Chapter 10: Baffled

I nearly killed her.

Jon stared at Racy but the girl never noticed it.
She was busy doing her chores in Jon's chamber. Since that day, when Jon Snow almost took her life, she kept her distance from him. She had avoided the young Lord's presence. Whenever he was near, she would kept herself busy with things. She feared she would trigger his anger towards her again if she wouldn't be careful with her every actions.
But Jon had really noticed her aloofness towards him.

What am I thinking! She was still a daughter of a traitor and she's a schemer,too! Why would I be troubled with her! Of what I did to her, she was worthy of it!.

He reminded himself not to pity the girl. He  brushed his hand through his curly hair and stood from his table. He deeply sighed as he looked at Ross Bolton's daughter,a once pampered, and born with a silverspoon in her mouth young lady, was now the lowest rank servant in Winterfell.
"Racy Bolton."
The girl was startled when Jon called her name. She unintentionally dropped the rough cloth she had used to scrub the floor. Fear started to arise within her.

Would he hurt me again?
She frightenedly asked herself.
"Y-yes, Lord Snow? D-do you need anything?"
Her voice trembled and she uttered the words in a stuttered way.
"Go to Tarly's chamber, and tell Sam I need to speak with him in private at once."
He commanded her in a very cold tone.
She swiftly bowed her head in a graceful manner.
"As you wished, my Lord. I w-would be right back with Lord Tarly with me."
Her stutters never stopped. When she pivoted towards the door she had suddenly stumbled on the floor.
Her cheeks turned red upon the shameful and clumsy act in front of the young Lord. She hastily stood up.

Foolish girl! Jon Snow might be laughing at  me now!

She scolded herself for it.
"Make it haste, you clumsy dimwit!"
Jon said to her with obvious irratation in his tone.
She hurriedly went outside.
As the girl had left Jon's chamber, a slight smile was plastered on his handsome face. He can't help it. He was slightly entertained at her clumsiness.

Truly, that traitor girl was really something!

He deeply sighed at the thought.
"I could see you were prettily entertained with your girl-slave." Her beautiful smile were of malice.
It was his half-sister, the auburn-haired young Lady, Sansa. She was standing at the door.
"Come in." Jon seriously motioned her to enter inside the chamber, totally ignoring what she have said.
She gracefully walked inside. She went straight to where her brother was and sat next to him.
"What do you want, little sister?" he seriously asked. It was no nature of her to visit him in his chamber. When both of their parents were still alive, Sansa had always ignored him. She was never that closed to him, only his half sister Arya. Because Arya idolized him very much. But not Sansa. She was demure and very much lady-like. It suits her very well, anyway.
"There was a letter carried by the Raven from the Lannisters of Casterly Rock, Maester Luwin gave it to me. But I thought it would be best if you would read it first, Jon. "
She handed him the small paper scroll.
Jon took it.

Now, what does the Lannister want from us?

His brows furrowed as he read the contents.
"What of it, Jon?" there was a curiousity in Sansa's vivid blue eyes.
"An invitation. Tywin Lannister were inviting us to visit Casterly Rock before this moon ends." Jon became suddenly looked troubled. He looked at his sister.
"He offered me to marry Myrcella, Cercei and King Robert's daughter."
Sansa gasped in disbelief.
"But..Myrcella was only fifteen years old, Jon. She's too young to marry."

Of course, I knew it! Myrcella was Rickon's age!

He exclaimed to himself.
Then, he remembered Ygrette..and his unborn child.
"I won't marry her."
There was a lump in his throat as he voiced out those words.
"If it's the alliance they kept on worrying about, I could assure them, the loyalty of the North was still at the throne."

I couldn't marry the princess! And that is final!

"P-Pardon me, my Lord.. Lord Tarly is here."
Racy had already came back. Jon could sensed she was still afraid of him.

She must be!

He thought.
"Send him in." he commanded her.
"I should better get going, Jon." Sansa stood up.
Jon gave her a nod and she went on.
As Sansa was about to pass along where the girl-slave stood, she gave Racy a smirk.
"You should better behave properly, girl-slave. We still have never forget that you were a traitor's daughter and a schemer..If you thought, Jon pitied you and you would be freed home, then, you were wrong." There was pure hate and vengeance in Sansa's eyes.
She dangerously whispered to her that only the two of them could hear.
Racy's heart were in race. It painfully beats rapidly as she looked at Jon.

I knew it. I bound to be Jon Snow's slave for a lifetime. He would never forgive me and so are you, Stark girl. Jon would never ever set me free... It's my own death that could only set me free.

She blinked hard to supress the tears from falling. She couldn't bear to leave Jon. She would willingly endure his insults and punishments just to be at his side.
"Why are you still standing there? Get back to your work!"
Jon angrily yelled at her. Even Samwell was startled.
She continued on with her work quitely.

It was nightfall, Racy was in deep slumber at the floor when Jon entered his chamber.
His heavy footsteps never awoke the girl-slave. He continued to walk to his bed when he heard her whimpering softly.
Racy Bolton was dreaming in her sleep.
He never gave her the priviliged to sleep in bed since she was his slave. The floor suits her well. He went to bed and tried to sleep.
But the thought kept on reminding him of what he did to her at the mess hall. It never made him sleep peacefully since then. After the girl, Racy, had passed out in his arms,his inner sense had never stopped causing havoc in his whole being. His anger suddenly went out of hand when he saw her happily talking to that Manderly boy, Wynfryd. And he had hurt her. It was not of his nature to be easily enraged or troubled with such nonsense but, Racy, there was something in her that reminded her of Ygrette.

It couldn't be! I love Ygrette and I shouldn't compare her to the damned schemer!

Was it because he despised her so much?
Or was it because how the girl, Racy, looked at him? Those eyes.. The way her eyes looked at him.. It reminded him of his, dear Ygrette.

No, it can't be..

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