the songs of winter // j.snow 3.

7.1 Tales

"Once upon a time there was a girl," Arabella started as a few children of the castle listened to her tell a tale. Arabella placed her hand on her stomach to feel her little girl kick. "She lived on a beautiful castle, full of men and women..."

"Was she beautiful?" a young girl with freckles on her face, possibly a wildling's child asked Arabella, who smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

She felt another kick and sighed. Her pregnancy was harder than with Reddard, much harder, and the thought of white walkers didn't let her sleep well.

Arabella kept her word about not marrying Jon. But the thought of him lying with another woman was hard. "The girl was a princess, ready to a queen when an evil witch cast a spell and didn't let her become one," Arabella continued with dramatic eyes causing the kids to listen intently.

Jon walked in after a meeting to see kids in their shared room. Arabella didn't see to acknowledge him as she smiled at the kids while stroking her belly that was full now. "And then she met a king," Arabella said, a sentimental smile plastered on her face. "He had beautiful brown locks, and blue ocean eyes..."

Jon frowned slightly at the thought of her still thinking about Robb. He knew Robb was her only true big love. "They married even if it was against the king's mother's rules," Arabella finally noticed Jon standing in the doorway, looking at her.

She smiled causing all the kids to turn around and see the King in the North himself. "Now, children, we will continue the tale the next day. The King in the North is tired," she told them calmly.

Everyone quickly stood up and marched past Jon, not even bowing down, but Jon didn't care. They were just children, and he never wanted to be a King.

Jon closed the doors fully and turned to see Arabella standing up. "Don't," he rushed over and helped causing her to glare at him playfully.

"I'm quite all right, your grace," she smiled and he helped her go sit down on the bed. "I'm stronger now, it isn't my first time carrying a child."

Jon kneeled down besides her with a tired face. "How was the meeting?" Arabella caressed his cheek and shortly after kissed it.

"Sansa questioned me in front of everyone," he sighed and Arabella raised her eyebrow up. "I don't want to be this king, who kills everyone for a treason or--"

He didn't finish as her lips brushed against his. Jon kissed her back instantly and then they pulled away, their foreheads touching. "What if I ask you to marry me?" he questioned causing Arabella to pull away and look at him.

"We've already discussed this, Jon," she sighed as she held onto her stomach. "We can't do this."

"But you're Arabella Baratheon, Robert Baratheon's daughter--"

"Who has no army, no land, no power," she answered angrily. There it was again. Another fight. Arabella sighed stroking Jon's cheek again. "I love you, Jon. We're about to become parents to this little one," she said taking his hand and placing it on her stomach. "I once told Robb that there are other ways of providing marriage, a child. And this is what I'm sticking to, like it or not."

Jon finally nodded and kissed her again. Even if she told him she loved him, he couldn't see it sometimes. Because Jon was obsessed with Arabella. Her beauty, her stubbornness and will.

But he knew she never looked at him the way she used to look at Robb.

~~

"Ser Davos," Arabella smiled at the man she grown to love as he walked into her room. Jon had left again to talk to Sansa. "What brings you here?"

Ser Davos smiled down at the woman. "No need to rise, Bella," he chuckled at how she made him call her like that.

Arabella smiled and continued to lay down. "How are you feeling?" Arabella asked, still knowing that Shireen's death affected the Onion Knight more than anyone else.

Ser Davos shrugged slightly. "Good as new," he commented and Arabella raised her eyebrow up. "Might as well ask you the same."

Arabella looked down at her stomach. It was cold in Winterfell most of the time, because it was winter already. "I'm afraid," she admitted for the first time to Ser Davos. "More than ever. This child is about to be born and the dead are coming..."

Ser Davos nodded his head understandingly. "Jon Snow will let the dead king eat him alive rather than watch you and your unborn child suffer," he said and Arabella wanted to believe that it was the true.

"Thank you, Ser Davos, for keeping me company throughout these days," she smiled softly. Sansa was keeping distance after she found out Arabella was pregnant.

She didn't know whether it was Littlefinger, or Sansa fearing that Arabella could become the Lady of the house since Jon was a king. "My pleasure, prin-- Arabella," he said and Arabella closed her eyes, feeling tired.

Jon walked back into the room and Ser Davos left. He walked back to her, knowing how much the pregnancy made her lose power. Arabella barely left her chamber. "Jon..." Arabella whispered and he smiled before sitting down on the bed beside her.

He stroke her beautiful cheek and leaned down to press a longing kiss on her forehead. He loved her so much, but thought that they wouldn't last forever, and that thought made him scared.

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