Chapter 17: North

It was already dawn when I was awaken by the rudeness of his voice.

"You get up in haste, slave-girl. We'll head back to North. Now, move your arse!"
He yelled at me, thrown in front of me was his fur coat he usually wore in Winterfell.

"Wear that thing so you would not freeze to death during the ride." he coldly told her and went out of the chamber.

I hastily put the coat around my shoulders and smelled it. It was the fresh-manly scent of Jon Snow and I have always loved his smell.

"Slave-girl!" his impatient voice boomed outside the chamber.

I moved in haste and picked up his things.

I silently smiled and felt a sudden warmth in my heart since it was the second time he showed compassion towards me. The first time was when Ramsay introduced me to him in front of Winterfell gates.

"Jon was not that rude after all." I muttered to myself. A sweet smile was formed on my lips as I finally left the chamber of Casterly Rock Castle, silently followed Jon and Sam who stood at the edge of the corridor, as if they waited for me to come out.

As we arrived at the large courtyard of the Castle, the Lannisters were already there waiting for us.

I saw Jon's Northsmen were very busy tending the horses in preparation of our leave while the other Winterfell servants were with Lady Sansa who stood in front of Queen Cersei, the two seems to have a serious talk.

But they stopped when Jon stood next to Sansa,bidded goodbye to the Queen,Tywin,Tyrion and Jaime.

"Have a safe ride back home, Lord Snow and Lady Sansa." Lord Tywin said.

"Thank you,Lord Tywin. It's been a great pleasure you have received and treated us very well in our stay here." Sansa smiled to Lord Tywin. "Your highness, thank you so much." and to the Queen.

"May the Gods keep you safe in your journey back home, child." Queen Cersei kissed Sansa's cheeks.

"Lord Snow..wait!" I froze when I saw Princess Myrcella ran towards Jon's direction. Almost everyone went silent when the Princess hugged Jon. The young Lord never expected her gesture, so he was also stunned for a second.

"Have a safe ride, Jon." she sweetly muttered to him.

"Thank you, Princess. Take care of yourself, too." Jon whispered to her.

"Wait for me at Winterfell,Jon." the Princess kissed Jon's cheek.

I could not dare look at them. It was too painful for me to see since they both bidded goodbye to each other but the longing and love from the Princess' eyes were pretty obvious. And Jon, I could not fathom his expression. But he smiled sweetly to Princess Myrcella and gracefully bowed to her and kissed her hands.

My heart was torn into shreds at the sight. Yes, I was jealous. But I do not have the right to feel it.
Jon was not mine.
I was just a servant and it was very obvious the big difference between me and the Princess. Who else would rather Jon choose?

It would be the Princess, of course!

She's everything a man like Jon could ask for.

"Take care young lady and pursue what is rightfully yours." I froze when I heard what the halfman had said. He was intently staring at me when he uttered those words.

"Lord Tyrion--" I uttered. I never noticed my eyes became misty, I simply wiped it at the back of my hand.

"We'll head back now." Jon had cut my words. He was now staring at me in a sharp manner and to Lord Tyrion.
He had swiftly mounted on his horse. He motioned me to follow Lady Sansa towards the horse carriage.

"R-right away, my Lord."
I abruptly said.
"Goodbye my Lords, your highness."
I uttered to the Lannisters before I ran to follow Lady Sansa's direction.

Still my heart felt so heavy from the mere sight I had been witnessed just a minute ago.

"You were crying? Why?" Leila had suddenly whispered to me when I sat beside her.
"I-I did not. Perhaps the weather had caused my eyes to water." I lied, but just when I gazed to Lady Sansa's chair, she was intently eyeing on me.

"What were you up to, girl-slave? Now that you had caused great trouble to my brother, again. Almost endangering the pact between the House Lannisters and us Starks. Whenever you were with him, you'd always put him in such deep havoc." sharp words were thrown at me by the Young Lady.

"My lady.." I just uttered those words for her since I had no plans to answer her vixin tongue. Instead, I tightly gripped Jon's coat as if it was my only lifeline from the rudeness of Lady Sansa.

"And why did you wear my brother's coat? Did you stole it from him? Answer me!" she angrily hissed at me.

I was startled by her accusation.

"N-no, my Lady. I did not steal it from Lord Snow, h-he had let me wear it but I would give it back to him once we arrived at Winterfell." I said in a trembling voice.

I know, she was not convinced of my words since all of them believed I only spoke of lies.

"Really? How could my brother do such foolish things like being suddenly kind to a nasty creature like you." she mumbled those sharp words to herself but was good enough to hear by me and everyone inside the carriage.
I felt my cheeks went red.
I felt ashamed and pity for myself by the harsh treatment of the Young Lady towards me.

I was never been terribly shamed and humiliated  in my whole life living as a highborn of House Dreadfort of North not until Ramsay had brought me at the doorsteps of Winterfell sold as slave to Jon Snow.
From there, I felt how pitiful and painful being humiliated and shamed by people who were a mere stranger to me.

"I-I am really sorry for my shameful behaviour, my Lady." was all I could utter. I could sensed Leila and the other servants were looking at me.

"You should be sorry. You weren't entitled to behave like one of us highborns or treated with privilige since you were a daughter of a traitor, girl-slave. You should always remember that." there was a dangerous warning in her tone.

"Girl-slave."
I trembled in my seat when I heard Jon Snow's voice.
It was two days past since we left from Casterly Rock. But Lady Sansa had requested to Jon, the Northsmen must rests before we hit  the terrain again.

So, the group had sat a camp at the Wolfswood, and it may never take a day or two before we  arrive at the White knife and to Winterfell.

"Y-yes, my Lord?"

He stood at the open entrance of his tent, his eyes were staring at me. I nearly curled my toes the way his eyes roamed from my head to toe.

And here was my heart beats wildly.

"D-do you need anything, my Lord?" I stammered, avoiding his stares.

"Come with me. And wear the coat." he coldly said to me and turned his back away.
I abruptly followed him.

I noticed we were walking away from the group. I could barely see the camp from where we walked.

"Where are we heading to, my Lord?" I curiously asked him.

But he never answered. I never dared try to speak again since he would not answer me.

We stopped near the  stream, shadowed with bulky trees where its big roots almost touched the clear water. The explicit beauty, calmness, and the quite surroundings had brought peace in me. I could smell the minty leaves since the winter is already near but the familiar  cold and soft  touched of the Northern Wind gave chills inside me.

"Sam!"
He called out.
I suddenly turned my gaze to the group of twenty men who were approaching us, they were headed by Lord Tarly. Both carried bows and arrows on their backs.

They were the hunters of Winterfell.

"Jon.."
His face were serious.

"How many are they?"

"Forty-five, Jon."

"Get them." Jon ordered. His eyes went fierce and became dangerous.

I sensed there was something going on when Sam eyed on me.

"What about, Racy? She may recognized one of those men."
He whispered to him but since I stood next to Jon, I clearly heard his words.

"She can't do anything."

Jon muttered.

The familiar fear took over me. I suddenly felt scared but I didn't know why.

Sam and the hunters were already gone.

"What was that all about, my Lord?"

"It's nothing.."

"I heard Lord Tarly had mentioned my name. I thought perhaps, it concerns about me."  I directly told him.

"Few deserters from the ruined house of dreadfort were seen lurking at White knife near the roads to Winterfell. And it would never concern you at all since you were already a slave and has no power to save your people from the Northsmen's  judgement."

I felt dazed when he told me of it. It was my father's men who they were chasing like rabbits.

"You wouldn't kill them, would you?"

I feared that most of them were the remaining  loyal servants  who fled from the  Castle before Ramsay had intruded, followed by Jon's Northsmen when Ramsay himself was fought by Jon at the battle.

"If they happened to be the most loyal servants from the ruined House Dreadfort, my Lord.. please spare their lives. They will never harm the North. They just want to live."
My eyes became misty as I pleaded to him.

"Don't you ever try dictate me what to do, girl-slave." his face became fierce as he grabbed my left arm.

I whimpered in fear and hurt.

"I-I'm sorry, my Lord."

"Keep your mouth shut. Else, I would let my men cut your tongue and feed it to the dogs." he warned.

"Just few days ago, you claimed you were not Ross Bolton's daughter but why the sudden change of heart, girl-slave? Now, it was clear to me, you were just pretending to be somebody else so you could get away with your crime in Westerland." he said. Doubts and hate were written on his face as he turned his gaze to her.

"I was not lying of my claim. But those servants from House Dreadfort, the only place where I was born and raised, they've been very loyal to my family.... and I loved all of them. They, too, were a family to me, my Lord." my voice trembled.

I shook in fear when I heard screams from a distant. They were voices of women and men.

" M-my Lord, please..I beg you..." I cried to him.

The voices and screams went nearer.

"Lord Snow, we've got 'em all!" Yelled one of the hunters.
"Where's Sam?"

"I' m here, Jon!"

Sam was gripping one of the deserters. An old man with a big chain on his waist.

My heart skipped and eyes went wide when I recognized who it was!

"M-maester!" I called him.

"L-lady Racy! Oh, Lady Racy! I thank the Gods, I was glad you were alive!" the worry and fear from Maester' s face were replaced with relief and gladness when he saw me.

"Lady Racy!" shouted the familiar old woman. She was my mother's personal servant.
I knew all of them!
Pity and pain were all I felt when I realized Jon's Northsmen had captured the House Dreadfort's loyal servants and not one of her father's merciless former armies.

All along in many years passed, they were just here in the Wolfswood hiding and afraid of what may the North do to them if they would be captured.

"Take them all to the Camp. We will bring them to Winterfall."
He ordered. All of them went back to the camp but I was left with Jon.

"Your guess was true. They were your most loyal servants."

"What would you do to them, my Lord?"

"What was on your mind, girl-slave?" he looked at me.

"You would locked them up in the dungeon like what you did to me?" I was terrified of the thought.

"You will see."

"Was it the reason why you commanded me to follow you here? To witness how your men chased my own people like rabbits!" I suppressed my anger towards him. But I was betrayed by my own tears.

I clinched my both fists to calm myself.

"So, you were gone fiesty now, girl-slave!" he yelled at me as he grabbed me in my arms.

"Let me go, my Lord!" I cried. I struggled to get free from his grasp. But he was gripping both of my arms tightly I could feel his nails dugged in my own flesh.

"A while ago you were pleading for mercy but now you've swiftly turned into a little tiger, girl-slave!"
He pinched my chin and forced me to look at him. My eyes became blurry with tears, I could not speak of any words.
I was just right there. Looking at him as tears were continuously flowing freely from my eyes.

I couldn't help but to ask myself how did I ever take all of these? I never deserved to be treated like this. But I could not hate him. I love Jon so much.
And he punished me for the crimes I had never comitted.

"L-Lord Snow.." was all I could utter but rather it was more of a whisper.
I flinched when he suddenly brushed my face with his bare hand.

"Racy Bolton..why are you doing this to me? You and Your family turned me into a monster.."
I saw regret, struggle, and pain in his eyes.

"I am tired of this mess, Racy Bolton. But when I thought of my family murdered by your own father, I couldn't help myself but to take revenge..to you."

He cupped my face and ran his fingers through my lips, and down to my neck.
His eyes were curiously searching my face as he brushed his fingers down on the top of my breast.
I shivers when I see a haze of lust glinting in his eyes.

My heart were in a horse race as I looked at his handsome face. His face inching close to me until he was just a breath away. I could almost feel the shape of his lips.

But he suddenly freed me from his grasp and pushed me on the grassy ground. I slowly moved away but I could not move any further since my back was hit against the big roots of the tree. I was trapped.

" Lord Snow.." I softly whispered to him.

He moved towards me. His stance were firm and dominant.

"You need to get away from me, don't you?" his mouth grim, his eyes were stern and his hands clinched at his sides. As if he was controlling himself not to come any more closer to me.
And then he storms past me. Leaving me in great confusion.

Unable to control my feelings, I let go again of my tears. Right there, where no one could ever hear me, I cried in great pain Jon had inflicted in me..

To be continued...

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