DISASTROUS ( Jon Snow )

37

our first instinct is to seek revenge
when those we love are taken from us
but that's not who we are.
there will always be those who mean to do us harm
to stop them, we risk awakening the same evil within o u r s e l v e s

__________

"I've missed you, big brother."

"I've missed you too."

Amaris stared blankly into the flames, the images of a dying, raven haired girl flashing before her eyes.

"I don't want to die."

"You're not going to die."

The girl was crying, and her brother trying not to do the same. Her voice was weak and his was breaking. Her hands were bloody and clutching onto his.

"If Robert finds out, he'll— he'll kill him. You know he will. You have to protect him. Promise me, Ned. Promise me."

A baby's cry roared in Amaris' ears.

"Promise me, Ned."

A baby boy rested in the arms of a young, long haired man. The baby stared up at the man, his eyes so dark and black that they almost appeared purple. Tufts of dark curls already covered the boy's scalp. His mother was crying.

"Promise me."

The man was crying, looking from the baby to his dying sister.

"I promise."

"You have to say he's yours. You have to raise him as—as your son."

"I will."

The images changed, a man stood alone in a tomb, staring up at a statue depicting his mother. His eyes were the same as the baby's, only darker now and troubled. His hair was long and pulled back, and he looked as though the weight of the world was resting upon his shoulders. As if he was the chosen one of the gods.

And then the images disappeared and all Amaris could see was the charred logs that had once been birthing a fire. Wind was blowing fiercely and the Stark flags were whipping about loudly. Shivering, Amaris pulled Jon's cloak around her body tightly and looked around the empty camp.

Then, out of nowhere, Lyanna Mormont came sprinting towards Amaris, a wild grin on her face.

"Your grace! Your grace! I have word from Winterfell!"

"What is it?" Amaris asked, snatching the parchment scroll from Lyanna's hand.

Hands fumbling, she managed to snap off the wax seal and unfurled the paper. A grin spread across her face as she read the words Jon wrote to her.

"Jon won," Amaris cried, throwing her head back and laughing joyfully. She lunged forward and embraced the younger girl tightly. "Oh, this is wonderful, Lyanna!"

Amaris clutched Lyanna's hands and twirled the girl around, screaming jovially as they danced. Lyanna laughed, throwing aside her typically icy demeanor. Their shrieks of happiness drew Melisandre, Sansa, Dorrea, and Rheana towards the center of camp.

"What is it?" Dorrea asked. "Has there been news?"

Beaming, Amaris turned to Sansa and clutched the girl's face. She pressed their foreheads together and whispered, "We've won, Sansa. Ramsay's finished."

A breath of relief left Sansa and she collapsed against Amaris' body. Amaris staggered under Sansa's weight a bit but held Sansa up and ran her hand over Sansa's soft, red locks.