I own nothing except Ophelia and House Pyralis.
I get most of Ophelia's clothing from Armstreet, in fact the website actually inspired me to write a story. Also, any of Ophelia's clothes described in this story can be seen on the Wattpad version of this story.
Anyways thanks everyone who's been following the story, reviewing it, or adding it to your Favorites list! I'm so grateful, as reviews make my day! :D
So anyways read, review, and rest easy! :)
First P.O.V Winterfell-Wintertown
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It was raining all week and it finally let up the night before the Gods decided to change my life.
I got up to do my normal routine, with the exception of me wearing my red coat.
My coat is one of the few nice things I have, gifted to me on my last name day from Theon.
"Did you pay the Iron Price for this beautiful jacket?" I teased.
He gave me a cocky smirk and mock bowed to me, "Of course! Only the best for you."
This jacket is so beautiful, so I do my best not to wear it often to preserve it's look. Its color was bright red hue, and had a gold and green detailing on the trim.
I also don't get cold that much since it is still Summer, but today during breakfast My Lady told me to dress warmer if I was to go into town today.
So I put it on.
I grabbed my basket, and headed towards the stables.
Today was the day I would be going to Wintertown as per Lady Sansa's request.
She wanted me to pick up some fabric for her.
My trip is during their lessons, so there's plenty of time to walk around town and browse a bit, before I have to go back.
Theon and Jon are escorting me. Theon always escorts me, and Jon rarely ever comes along, but today I think he needed to get out of the castle.
This morning at breakfast Jon entered the hall looking a bit unkempt.
My Lady pursed her lips as he entered and said rather harshly, "If that wretch of a bastard is going to sit in here with all of us, the least he can do is be clean like all of us."
Lord Stark didn't look up as he said, "Leave the boy alone, Robb looks just as scraggly. His mop of curls is becoming longer than Arya's hair."
They started to squabble about Jon, until Jon abruptly stood up and politely excused himself from breakfast, without eating.
I excused myself soon afterwards, and found Jon eating in the kitchen, with the servants.
That's when I asked if he would come with me and Theon to Wintertown.
He, of course, eagerly agreed. He didn't have lessons with the rest of the Stark children, much like Theon, so he was free to come.
I came up to the stables, basket in hand.
Theon's back was towards me, so I startled him when I asked, "Why don't we ever walk to Wintertown? It's only a couple of miles, and riding might spoil the first nice day in almost a fortnight."
Theon, who was in the process of adjusting the saddle, jumped up in shock.
"By the Drowned God! Are you trying to scare me to death?"
"No, anyway that's not important. Why can't we walk to today?"
"Glad to know you'll take my death so seriously." Theon replied sarcastically.
When he saw I was looking at him expecting an answer, he sighed.
"It takes an hour and half to walk to Wintertown, and an hour and a half to walk back. That's three wasted hours, and I need to get back by a certain time. I have stuff to do. You have stuff to do."
"Lord Stark said I could have the day off, besides it's a beautiful day! It stopped raining last night."
Theon attached the reins to the horse as he spoke, "Of course... last night it stopped raining. If it stopped raining several nights ago, then yes I would consider walking, but it stopped raining last night. The ground is too wet to walk on and we'll both get dirty. You saw how Lady Stark acted this morning with Jon; if she sees either of us all full of dirt, well then we might as well flog ourselves."
I huffed. "You're exaggerating. My Lady would never flog us. Besides, that's not a good enough reason."
Theon's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Being flogged isn't a good enough reason for you?"
"No it isn't."
"How about the fact that riding is already dangerous? If we walk we could be attacked by Wildlings, and then I'd die trying to defend you."
"So what if you'd die? It doesn't change the fact that today is absolutely beautiful."
"Your lack of empathy over my death is concerning." He said bluntly.
"Hmm...fine. I give you permission to take me to Wintertown, by horse."
"You give me permission!?"
"Yes." I beamed up at him.
Theon sighed melodramatically, and put his face in the saddle.
"Why do I even put up with you? Why don't I just leave you in the middle of the town square, and be done with it?"
"You will leave her in the town square."
Theon and I turned to glance behind me where Jon Snow had his arms crossed, with his ever-so-worried expression on his face.
I don't actually believe Jon was worried for me. I believe he was born with that look on his face.
Theon narrowed his eyes.
"And where'd you hear that, Bastard?"
"From your mouth when you were shooting it off to Robb last night." He replied coolly.
"Oh really? And what exactly did I say, because as I recall, you weren't present when I was talking to Robb last night."
"I was, you ignored me. You said and I quote "While she's shopping, I'll slip on over and visit Ros. It's been a while since I pumped some iron into her."
My cheeks turned bright red, and my eyes widened.
Theon looked as if he was just accused of wearing dresses in private.
I turned towards him, my shock still on my face. "Were you really going to leave me? We always run our errands together!"
He started to stutter to make up an excuse, but I couldn't hear him.
Would Theon really leave me?
For a whore?
Yes, I'm not oblivious to the fact that Theon is a whore himself, he just doesn't get paid.
But he always spends our town errands together!
It's been that way since we were old enough to go into town by ourselves.
This made me sad.
It made me sad because I wasn't important enough for the young Kraken to spend time with me. Despite our many differences in our personalities, Theon and I have always tended to gravitate to each other. Ever since he came to Winterfell, he has always had my back together. Never once has he left me for someone else when we were spending time together. Unless My Lady or Lord Stark beckoned him, he was always with me a hundred percent of the time.
The question on my mind was 'Why now?'.
Had I done something to make him upset the other days?
Had he come to the realization that he has better things to do than to spend time with the not-servant/ not handmaiden?
Was he mocked for being seen with me? Had I caused him distress?
Perhaps he really did want to spend time with a whore, rather than me.
Suddenly I got angry, especially at this whore who Theon was making time for.
Who did this hussy think she was to be stealing him from me?
She probably only knew him for several months.
I've known him for more than several years!
I'm more important, and he should be spending time with me!
I pushed these thoughts out of my head as I came back into reality.
'Theon was a grown man, I thought to myself, how he wants spends his time should have no effect on me.'
No matter how much I tried to reason with myself, I was still plenty angry.
"It was just a joke, honestly."
Huh, was Theon talking this entire time?
"Jon, is your horse ready?" I asked him.
"Yes."
"Good then, I'll ride with you." I turned around to walk with Jon to his horse.
"But you always ride with me!" Theon protested, grabbing my hand.
I yanked it back and glared at him.
"I don't ride with men who ride prostitutes."
I walked besides Jon, and smiled at him, though I was not in a smiling mood.
"So, I have a list of things Lady Sansa wants me to pick up. After I'm done getting the stuff for your sister, we'll have loads of time to explore and look around."
Jon glanced at me with his stormy grey eyes, then looked ahead.
"Okay."
We got on his saddle, and started to trot off towards the town.
Theon was right, riding is a lot faster.
What takes a hour and a half by foot, takes almost a hour by horse.
That didn't make the ride itself an easier.
Riding with Jon was kind of awkward.
We kept the conversation light, about things like what was for breakfast, or what he was learning in his separate lessons with Theon.
We talked about the weather, and my upcoming nameday.
My relationship with Winterfell's bastard is vastly different from Winterfell's ward.
With the ward, it's very lighthearted and bright.
With the bastard it's humorous but always awkward.
Jon likes to keep to himself, that's why. I think he thinks he's not good enough for anyone in the North, even the servants.
He's not really part of the family, but he's not a servant either.
He's a Snow, and that's a complication on its own level.
As similar as our situations are, My Lady has never treated me the way she's treated Jon. In fact, in every event where it was deemed appropriate, she had me be with the family while Jon wasn't even allowed to attend the event.
I've never known why she preferred me over him, though I do have my own theories.
I think My Lady pities me, which hurts in a way but it isn't so bad.
My Lady was the one who found me. Apparently when I was but a mere babe, I was left outside the gates of the castle. My Lady had been out on a walk in the early morning when she heard shrill squalling. My Lady usually never goes on walks in the morning, but as the story goes she was in mood for one that morning. That's where she found me, all bundled up in a crate. It was cold, so she quickly got me out of the box and held me to keep me warm.
There was no note, no sigil of any other house, and no personal affects that could've belonged to my parents.
It was unknown who brought me to Winterfell. I could be the daughter of a Knight. I could be the youngest child in a family too big to feed me. I could be the bastard daughter of a Noblewoman or a Nobleman. Some of the older servants even whispered to me that I had been brought to the castle by the fairies, that I am a changling. The folks are usually the extremely superstitious ones and tend to stay away from me.
Despite not knowing who I belonged to or where I came from, My Lady took me in and care for me as one of her own. She even nursed me herself, if you can believe it. In my early years I was educated with the other girls but as time went on, it become more and more inappropriate for me to associate myself so familiarly with other highborn children, so I was put to work and had to sleep in the servants' wing. I was about ten and one when this happened. The first night I was so scared of the servants' quarters, I ran to Lord and Lady Stark's room and cuddled up with them in the night. The next morning, they actually took the whole ordeal in a rather fond manner. Lord Stark even laughed about it as Lady Stark stoked my head, soothing me when I tearfully regaled to them about the eerie noises at night. Soon they paired me in a room with two other servant girls my age and had me do chores that they thought I would like to make the transition easier on me.
The Starks are the only family I have ever known, and even though we have no relation by blood Lord and Lady Stark have never made me feel unwelcome. Their children at times perhaps, but never them.
So when My Lady treats Jon the way she does, I feel conflicted. I don't know how to help or how to make it better for either of them, but I do try. Jon and Theon are the only two in the entire North that I feel that I can relate to on some manner.
You see, Jon was the first person I ever spoke to at the castle, but Theon was my first real friend.
I remember when he initially arrived. It was after the Greyjoy Rebellion and when Lord Stark returned, he brought along a frightened boy with him.
Theon was still a child in many ways, and was very despondent from everybody.
He took his meals in his room, and never uttered a word the first several months.
The Starks tried to make him comfortable, but how comfortable can you be when you are technically a prisoner?
I broke the ice that surrounded the fortress that was Theon Greyjoy.
I was still pretty young, maybe ten and one. It was around the time I initially started my life as a serving girl.
I remember seeing him sulking by the courtyard, watching Jon and Robb train with Ser Roderick.
I had a plate of lemon cakes that I was supposed to take to Lady Sansa, as it was to be her surprise for doing well in all her lessons.
Yes, she was pretty young and already acquired a taste for them.
But I gave them to Theon instead.
I remember the incredulous look on his face as he silently pointed to himself as I approached him, holding out the cakes.
He shook his head and continued to look on, but I smacked his shoulder.
He turned and glared at me, but I still stood there, unwavering, holding up the cakes.
When Theon saw I wasn't going to let up, he cautiously took the cakes from me.
He finally took a bite of one, because I wouldn't leave until he did.
That day Sansa threw a fit over the cakes that were supposed to be hers, and I was sent to bed without dinner for instigating that ruckus.
I didn't mind though, not if the outcome was seeing Theon smile for the first time.
Over course Lord Stark saw the exchange, and he gave me a special task.
To bring the Prince of the Iron Islands his food.
So I did, and eventually we started to talk.
Soon, the Young Kraken began speaking with others as well.
By the end of the year, he was the Theon we all know and love.
Well anyway, we arrived in town soon enough and Jon hopped down.
He extended a hand, which I graciously took.
As soon as my feet hit the ground, Theon came riding up next to us.
He didn't say anything to either of us. He merely tied up his horse to the post outside of the pub, and went inside.
Jon sighed then looked at me as I watched Theon's retreating back.
I peeked over at Jon, and he gave me a small smile. He turned his head to the end of the road, near the left corner. He pointed out a small stall with colorful balls of red and green.
"I see a stand with fruit over there with lots of pears and apples. Let's get some."
"Okay! I am a bit famished."
"Then we'll get a couple sweet buns too." He said gesturing to the bakery near the fruit stand.
I grinned as he lent me his elbow, and we walked through the busy marketplace of Wintertown.
As bleak as the North can be, there's nothing like coming to the market on some of its best days.
There's tons of traders and merchants selling things from worn shoes to new fabrics, or locally grown vegetables to spices from across the Narrow Sea. You'll never know what you'll find, and that anticipation and surprise makes the market a very exciting place.
