the songs of winter // j.snow 3.

8.2 Imprisoned Heart

"Your Grace," Lyanna Mormont spoke with a disappointed look on her face as she stood. Somehow Arabella knew what she was going to say. "But you're not, are you?" she asked meaning Jon.

Arabella felt Jon's hand slip off of hers. "You left Winterfell a kingdom and came back... I'm not sure what you are now. A lord? Nothing at all?"

"It's not important," he answered with a smile as Arabella snapped her head at his direction to see Daenerys glancing at him too. With a slightly different expression on her face.

"Not important?" Lady Mormont questioned in front of everyone as Arabella returned her slightly angered look back on the young girl. She looked angry. "We named you king in the North."

Other lords agreed so Jon turned to see a conflicted expression on his wife's face and a dull one of Sansa's. His sister then looked back at him. "You did, my lady" Jon then agreed and smiled but Lyanna was like a rock. "It was an honor of my life. I'll always be grateful for your faith. But when I left Winterfell..." Jon rose from his seat as Arabella stared at Daenerys. "I told you we need allies or we will die."

Lyanna sat down quietly as Jon continued on with his speech. "I brought those allies home. To fight alongside."

The look on Daenerys face as she watched Jon speak caused Arabella's stomach to turn. No matter the talk these two women had back in the ship Arabella still had doubts. Maybe not from Jon's part but from hers. "I had a choice. To keep my crown or protect the North. I chose the North."

Other lords began to murmur as Arabella felt her hand shake. Sansa subtly placed her hand on top of hers to calm her down.

Tyrion seeing an opportunity to maybe soften the situation stood up and moved in front of the table to speak. "If anyone survives the war to come will have Jon Snow to thank. He risked his life to show us the threat is real," Tyrion said seriously. "Thanks to his courage, we have brought with us the greatest army the world has ever seen. We have brought two full grown dragons and soon the Lannister army will... ride North to join our cause."

Sansa stared ahead of herself with a disgusted look on her face as Arabella leaned back in her chair with a frown. She knew her mother all too well and wondered whether she'd really be so kind to help them. She wished that it was the case.

The lords of the North didn't take the news well. "I know! I know!" Tyrion continued. "Our people hadn't been friends in the past. But we must fight together now. Or die."

Jon glanced at Arabella. She and their daughter was the only thing he wished to protect apart from a few more. If anyone happened to these two women Jon would never forgive himself. "May I ask?" Sansa then asked so Tyrion turned to his ex-wife. "How are we meant to feed the greatest army the world has ever seen? Well, I ensure our stores would last through winter, I didn't account for Dothraki, Unsullied and two full grown dragons. What do dragons eat, anyway?"

"Whatever they want," Daenerys answered dully as the two women glanced at each other.

~~~

Caine Tyrell was leaning against the cold and damp wall of the dungeons as he stared at the torch behind the bars. It was his only source of light and the only color besides his old clothes, piss and shit.

He had heard guards talking that Jon Snow was back with his now wife Arabella and Daenerys Targaryen. Caine could only wish to see Bella's face again but he doubted of such dream.

Caine spent a lot of time there and yet he didn't find it bad. Death was worse.

Arabella was standing besides the door leading to the cells as she looked at her handmaiden and guard. She had met Samwell and Gilly earlier and they seemed the same - nice and good people. Gilly's little son Sam was grown up now and Arabella could only imagine how old would Reddard be.

She saw Jon walking towards her with an ecstatic face. Last time Arabella heard he was off flying one of Daenerys' dragons with her. "My love," Jon said with a grin as she turned at him. "You will not believe..."

Arabella raised her hand to stop him as a sneer crossed her features. "The next time you fly off with our Queen..." she paused, not wanting to start a fight. "Can we just go and get this over with? I want to feed Ellyn."

Jon noticed her cold look and sighed with a nod.

When Caine heard footsteps he raised his eyes up to see Jon and Arabella standing behind the bars.

Arabella couldn't recognize the once handsome man that had helped her so much. Her best friend and betrayer. Caine had a long beard and his hair got longer. And though he was still full of pride by the way he sat on the ground. "Apologies for the smell," Caine mocked as Jon clenched his jaw. He gripped the handle of his sword but Arabella only opened the cell's doors and entered. Causing Jon to follow.

Arabella stood in front of Caine with a cold look on her face. He only smirked sarcastically. "I promised myself that I'd never see you again but my husband insisted to," she commented as Jon stood next to her, staring down at Caine.

"Will you finally kill me, Jon Snow?" Caine asked with a smile as Arabella's heart broke inside. "Just because I took a few of your letters away."

"You betrayed me," Arabella answered angrily as Jon glanced at her softly. "My own friend, someone I'd die for."

"Look at you two... Are you truly happy, Bella?" Caine asked as his eyes narrowed into slits. She nodded her head. "He left you to see a Queen who's beautiful as no one. I was the one to stand by your side as you birthed Ellyn. I helped you with that baby. I loved her as my own."

"Careful," Jon spoke lowly as he took one step forward. Arabella didn't stop him. "Arabella knows why I had to leave. She knows she's the only woman I love."

Arabella knew that but she doubted about the Dragon Queen. Caine noticed her look and smirked. "What now then? Are you here to give me punishment? I'd ask for a trial of combat but we all know only your uncle Tyrion gets so lucky," Caine sassed them so Arabella walked forward but Jon didn't let her speak.

"We have no time for this," Jon said. "The Dead are coming. We need to fight this War. If we're alive after this... Then I'll give you a choice. Or not."

Jon then turned to his wife to see her already leaving. Jon smirked while glancing back at Caine as he followed after her.

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