Still Soulmate

Chapter 16: The Cell

  It was cold down in the cell, a different cold to the North, a darker more nasty kind of cold. Ygritte sat there at the back of the cell and tried so hard not to feel sorry for herself. She sat there with her knees drawn up to her chest, arms curled around her legs and her back pressed against the cold stone of the rear wall. No, she wasn't going to feel sorry for herself she was going to hate Jon Snow.

  There was only one problem with that though and that was that no matter how hard she tried she could not hate Jon. Even when their bond was still new, before they had died and the bond had strengthened, when Jon left her it had almost killed her to try and persuade herself to hate him enough to shoot him. When she had shot him she had felt it physically and emotionally from his end.

  Now he had left her again but this time it was different. This time he had left because he loved her too much, not because he didn't love her enough. Last time he chose the Night's Watch over her- and she still wasn't to sure whether she forgave him for that- but this time he had left her here to protect her.

  No, really the person that she was angry at was herself. He had tricked her, it had been all too easy for him to get her in this stupid cell. She was a free woman and she had been so easily outsmarted by a high born southerner. Ygritte supposes that all the castles and regular food and servants and all of the rest of the fancy lord shit has made her soft. Stupid and soft. What the hell was her baby going to be like if she was this soft already. The poor thing was going to grow up to be a fat, slow lordling or lady.

  Seven hells! 

  No Ygritte would not let that happen. Son or daughter Ygritte would train the child and teach them to survive the wilds as best she could south of the Wall. Jon would not be able to get in the way of that, he wouldn't be able to lock her away over that.

  She was broken from her thoughts then but the sound of footsteps down the steps. Curious, she pushed herself up from the floor but didn't bother to brush the straw or dirt off of her furs. Instead she just made her way up to the bars, wrapping one hand around the cold iron and leaning against it.

  The person came into view and it turned out to be Davos. She gritted her teeth at the sight of the grey haired man; he was in on this, she knew that just from the way that he and Jon had looked at each other before Jon had locked her up.

  "Your Grace-" Davos started.

  "Don't "Your Grace" me knight. Do I look like a sodding queen to you!" Ygritte snapped.

  "Sorry... Ygritte. I just came wondering if you'd like to be let out," he said calmly, hands clasped in front of him.

  "Cause I would. I'm not some naughty child to be punished," Ygritte growled.

  "Trust me, both I and your husband understand that completely. You're in here to protect both you and that baby m'lady," Davos replied equally calmly.

  "So you know about that then."

  "Sure. Not that Jon told me, just figured it. Others that have probably figured it to but I wouldn't know for sure," Davos told her.

  "Not a big deal but if you know then why are you keeping a pregnant woman in a cold dark cell?" Ygritte asked, leaning in closer.

  Davos' mouth twitched up in a smile at her words," we both know that this cold is really not bothering you. You're a warrior and a free woman Ygritte, I'm no fool and you can't play that card on me."

  "Fine but will you let me out anyway?"

  "As long as you don't try to leave the castle," Davos told her.

  "What and go after Jon Snow? Now you are the one thinkin' that I am the fool," Ygritte sneered.

   Davos just bowed his head to that and moved forward, pulling out keys and unlocking the gate. Ygritte moved through slowly and watched as the old knight closed the cell door again with an echoing clank. As he turned back to face her though, she pulled back her fist and punched him in the jaw.

  The knight stumbled back with an indignant cry. He looked up at her, clutching the side of his face.

  "I'm guessing that was for the cell thing," he grunted.

  "Oh trust me Jon Snow's getting worse than a punch in the face," Ygritte growled and she meant it.

  For a long moment Davos just looked at her as if trying to work out if she was serious or not. Eventually he just straightened up and gestured for her to move up the stairs. That's what she did.

  As soon as she was back in the light of day, in the snow, she felt better, she felt calmer- she had been down in the cell for a day at least. She was still mad at Jon and would be until she saw him again and the stupid bond and her stupid love for him made her forgive him. She was going to make him pay though, wasn't too sure as of how at that moment but he was going to pay. Some sort of superficial wound that would leave a scar maybe. Maybe just a series of punches.

  "Deep in thought I see," Davos said, coming up besides her and bouncing on the balls of his feet.

  "Mmm. How to make Jon suffer," she said.

    The knight gave her a concerned side ways glance  but she paid him no mind. It was at that moment that her attention was drawn towards the north-facing gate leading to the tunnels that went through the Wall. The free woman strode over to see why there were people gathering, pushing her way through to see the bastard boy of the old stag king. He was bent over and out of breath.

  If he was here then that didn't bode well. Jon was in trouble and the stubborn king had locked her away so she wasn't there to help him. If he came back alive she was going to give him more than just one scar to live with.