Her Watch Has Ended

Chapter XXVII

His tears caught her off guard. Now she felt bad that she called him out on his honor when that's the only thing he had. Yes she deserved an explanation but his sorrow made her heart hurt.

"Jon I'm so sorry that I said anything. I know how much it means for you to be here."

"Obviously you care for no one but yourself." He turned his back to her to look out beyond the wall. "All this time Pip and I searched for you. They all thought you were dead but you were alive. With Benjin. You saw me yet you chose to hide yourself instead of approaching me." Taliya tried to speak but he stopped her. "You don't understand the half of what I've been through beyond that wall. I've watched the Halfhand die and you want to know why? Because I had to kill him. All so I could come back to this place where I'm a traitor for falling in love."

Falling in love? Taliya felt her heart sink to the ground. Who did he love? Surely he wasn't talking about Ygritte.

"Falling in love with a wildling I presume? The enemy that's slaughtered our men, our brothers, but we're supposed to forget all that and just start building lives with them like it's normal?" Taliya was trying to remain calm but her voice was shaking from the anger she felt.

He turned back around and moved in closer to her with every word.

"Have you ever experienced love? In the truest form?"

"Jon."

"Maybe you can't understand because your parents died and left you to the streets and no man will lay with you."

"Stop." Tears began to well up in her eyes. Her heart began to ache. Is this how he truly felt about her?

"Is that it Waters? No ones ever truly loved you and you're envious that I've found that with a wildling or is it that it's someone that isn't you?"

He was standing right in front of her. She let her tears fall and suddenly without thinking she slapped him.

"How dare you! I thought you were different Snow but you're just like every other man at this castle. Benjin is more the man than you'll ever be."

He grabbed his face and looked at her with shock. "And what's that supposed to mean?" He let his anger of her betrayal get the better of him. He didn't truly mean what he said. He had no clue what love truly was he just know in the moment he had spent with Ygritte was nice. She was his first time and he didn't know what it meant.

"Goodbye Jon." She was done with this conversation. He didn't want to leave things like this so he grabbed her, "Taliya I'm sorry."

He turned her around and grabbed her face. It didn't make her feel like she did with Benjin but it did make her heart race. She loved Jon more than he would ever love her and she was fine with that but she wouldn't have him throwing this wildling bitch in her face.

Then it happened. He leaned in and kissed her.

"I'm really sorry."