Game of Thrones: The Legend of Jon Arctic - ASOIAF/GOT

Chapter 22 - Adventures in the North 19.

[Chapter Size: 5529 Words]
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Arya Stark POV.
Kingdom of the North, Winterfell, heart of the realm, 289 A.C., Shortly before.

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She wandered through Winterfell disheartened, observing the courtyard. She saw Robb and Theon running, probably escaping from some prank they played to annoy a guard or trick someone. Arya always noticed that their pranks were becoming bolder, which made her suspicious of the stories she had heard about Jon.

She refused to believe that her brother would steal money from a servant, something that made no sense. She went to Hodor herself to verify the truth of the rumor, and he confirmed that Jon was innocent. However, who would listen to Hodor? Her anger was directed at her mother. Arya even loved her before, but she knew her cruelty towards Jon.

The young girl knew that this theft was orchestrated by her mother, fueling her hatred and disgust in recent days. She refused to speak to her mother, ignoring her all the time. Her sister scolded her for being so petty, especially for treating her own mother this way because of a bastard brother.

This equally irritated her, leading to a fight with her sister the day before. Hair pulling resulted in a brawl that only ceased thanks to the intervention of the septa. This fight earned her a severe punishment for the next day, but Arya was determined to avoid it. She had fled from the septa and hid in the courtyard as she wandered.

However, this situation reminded her of the times when she skipped sewing lessons to watch her lost brother training alone with a straw dummy in a corner of the courtyard. She always kept him company.

Remembering Jon squeezed her heart. Without him, her home was not complete. She cried frequently for the absence of her favorite brother, essential to make Winterfell whole. Now, without him, she had no patience to deal with her mother, sister, and Septa Morgane.

Tears began to flow involuntarily down her face. "Brother, why don't you come back home?" she selfishly wondered. This question haunted her since she found out about Jon and his adventures. She hoped he would return to Winterfell, to his family, to her. But she found out that Jon was heading North, in search of whatever it was, and she wished for something else.

She wanted him to come back, to appear at the gate with giant wolves by his side. But deep down, she knew that, thanks to her mother, Jon was not happy there. Even if he disguised his sadness in her presence, there was always a hint of melancholy behind his smile, genuine only for Arya.

Arya selfishly wished to have Jon back, to spend days laughing and training hidden from her mother. However, she couldn't fill the void left by him. She could only wait in the castle for news and dream of the day when Jon would show up at the gate.

"I swear, I swear I'll look for you one day, Jon! Even if I have to go to the seven hells!" she thought to herself, in case her brother didn't return to Winterfell when she was older.

"Lady Arya!" Arya snapped out of her thoughts when she was approached by the captain of the guard, Jory.

She cursed herself because he was one of the few guards who could catch her. Now, he would escort her to the presence of her mother or Septa, something Arya did not want to face amidst her sorrow.

"Yes, Jory?"

"Your father, Lord Stark, demands your presence in his solar. Please, follow me," he said, turning.

Arya sighed and followed him. There wasn't much to be done; at least it wasn't her mother or that cursed septa. Her father was more understanding to deal with, although equally strict when boundaries were crossed. She would probably receive severe punishment for escaping the last time.