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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"You are my sister, but I am king now," Jon huffed as he and his two sisters walked on the balcony overlooking Winterfell's courtyard. Ella could feel Jon's anger radiating from his body as they walked side by side.
"Will you start wearing a crown now?" Sansa snarled.
"When you start to question my decisions in front of the other lords and ladies, you undermine me," Jon explained to the younger Stark.
"So I can't question your decision anymore?" Sansa asked,
"Of course you can, but-"
"Joffrey never let anyone question his authority," Sansa interrupted her brother. "Do you think he was a good king?"
Jon stopped in his tracks, causing Ella to do the same. For Sansa to compare Jon to Joffrey was a slap in Jon's face. Ella knew all the vile things he did to people. The coward little boy had their father's head chopped off.
"Do you truly think I'm Joffrey?" He stared at his sister in disbelief.
Sansa remained silent for a second, pondering what she would say to her brother. "You're as far from Joffrey as anyone I've ever met," she sighed.
"Thank you," Jon whispered. Worry that was once etched in his face seemed to disappear a little.
"You are good at this, you know," Ella spoke up, changing the subject.
"At what?" Confusion spread across Jon's face.
"At ruling," Sansa agreed with Ella.
"No," Jon sighed, turning away from the girls.
"You are, you really are," Sansa reassured him. She took his hands in hers, causing Jon to turn back to Sana. "People respect you. They really do, but you have-"
Jon shook his head and laughed. "Jon, I don't think this is funny," Ella glared at her brother. "Sansa and I are trying to help you. And all you seem to do these days is walk around here brooding."
"I'm not laughing at her," Jon chuckled as he started to walk again. Sansa and Ella followed after him. "Do you remember what Father used to say?"
He looked between his sisters, then continued. They had no idea what infamous Ned Stark phrase he was referring to. "Everything before the word 'but' is horseshit."
"Father never said that to me," Ella pointed out.
"Nor to me," Sansa said.
"No, no he never cursed in front of his girls," Jon explained to the sisters.
"Because he was trying to protect us," Ella smiled. "He never wanted us to see how dirty the world truly is."
"He tried," Sansa breathed, "but Father couldn't protect me. Neither can you, Jon. Stop trying."
"I'll stop trying when you stop undermining me," Jon instructed the red headed beauty.
"I'm not trying to undermine you!" Sansa exclaimed. She grabbed Jon's arm in his attempt to walk away. He spun around and faced the young Stark. "You have to be smarter than Father. You have to be smarter than Robb. I love them and truly miss them, but they made stupid mistakes. They both lost their heads for it."
"And how should I be smarter?" Jon asked his sisters curiously. "By listening to you two?"
"Would it be so terrible?" Ella inquired.
The sound of footsteps caused the siblings to turn around. Maester Wolkin stood behind the siblings, holding a scroll.
"A letter arrived from King's Landing, your Grace," he extended his arm out, passing the scroll to Jon.
Maester Wolkin bowed, showing respect to the new King in the North, then walked away. Ella turned her attention to Jon. "Cersei Lannister of House Lannister. Queen of the Andals and First Men. Protector of the Seven Kingdoms."
"What does she want?" Ella asked her brother, eyeing the slip of paper in his hands. The trio began walking again, finding an abandoned wall overlooking the rolling snow covered hills of the North.
"She summoned me to King's Landing." He said. "I'm to come to King's Landing and bend the knee. Or I'm going to suffer the fate of all traitors."
"You've been so consumed with the enemy to the North that you've forgotten about the one to the South," Sansa scoffed.
"I'm consumed with the Night King because we've seen him. He's real, Sansa. Ella and I were at Hardhome together. We fought him. Believe me, you would think of little else if you saw him, too."
"We still have a wall between us and the Night King. There's nothing between us and Cersei." Sansa said, trying to convince Jon that Cersei Lannister was the real threat.
"There's a thousand miles between us and Cersei," Jon said. "Winter is here. The Lannisters are a southern army. They'd never range this far north."
"You may be the military man, but I know her better than either of you do," Sansa said, still gazing upon the snow covered landscape. "She won't stop at anything to destroy those who threaten her or stand in her way. Everyone who has ever crossed her, she has found a way to murder."
"You almost sound as you admire her," Jon sighed.
"I learned a great deal from her," Sansa informed her naive brother.
The trio sat in silence for a while longer, then Sansa departed, going to meet Lord Baelish for a discussion. Ella and Jon continued to stare out to the snow fallen hills for a few more minutes, until Jon left to go over plans for the upcoming war. Ella sighed, praying to the gods above for help. Their soldiers and resources were depleted. Men were worn out and injured. Ella prayed for a savior in their time of need. But the lone wolf was consumed with worry that help may never come.
