Of Lions, Wolves, and Dragons (Jon Snow)

50. Bastard

Joellyn sat on her horse in between Davos and Areo.  Tormund was on the other side of Areo and Lyanna Mormont was on the other side of Davos.  Behind the four of them were some Stark bannermen and a few of the Dornish soldiers.  In front of them were Jon and Sansa, and all eyes in their group were trained on the figures that were moving across the field outside of Winterfell moving toward them.  Joellyn took in a deep breath and let it out slowly to try to steady her nerves.  Nothing was going to happen.  This was just a meeting to discuss terms before a battle began.  There would be no fighting here.  Yet it still made her nervous to have Jon and Sansa ahead of the rest of the group, waiting to receive the man that had been so terrible to Sansa in their time together.

Davos heard her let out her breath and said quietly to her, "It will be alright, my lady."

Joellyn nodded, knowing that Davos was right, but it did little to calm her nerves as the figures grew closer and closer to them.  Areo chimed in and said, "They will not risk fighting right now.  Not while they do not have more men with them."

Joellyn let out a frustrated sigh and said softly to them both, hoping that Sansa wouldn't hear, "I am not concerned about a fight right now.  I'm concerned about my friend who is about to see the man who abused her."  This silenced both of them.  Men never knew what it was like to deal with something like that, having to fear a man simply because he was bigger and stronger than you, and Sansa had even more reason than that to fear Ramsay Bolton.

Just as the small group was coming to a stop in front of them, Joellyn heard Jon say quietly to Sansa, "You don't have to be here."

Sansa shook her head in return and held her shoulders back straight and kept her head high as she replied, "Yes, I do."

The group came to a stop in front of them, and the man at the lead in their group surveyed them before his eyes fell on Sansa.  A smile that made Joellyn feel uncomfortable filled his face as he said, "My beloved wife, I've missed you terribly."

Sansa continued staring straight at him, and no one made move to speak first, so Ramsay turned to Jon and continued, "Thank you for returning Lady Bolton safely.   Now, dismount and kneel before me, surrender your army and proclaim me true Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North.  I will pardon you for deserting the Night's Watch.  I will pardon these treasonous lords for betraying my house.  Come bastard, you don't have the men, you don't have the horses, and you don't have Winterfell.  Why lead these poor souls into slaughter, especially the ones that have travelled such a great distance to be here.  There's no need for a battle.  Get off your horse and kneel, I'm a man of mercy."

One thing was for sure, Ramsay Bolton liked the sound of his own voice.  Joellyn didn't know that it was possible to dislike someone so intensely and immediately.  Sure, she had come into this meeting knowing that she hated the man and wanted him dead simply for the things he had done to Sansa, but hearing him speak and seeing his arrogance added a different element entirely.  With Joffrey, Joellyn hated him becaus he was, as Tyrion had said many times, a spoiled, pampered little shit.  Ramsay Bolton was different.  This man was truly evil and psychotic, and it was unsettling to watch.

Jon seemed to take in Ramsay's words and said in agreement, "You're right.  There's no need for a battle.  Thousands of men don't have to die.  Only one of us.  Let's end this the old way.  You against me."

Joellyn held her horses reigns tighter as she inhaled sharply.  She had asked Jon, and he had agreed, to not do anything reckless.  Challenging Ramsay Bolton to a one-on-one fight was the very definition of reckless.  Not to mention the last time she saw a man that she loved in a one-on-one fight, he had been killed by having his head smashed in.  As the thought crossed her mind, Joellyn felt her throat constrict and it almost felt like everything froze around her as realization set in.  She loved Jon.  She loved Jon and watching him challenge someone and put his life on the line for everyone else frightened her.