Blood Upon The Snow ||| Cregan Stark

nineteen

Jacaera was relieved by her warm welcome to Winterfell but she was also mortified. She was going to spend days in the presence of a man who made her knees weak by kissing her hand.

She tried to push it aside and accept that the Lord was happy to have dragons on his side, to defend an oath. Despite the fact that he called her beautiful.

That was all she thought about as she got herself settled in the Guest House. Sizeable rooms, stunning views of the Godswood. And it was heated by the hot springs beneath Jacaera's window.

The Godswood in Winterfell was the largest in the Seven Kingdoms. Acres of wood and sacred trees. And despite not worshipping the old Gods, Jacaera thought it was beautiful.

She unpacked what little she'd brought with her and squared it away inside her little room and took time to relax by the fire. Jacaera had constantly been on the move, had secured two great Houses for Rhaenyra. She just needed to win over Lord Cregan.

Jacaera didn't know how she was going to do that, exactly, when he hadn't told her what he wanted in return. He said they could negotiate but she couldn't negotiate something she didn't know about.

Did he want dragonriders as well? Sending dragons so far North wasn't something Jacaera could do and she'd already promised riders to Lady Jeyne.

That's what was occupying Jacaera's mind when a knock came at her door.

"Enter," she called, turning to see a handmaiden walk in and bow. She was a kind-looking girl, her clothes looked warm. Jacaera didn't have clothes made for the winter weather; she'd come with the best she had.

"Pardon the intrusion, princess, but dinner is ready."

Jacaera nodded. "You may put it on the table over there, thank you." She assumed she'd be eating alone; there was no feast planned.

"Dinner in the hall, Princess. With Lord Cregan."

"Oh."

Oh.

A little frazzled, Jacaera stood and took her cloak again, fitting it over her shoulders and doing the front of it up. She didn't know she would be eating with the Lord of Winterfell.

Jacaera was quick as she traversed the courtyard of the castle; she didn't wish to keep the Lord waiting.

The knights opened the doors to the hall and Jacaera thanked them, ducking inside to escape the cold. She saw that there was a table inside the hall then and only one person sat there.

Three guesses who.

She knew he had a son but the boy was young she reasoned. That's why he wasn't there. No other reason.

It was strangely quiet as the servant girls inside the Great Hall helped Jacaera remove her cloak and gloves and took them for her. She'd changed since Lord Cregan had seen her last; she wore a dress instead of her riding leathers.

The hall was only lit by candlelight at that time; it got dark earlier in the North. Cregan was just... watching as Jacaera got herself situated. She didn't let it get under her skin; Jacaera took her time and when she was ready, she took her seat across from him.