31 Chapter 31

Father's letters were troubling. King's Landing was a rat's nest as father called it. Jon had not had the opportunity to write him about his true parentage. He had been angry and wanted answers at first but then Bran fell and everything changed. This was not about Jon but about Bran and mother. Jon pushed his thoughts back and walked to the kitchens. The wildling women had been interrogated. Jon decided to keep them apart. Osha by her own was a good worker. She had wanted to go as far as South goes she had said. The woman was terrified of white walkers. She swore upon the Old Gods she'd seen them with her own eyes. Jon dismissed such things; he was not a green boy to believe in white walkers, grumkins and shadows. He was the lord of Winterfell. His ancestors had manned the Wall for hundreds of years. He grew up with Old Nan and her stories. Father told stories too but if there had been any white walkers or other creatures alike they had to have perished years ago; before the last dragons. They had been gone even before the last Stark bent the knee to Aegon Targaryen and his sisters.

Ygrette was a different matter altogether. She was not meek like Osha, she was fire, fighting to not say anything. She kept quiet during the first two or three days of interrogation. Jon did not trust her to not attack so he did not give her the same freedoms he gave Osha.

The woman was restricted to her small room. Jon would try to interrogate her every day. Jon managed to make her talk a week after she had been captured when they broached the wildlings' invasions. The redheaded girl fumed. "These are our lands. We were here too. You southerners put a big fucking Wall."

"I'm of the North. My family has manned the wall for thousands of years. The blood of the first men flows through my veins."

Ygrette glared at him and smirked. "The same as mine. You know nothing Jon Stark." She would reply and then there would be silence.

Jon did not trust her; she had tried to escape twice already. Fortunately Osha and Farlen had stopped her. She was locked in a room away from the kitchens and the stables where she could find knives and horses to escape.

Ygrette had not corroborated any of Osha's wild claims of white walkers but when enraged she spoke of giants, mammoths and the long night that would come and with it horrors never seen to any "Southron lords, like yourself Jon Stark." He would leave her then. It had been two weeks since they met for the first time and the wildling girl still intrigued him to no end. The lord of Winterfell walked to the stables. Mother and Bran were to leave tomorrow. She had insisted he said nothing about her pregnancy to father. Jon grew worried about the trip. There had been no word on Robb. He should have arrived to King's Landing weeks ago. Father stopped his missives three weeks ago and there had been no mention of his little brother.

Jon combed his mare's hair when maester Luwin approached him. "Jon. You must go to your mother she has received very distressing news. He hurried to the castle and found mother clutching a piece of parchment furiously.

"Is it from father?" He asked cautiously. Jon had been reading her letters and answering father's questions in his because mother refused to write to father.

"Lysa Arryn has Tyrion. She claims your uncle murdered her husband." She said with a hint of anger and fear.

"Robb and Jaime march to the Vale as we speak." Cersei said breathlessly.

Jon understood then, his little brother and uncle had taken arms against the queen's sister.

"What does father have to say about this?"

Cersei threw the letter to the fires. "I must write to your grandfather before Jaime and Robb do something foolish."

"I have to get to court before this turns into an open war." She pondered

"Are you insane? We must wait. Father will solve this. We will travel together once we know more." Jon said assertively.

Mother argued but a pain in her belly stopped her from doing so any further. Jon helped her to a chair. "Perhaps you are right. We shall wait a few days. If Ned has not communicated by then I will travel on my own."

If there was something Jon was sure of was that father would not let mother leave on her own. The journey to king's landing was perilous as it was. Mother was with child; she was not so heavy yet. It she would be so once she traveled through the king's road.

Jon nodded and assured her they would wait a couple of days and then she would travel if she so desired. Mother looked distrustful; perhaps she knew that he would do the impossible to keep her in Winterfell regardless of her choices.

Jon looked at her seriously, "write to your father. Tell him of father's letter." Tywin Lannister should know that uncle Tyrion was captured in the Eyrie.

Mother looked conflicted, "I should have accepted his help. What was Jaime thinking? He is part of the kingsguard. He gave me his word. Now your father is alone with the girls and Tommen. I should be there. I should have gone with Robb." She said bitterly.

"Have maester Luwin come at once. We'll send ravens to Casterly Rock. Although father must know by now." She muttered under her breath.

Jon spent the better part of the evening discussing the implications of Robb and uncle Jaime traveling to the Eyrie with a small army of Lannister men.

Mother wrote a private letter to father and then went to check on Bran. Jon walked to the kitchens and found Ygrette eating some soup or other. He glared at her but did not engage in any conversation with the wildling. He was not in the mood to squabble with her. The Lord of Winterfell went back to his swords for some training with Rodrick.

They spent a couple of days without news from the South until Tywin Lannister wrote back. Mother was beside herself when a blond man appeared out of thin air asking to see Lord Stark. It was close to nightfall. "I am Lancel Lannister, son of Kevan and wish to see cousin Cersei." A young man, not older than himself strode inside Winterfell.

Jon sent for his mother and soon maester Luwin and the three of them were sitting by one of the hearths in Winterfell.

"Uncle Tywin has entrusted me with this letter. I was sure to not leave any traces of my presence through out the King's road." The blonde man said a little pompously. Jon waited patiently until mother read it and then showed it to him. Mother crumbled to a chair and gasped. Jon went to attend to her. Mother gave the letter to maester Luwin who after looking very serious gave it to him.

Cersei,

King Robert is dead. Your foolish brothers and son have started a conflict in the Riverlands and the crown lands. Your brother and son raided the Riverlands trying to get Tyrion back. In the process they have started a war. I will command my armies East to Riverrun and teach a lesson to the Tullys. Your northerman has been accused of treason and regicide. Tommen, Joanna and Arya have gone missing. Renly Baratheon styles himself as king of the Seven Kingdoms. I have been called by the new hand of the king Lord Petyr Baelish for acts of treason. They claim I conspired to kill Jon Arryn and Robert Arryn. Have Jon call his bannermen and meet me at the Neck.

Tywin Lannister

Lord of Casterly Rock

Warden of the West

Jon crumpled the letter. "Maester Luwin, call the banners. We travel south on the morrow."

The maester did not argue or try to deter him. This was a provocation so big that Luwin could do nothing but agree with his judgment.

Mother looked up to cousin Lancel. "Why have we not heard anything from the Queen and the crown?"

The young man stared blankly at her. "I had hoped to see Lord Stark too." Lancel replied.

Jon looked at his mother and then held her hands. "They don't know yet. Your father has spies all around court." He kissed her forehead. "I will get our family back mother. I promise." He hugged her.

"Maester Luwin send ravens to all our lords. We travel at dawn break." Jon said and stood up. He looked at Lancel and then bellowed for Osha. "Guide him to his quarters."

Osha nodded. Lancel looked at her and grinned broadly. He would be in for a trade. The wildling frowned all the way to the stairs.

Master Luwin made his way to the rookery and left the Stark in the hearth. Mother was still seated. She looked shell shocked.

"Your father. We have to get him back. They will kill him once father rescues your uncle. Your siblings, Tommen and the girls what if something happened to them?" Mother said hollowly.

"You should go to bed." He said and helped her to her quarters. She was eerily quiet, as if she had not received any news.

Jon shook, he ran down to the godswoods. He knelt to the heart tree and trembled. They were going to start a war. A war against the crown, father hated talking about Robert's rebellion or the Greyjoys' revolt. Jon knew he had been instrumental in both victories for his friend Baratheon and now he was going against Baratheon.

He walked farther to the hot springs, Ghost wandered off. Jon walked until he reached the hot springs. He would not see the springs again. He would have to leave home, mother and Bran. Jon undressed and slipped into the hot water. He closed his eyes. This place had a hold on him. It relaxed him, made him forget that in the morrow he would lead armies of men into most likely a war.

Jon did not feel her until she spoke. "Lord Stark, so well endowed." He opened his eyes and saw a naked Ygrette. He had been wondering about what was under all those furs and now he knew. She was beautiful really but she was there and he had not been with any girls since uncle Tyrion dragged him out of Ros's bed. He felt his treacherous body respond to the naked, wet girl in front of him. The wildling girl noticed too. She moved closer "You probably don't know where to put it."

Lord Stark forgot himself. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to his lap. Ygrette gasped. Jon knew she could feel all of him by her inner thigh close to her slit.

"I know where to put it." He hissed. He should have known Ygrette would not shy away like any other would. She squirmed and smiled toothily, in one swift motion he was inside of her. She felt incredible, hot, and she was fucking him. It wouldn't do, Jon picked her up and put them in the ground. He slipped out of her. Ygrette had a self-satisfied smirk. "Proper lord Stark cannot get filthy with the likes of me." Her voice was mocking and filled with contempt. Jon wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk and hear her beg him for more.

He kissed her neck, she tried to touch him but he pinned her hands with one of his. She was strong but tiny, and her legs were firmly held by his. He kissed the space between her small breasts and went lower. The red hair of her womanhood matched the red of her hair and he had the sudden desire to kiss her there. Jon did so. He placed little kisses and then licked her. He had never done it; one did not lick whores. He had stayed in Winterfell all his life and the servant girls had not really been all that inventive or willing to risk the wrath of Lady Stark. They would bed him and then never again try anything which suited Jon Stark fine.

Ygrette moaned, finally her face changed and she looked blissful, gone was her smug face and only pleasure was etched in her face. Jon had the upper hand and would not relinquish his acquired power over the wildling girl. She came with a gasp and shuddered under him. He entered her and moved inside of her slowly. She did not come that time. He pulled out before he could lose his seed inside of her. He would father no bastards.

He was startled when she rolled on top of him. "That thing you did with your mouth." She said with a quiet voice. He let her speak more. "Is that how lords kiss their ladies in the South?"

"I don't know. It's the first time I have done so." Jon said honestly. She laughed. "You were not a maiden Jon Stark." Ygrette continued.

Jon smiled and gazed up to the Grey skies of the North. "I was not. I have not been since Robb took me to a brothel."

"Your brother." She said. "Does he live away from here?"

"He's in the Riverlands with my mother's brother." Jon spoke with a hint of bitterness. It all came back. He was setting foot out of Winterfell to fight a war. Jon had to. He was the heir; it was his duty to protect Robb. He protected Robb, all of his life he took care of him, of Tommen, Joanna, Arya and Bran. They were all out of reach but for Bran. Bran and mother were safe. He would keep them safe and get his siblings back. Father would want him to make sure they were all safe.

Jon liked Ygrette's hair. It looked beautiful in the green grass. "I am going South to get him and my siblings."

Ygrette watched his face. "You should be going North. Mance has an army. We are going to take our lands back," she spouted.

"Do you know how many times the free folk has tried to invade Westeros?" He asked and pinned her down once again.

"Five times and all five times we have driven them back." Jon said starkly. "You lack training, discipline and weaponry. Your king beyond the wall will fail. The Wall will not be destroyed.

Ygrette got the glint in her eyes. "We have a horn that will blow up your big ugly wall to pieces."

Jon actually had to laugh at that. She kicked him on the hip and tried to move away from him but he held her steady under him. "I'm taking you South with me." He kissed her then. It was strange; he kissed only four women in his lifetime. Mother, Arya, Joanna and Ros. Ros had been the only one he kissed romantically or sexually. So far he liked Ygrette better.