Chapter 08: Bastard's Mercy

"How are you feeling, Racy Bolton?"
I was awake by Bran Stark's soft but firm voice. He was sitting on his chair near in my bed. Hodor, too, was with him.
"L-lord Stark. Forgive me of my rudeness, but I felt slightly better now. Must be the herbs and ointments the Maester had put on my bruises and wounds." I shyly smiled at him as I struggled to get up from the bed. "Look, the wounds, they were almost healed now, Lord Stark." I showed him my wounded  arm.
"H-Hodor! Hodor!"
It was Hodor. His face was beaming with smile. He seemed glad when he saw my nearly healed wounds.
Bran's gesture and treatment towards me was the perfect opposite of his older brother Jon. He was very kind to me even though my true identity being a true-born Bolton was revealed in all Winterfell Castle and of North. I never received any remorse and hate from him, unlike Jon and the rest of the Northerners.
"I was very pleased that you were finally healing now, Racy Bolton. I felt very sorry for my brother's rudeness to you. It was not of his true nature. Jon was really a good man."
The young Stark smiled at me.
"I understand very well, Lord Stark. I couldn't blame Lord Snow of his treatment towards me. My father and brother had wronged your family. And I couldn't do anything to save myself from his wrath."
I bowed my head,tried to conceal the pain that I felt.
"He owned me. He bought me from my brother Ramsay. So, there's nothing I could do to save myself from him. He could do anything he wanted to do with me, because I was my father and brother's parcel that was sold to him and to the Starks.. And that was the truth, Lord Stark."I said painfully to him. Tears had escaped from my eyes even though I had tried to keep it from falling.
What a dreadful and painful fate I have!
I felt pity for myself. I wished I wasn't born a Bolton, so Jon would never hate me.
The door had suddenly swung open, then entered the Winterfell's guard and.. Jon Snow. My heart skipped at the sight of him but fear suddenly took over me when I realized he came to forcibly took me out of this chamber.
I was very frightened when two of his men had tightly pulled my wrists and forced me to get up on bed.
"There is no place for you here, traitor. I could see you were already well."
Jon said coldly. His words seemed like an insult when he gave me his coldest, rude and murderous glare.
"Why are you doing this to her, Jon? We have already discussed about these matter beforehand.." said Bran. I could still sensed his calmness.
"You heard me before,younger brother. I owned her and there's nothing you could do about it. I would do whatever I want to do with her because she was sold to me."
Jon said firmly. Bran never said a word. But I could see his face had gone serious.
"Lord Stark.. please, help me."
I begged to Bran helplessly. But the guards had carried me out of bed and pushed me toward Jon Snow. A sting of pain rushed through me as Jon tightly gripped my nearly healed arm.
"Come with me." He dragged me out of the chamber, never letting go of my arm.
"Stop it,Jon! Stop hurting, Racy!"
Shouted Bran from inside the chamber.
"Let me go, Lord Snow. Please.. I beg you.."
I cried in so much fear.
"Please..never locked me up in the dungeon..never again, Lord Snow. I couldn't take anymore beatings and punishments from your men. Have mercy.." Hopeless, frightened and in despair, I begged from him once again.
He stopped. He looked at me as if I was the most disgusting thing he had ever laid his eyes on.
"You asked for my mercy, begged to be freed.. and schemed my brother to sympathize you! What else you were capable to do that would certainly harm us all, traitor? You were really Ross Bolton's blood! Precisely, there's no doubt about that!" He angrily told me. "Now, move along!" He continued to drag me out of the Castle.
The Castle guards were right behind us.
"Jon,leave her alone. It wasn't right to hurt her like this. Leave her be.."
It was Bran. He and Hodor had followed us through the corridor of Winterfell Castle.
Jon threw me a vicious stare before he looked at Bran.
"I was not going to kill her, Bran."
He stated, showed no emotions to his younger brother.
"Then, where are you taking her? Dragging her this far?"
I saw how Jon clinched his fists, he was trying to control his anger.
"She is my slave. I'm taking her to my chamber. I hope it was clear enough for you to understand, younger brother."
"Swear to me, Jon, you wouldn't do anything foolish to harm the girl." Bran's tone was hopeful. I could see how he loved and respected his older brother despite the steaming and awkward occurence that I had implicated between them.
Jon never said a word to his brother and went off towards his chamber, dragging me along with him.
He instantly threw me on the floor as we arrived inside his chamber. I cowered myself in fear when I saw his Direwolf approaching me.
"Ghost.."
Said Jon to the beast as he went inside the small room inside his chamber. He left me there with his beast.
The white beast halted when it reached me. I felt its nose in my hair. Sniffing my scent.. Would he feed me to his direwolf?
In terror and disbelief of such terrible fate, I might have suffered from him or his direwolf, I struggled myself to get away from the beast. But I hit my back against the solid wall.
The beast had cautiously followed me through there.
"Lord Snow, make the beast stop! Please have mercy..help me."
I whimpered in the corner in fear and terror.
"Ghost, get away from her."
He ordered coldly to the beast when he got back from the small room. The direwolf obeyed Jon and went back to the other corner where it had previously laid.
"And you.." He pointed at me. "Stop acting like you were really hurt. You would never make me believe with your lame schemes."
He coldly continued. He walked towards his table and sat there. Ignoring me at the corner. He was writing something on the paper scroll at his table that had made him forgot about me.
I left dumbfounded and silently stared at Jon Snow. Fear had slightly subsided in me but still wary of the worst things he would do after. He was unpredictable. He would suddenly gone cold to you, calm and became angry afterhand. This was not the Lord Jon Snow I knew of, eversince I met him at the Gates of Winterfell. I had suddenly wondered while staring at him, what would it be like if we have met in different time and circumstances? What if I was not born a Bolton when I came here in this Castle?
What if I was just a mere ordinary lady?
Would he still be this cruel towards me?
Would he like me, or even love me, too?
Because, right now.. I am at his mercy..and would always be.

© melai2020

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