Ella Snow and her twin brother are outsiders in the house of their father, Lord Eddard Stark. Ella has no one else in the world, except her brother Jon. Join Ella on her journey as she uncovers truths that could destroy her and those she loves.
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Days after the execution of Lord Janos, Ella stood by Jon's side, along with Samwell Tarly. The boy passed letters to the Lord Commander, one by one, all awaiting the signature of Lord Commander Snow.
"Lord Ashford. Lady Caulfield. Lord Smallwood," Sam gave Jon a small smile with each sheet he passed the Lord Commander.
"Never even heard of these people," Jon noted while clutching a quill in his writing hand.
"To be fair, they probably haven't heard of you either," Ella smirked.
"Nonetheless, we need men and they have some," Sam reminded Jon of their purpose today. To find men and rebuild the Night's Watch before the Great War was upon them.
"And how many men does this Lord Mazin have to send us?" Jon questioned his wise friend.
"More than Lord Wibberley," Sam chuckled.
Ella laughed softly as Jon signed off Lord Wibberley's paper. Her eyes flickered to Sam, who was hesitant to pass Jon the next letter. Sam quickly placed the parchment in front of Jon, not reciting the Lord's name. Ella looked to Jon as he began to sign, but Jon noticed something strange about this request. Jon pulled away from the parchment and slouched in his chair.
"No," Jon stated. "Not him."
"Who is it?" Ella asked. She leaned over Jon's shoulder and saw the name at the top of the paper: Lord Roose Bolton, Warden of the North. The same Roose Bolton who betrayed their brother and stabbed him in the heart.
"I know," Sam apologized, "but he has the men and supplies we need. He is Warden of the North."
"He murdered our brother, Sam," Ella said as her eyes began to gloss over. "He betrayed our family."
"We swore to be the Watchers on the Wall, Ella. We can't watch the Wall with only fifty men, and Jon can't get more men without help from the Warden of the North."
Ella knew that Jon was conflicted about asking Roose Bolton for help. But Sam was right. The Night's Watch did need men and supplies, and Roose Bolton had more than all of the Northern houses combined.
After much hesitation, Jon signed the parchment. He flicked the quill onto his desk and slid back into his chair. Sam gathered all the papers, then placed them in a leather bound folder. He headed for the door and left Ella alone with Jon.
"I hate Roose Bolton as much as you do," Ella spoke, breaking the silence, "but maybe if he sends men and supplies, we can save the wildlings. You said it yourself that you don't have the men, but with if the Boltons do send men, and Stannis lends us his ships, we can do it."
"Ella, I've told you a hundred times, we can't save them," Jon sighed.
"And why not?" Ella asked, anger filling her voice. "They're sitting out there, Jon. Unprotected, out in the open. You've seen the Army of the Dead, as have I. You've seen what they can do. They killed men of the Watch and dismembered their horses. Tormund lost his wife to the Dead. We have to do something. It's selfish of us to sit here behind a wall, safe from harm's way, and allow them to die. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the wildings are not the true enemy, Jon. The dead are. And they are apart of this realm, just like we are. We owe it to them to give them a chance at survival. They don't deserve to die, not when we can help them. Sometimes you have to do what is right and damn the consequences, Jon."
Jon exhaled and rubbed his eyebrow. "You know, the older we become, the more stubborn you get. Just like father. You are loyal, my dear sister, and stubborn. You get an idea stuck in your head, and you see it through."
"Yeah, well it's all these years I've spent around you and Edd. And spending time with the wildlings, I suppose," Ella smiled.
"I just hope you know what this may cost us, El," Jon said. "Half the men here hate the wildlings. I'm going to have to think about this. I can't just up and leave Castle Black."
"I know, but I-"
Ella was interrupted by the Red Woman, Melisandre, as she entered Jon's office.
"Apologies my lady," Jon blushed. Jon gave Ella a nod, allowing Ella to leave.
Ella decided to pay Maester Aemon a visit. Word of the Maester's health spread throughout Castle Black, and Ella wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.
Ella found Maester Aemon sitting in the library, along with Samwell Tarly. She smiled to herself as she watched the pair interact. Sam was particularly fond of Maester Aemon, and the two had a bond that could not be broken.
"And though Daenerys maintains her grip on Slaver's Bay, forces rise against her, within and without. She refuses to leave until the freedom of the former slaves is secure," Sam read a letter to the Maester. "She sounds like quite a woman."
"And she's alone, under siege. No family to guide her or protect her. Her last relation thousands of miles away, useless, dying. A Targaryen alone in the world. It's a terrible thing," Maester Aemon shook his head.
Silence fell between the two men, until she tripped over her own feet. Sam turned to Ella, surprised to see the Lord Commander's sister.
"Maester Aemon," Ella called out softly.
"Ella Snow," the old man smiled.
"Sam, would you mind if I had a moment with the Maester?" She asked her friend.
Sam nodded and gathered his belongings. He quickly disappeared up the staircase, leaving the two alone. Ella took a seat beside the elderly man and faced him.
"How are you feeling?" Ella asked.
"Oh, like a hundred year old man, slowly freezing to death," the man chuckled. "What brings you here, dear girl? I half-expected your brother to show up, not you."
"Well, he's the reason why I'm here," Ella sighed. "I have an idea, and I told Jon about it. And I know in a way, he's right. It's wild. Most of the people here at Castle Black won't accept it, and Jon does not want to go through with it. But I feel in my heart as though it's the right thing to do. I just don't know how to convince Jon to go through with it. He is Lord Commander, but at the same time, he swore to protect all of the realm. And this adventure that I am asking him to do is a lot. Many people may die, and those who stay behind may see it as a lost cause. And maybe it is. I just don't know what to do, Maester Aemon."
Before Maester Aemon could speak, the pair heard shuffling behind them. Ella turned to see her twin brother standing at the base of the stairs. His curly brown hair was disheveled, and his face was flushed.
"Ella, Maester Aemon," Jon greeted the two.
"Ah, Jon Snow. Miss Ella was just speaking about you," the Maester smiled.
Jon gave Ella a small grin as he took a seat next to his sister. "I came here to get your advice, Maester Aemon," Jon sighed.
"Your sister said the same thing," Maester Aemon said.
"She's the reason why I'm here," Jon informed him. "There's something I want to do. Something I have to do. And it wasn't until Ella brought this issue to my attention. But you see, it'll divide the Night's Watch, quite bitterly. Half the men will hate me the moment I give the order."
"Half the men hate you already, Lord Commander," Maester Aemon stated. "Do it."
"But you don't know what it is."
"That does not matter. You do." Maester Aemon extended his hand out, touching Jon's face. "You'll find little joy in your command. But, with luck, you'll find the strength to do what needs to be done. Kill the boy, Jon Snow. And kill the girl, Ella. Winter is almost upon us. Kill the boy, and let the man and woman be born. The man and woman you two must become once winter falls."
