snow and stars| jon snow

xxiii: the sun has risen

There was an aching pain her her stomach, that she could not deny. Everyone was looking at Jon, but she couldn't care less as they all had their backs to her. What she cared about was Jon, sitting in the corner, crying his eyes out and clenching the fabric around his chest as if it were his only lifeline. Jon would never cry in front of anyone, and she furrowed her eyes at him because she knew that. Yes, she died, but the strong "son" of Ned Stark would never cry in front of a room full of so many. Not in a room with Sansa, Arya, a maester, Gendry, Odda, and Ser Davos. Never. And then she felt his pain, and realized that she hadn't been breathing that whole time.

She gulped in air loudly, making almost everyone jump. Jon was still in his corner with his back turned, shoulders heaving as she gasped for dear life. Each intake of breath was pain in her stomach, which was heaving up and down. Her eyes were wide and panicked as the maester and Ser Davos as well as Gendry came to her bedside.

"Your Grace!" Gendry shouted. He gripped her shoulders and shook her, to which Sansa yelled. Odda immediately stepped forward at seeing her friend being handled that way.

   "She is a queen!"

"Your Grace," Ser Davos spoke to Jon, who was in his own world of pain and sadness as his love rose from the dead. Davos watched Gendry and Arya work together to get the Queen of Ilta breathing again. They pushed down on her chest, but she refused to remain sated even as her lungs begged for air. Her right hand was outstretched to the broken man in the corner, who was somehow still oblivious to the whole scene going on behind his back.

   "Jon," she wheezed, having not used her voice in a while. She blinked rapidly as her hands tried to pull him closer, like the string was something she could physically touch. Why couldn't he hear her? Wasn't he sitting right there?

"Jon," Arya said, backing away from Andromeda after she caught her breath. The poor woman was still clutching her side, blood coming through the dressings. "Jon, look." Her voice was relatively soft for it being her, and even that didn't shock Jon out of whatever stupor he was in. He still had his head in his hands and his body still shook with silent sobs.

"Let him look when he wants to." Gendry said firmly before bowing to Arya, noticing his mistake. She was not just a lady anymore, she wasn't his Arya anymore.

"Jon," She said again, this time with more sound. He shook his head as he looked anywhere but at his wife, who was slumped on the bed after reaching for too long. She looked tired. "Why," was all she could say, but Odda knew her like the back of her hand.

"The shock of losing a soul bond is something that no one can really snap out of," Odda said in shock. "How are you alive?" Andromeda barely shook her head in response. "It will take him a while to register that you're alive. He's going through a world of pain right now."

Andromeda breathed heavily as she waited, and waited, and got nothing from Jon. She heaved beside her bed, unfortunately where there was no bucket. Arya ordered a bucket, and Sansa pulled her hair up. She threw herself with conviction and an already torn up stomach back on the bed, already feeling herself slip off to sleep. She blinked rapidly, watching as Jon slowly stood to his feet, her hearing going out. As if running on pure instinct and fear of not waking again, she said his name, a final plea to see his eyes one more time. "Aegon."

He spun around at the whisper that was undoubtedly hers. Her hand came out for his weakly, and he nearly shoved Sansa out of the way so hard that she broke something to get to it. Her took her hand roughly, his eyes boring down into her tired, worn out ones that had seen it all now. She had seen everything she needed.

"Andromeda," he held her hand Waugh a passion that was almost sickly, and it made even Arya yearn slightly for something so strong. Her eyes glanced Gendry's way, and he was already looking back at the small warrior. "My love." A tear rolled down his face. "Stay awake."