a prize?" She dismissed, her brother was unbelievably competitive.

"It's only fair, dear Joanna."

"And what do you want?" The golden princess asked amused. "What could a prince ever desire?"

Joffrey's playful smirk disappeared as he answered.

"You."

Her mouth fell open in surprise but not true shock. Joanna had been having inappropriate thoughts about her twin for a long time now but she had hid her feelings in fear of them being unrequited. For so long she had buried any romantic feelings in the knowledge that they could never be together. Watching her parents had taught her that whether or not she loved her future husband would be of little importance.

Hearing his feelings out loud seemed so unbelievable that Joanna worried that she had misheard or misinterpreted the meaning behind his statement. But as his lips slowly moved towards hers she knew she was right.

Their lips met and time seemed to freeze around them. Neither of them had kissed someone before so they had no guide. His lips parted and so did hers as their tongues met. Their mouths moved and the kiss deepened as the passion grew. The lust that presented itself in their embrace was equally obvious in their matching eyes. An unintended moan escaped Joanna's mouth and she froze, scared that she had done something wrong.

She stared up at Joffrey, her eyes full of embarrassment. Joffrey laughed as his normal smirk returned. He climbed off her and pulled her up so they were sitting next to each other. Their hands remained interlocked as Joanna's mind tried to process what had just happened.

"Joff…. I-" Joanna stammered, words failing her.

"Please tell me you felt something." Nervousness seeming out of place in his usually confident voice.

Unable to lie Joanna nodded, a small smile emerging.

"We are twins, two halves of a whole. I can't imagine not loving you as I do."

The blonde girl stated. "We are family." Concern entering her tone. "We should only love each other as brother and sister do."

Joffrey's grip on her hands tightened and he brought their palms to his heart. "I am your brother; and this is how I love you. Love should not be a crime."

And that is what they told themselves as the years passed as their affections only grew.

And as Joanna sat at the table she once more told herself that.

And that night, as the couple slept, she told herself that as she stole a horse as sher rode off in the direction of the boy she loved.