WE WALK ALONE [Jon Snow]

Youth

"You're it!" I exclaimed as I touched the shoulder of my cousin and ran past him. My seven-year-old legs were short but carried me fast down the halls of the Red Keep. I used my hearing to tell where I was and if someone was coming my way. For a blind girl, I was exceptionally agile as I slid past the lords and ladies strolling through the huge castle.

"I'm gonna catch you!" I heard my cousin exclaim which made me know that he was closing up on me.

"No, you're not!" I shouted over my shoulder and sped up a bit. The corridors of the Red Keep weren't as familiar to me as Dragonstone but this wasn't the first time I had played tag here. Due to my observance, I noticed that every time I made a sharp turn to the left Joffrey fell after, maybe he wasn't as quick when it came to left turns I guessed. With that I constructed a plan, I knew that the path I was on was leading to the throne room and my cousin wouldn't expect me to run in there but instead continue forward into the outer yard. So I did what would gain me some distance, I made a sharp left turn and slid through the gap between the huge wooden doors leading into the throne room. 

I continued running down the long room as I heard my cousin yell from just outside the throne room, "hey, wait up!"

"Never, Joffrey!" I shouted back as a victory smile spread on my face. Revelling in my victory was cut short by someone grabbing the back of my dress, making me come to a halt. 

While I had been busy bathing in the glory of my tag victory I had failed to notice the people in the throne room, a presence sitting on the mighty iron throne and one standing in front of the stairs to it, it was that one that was holding me by the neck of my dress. "Let me go!" I exclaimed as I twisted and turned, if I had known who the figure was then back then I would have never dared to raise my voice.  

"No." Was all the voice told me and instantly my body went limb, I turned my head to the floor. Feeling complete shame and fright that I had dared told my father what to do.

"S-sorry, my lord." I bit my lip hard and kept my head down, I could feel the angry look on his face, I had just interrupted one of his important meetings and it wasn't going to go unpunished.

"Stupid child! What are you doing here in running around?!" He scolded me and the grip of my dress became firmer.

"I-I" I stuttered, finding myself at a loss of words but I was saved by Joffrey stepping into the throne room.

"It was my fault, uncle! We were playing tag and we weren't paying attention to where we were going!" Joffrey ran up to us and with his big blue eyes stared at the grumpy man with hair that was already greying. 

"Boy, how chivalrous of you to take the blame. Like a true king!" The figure sitting on top of the throne chimed. The man's voice was deep and gravelly, I instantly recognized it to be the voice of my uncle, King Robert Baratheon. With heavy steps that echoed through the throne room did he make his way down the stairs to where the three of us were standing. He rubbed Joffrey's golden blonde hair which made it stand out in every direction. My cousin laughed at it and then smiled brightly at the acknowledgement. My father, on the other hand, wasn't as pleased with our behaviour.

"They were irresponsible and interrupted our meeting, they should be punished." When I heard the word punished I instinctively brought my hand up to my right ear where my father Stannis had so many times hit me.

"I agree," A female voice said, I recognized it to belong to the mother of my cousin, Queen Cersei Lannister. The presence of her made shivers crawl down my spine, she always sounded like she was up to something and she was always so condescending towards me, "she should be punished."  Cersei said, clearly emphasizing the 'she'. My father nodded in approval as his nails dug into the skin of my neck.