Game of Thrones Collection

The Ugly Duckling (I) - Jon Snow

Word Count: 945

"I haven't had any good wine for a long time." Craster spoke to Lord Commander Jeor Mormont as they sat together next to the fire in the center of the Keep.

The Night's Watch had just arrived at Craster's Keep no more than an hour ago and sure enough the man who you called father had already broken into their wine supply.

You sat quietly off to the side, as you always did. Your fingers fiddled with the loose pieces of black cloth that were barely stitched together. Your clothes weren't as nice as your sisters.

"You Southerners make good wine." Craster continued, this time his voice slurring slightly at the end. "We give you that." he tried to joke, although no one laughed.

"We're not Southerners." a voice spoke up from the entrance way of the Keep.

You watched Craster's head turn slowly to face the man who had spoken up, your own eyes following his moments later until they landed on a man standing in front of the door. He was around your age with thick black curls on top of his head and dark eyes. He was a Crow.

Craster sat in silence for several moments before a small smirk curled onto his face. You hated that smirk.

"You're prettier then half my daughters." he smeared at the man who stood his ground, his eyes never dropping away from your father. "Got a nice wet twat between your legs too?"

Finally the man's eyes dropped momentarily, instead landing on the Lord Commander who had an unamused look plastered on his face.

"What's your name?" Craster asked after a moment of laughing at his own joke, something he did far to often. Your father was not a funny man and it seemed as if everyone but himself knew that.

"Jon Snow." the man responded without hesitation.

"Snow." Craster repeated, the smirk on his face only growing in size.

The moment you heard Snow come out of the man's mouth your body tensed. You knew what would happen next and you were already dreading it.

"Never thought I would have two bastards living in my Keep." Craster chuckled before peeling his eyes away from Jon and beginning to search the crowd that filled the room.

He was looking for you.

"Where is my ugly bastard?" Craster questioned to himself.

You inhaled and squeezed your eyes shut for a moment, preparing yourself for what was about to happen. It was a game Craster loved to play. You would step forward and he would humiliate you to the best of his drunken ability. Sometimes it would be words, sometimes it would be physical abuse, and sometimes he would just force you to stand there while he looked at you in pure disgust.

You then opened your eyes and stepped forward out of the darkness you had been standing in. You knew all eyes were on you.

"Ah, (Y/N)." Craster sighed, his voice soaked with sarcasm. "My ugly duckling."

You refused to look up from the ground as he spoke to you, however Craster couldn't care less if he could see your eyes, he knew he was hurting you with every word that left his mouth.

"Jon Snow, meet (Y/N) Snow." Craster spoke, glancing over at Jon who still stood in the doorway. His eyes were fixated onto you as you stood in the flickering light of the fire in front of Craster.

You didn't look like Craster's other daughters. Your face was far more delicate without sharing Craster's rough features. Your hair was also lighter than your sisters. Rather then the muddy brown everyone shared, you had blonde hair, a trait that made you stick out like a sore thumb at the Keep.

"(Y/N)'s mother fucked a Crow and then (Y/N) was born." Craster explained, as if the other bastard didn't understand what act made someone a bastard. "The last thing she said to me was to keep (Y/N) safe, then I slit her throat."

Your jaw clenched as Craster spoke about the murder of your mother, a murder which he committed. Even though it happened over a year ago, the scene was still fresh in your brain. Why he had waited until you were nearing 18 was unknown to you, knowing Craster he had never been one to wait out punishing someone, especially for as long as he waited to punish your mother.

Craster then paused for several long moments, his eyes glued onto Jon's which had still yet to break away from you. He had noticed your body tense the moment Craster spoke about your mother, a sensation he knew all too well.

"Don't fuck my daughters Jon Snow." Craster warned, finally causing Jon's eyes to shift back to the man he had interrupted a minute ago to begin this conversation. "Even my whore bastard." he finished before returning his attention to the Lord Commander.

Once Craster's attention was no longer on you you slinked back into the shadows, your body relaxing the moment you were once again encased in darkness.

All eyes were off you and back to your father and the Lord Commander as they discussed BenJen Stark as well as other topics of importance.

All eyes except for one pair however.

You glanced over at Jon only to see that he was already looking at you. You could practically feel the light blush come onto your cheeks as your eyes met. He was a handsome man, you had to give him that.

You gave a weak smile to him before returning your eyes back to Craster, however you could feel his eyes still on you.