Naveena LANNISTER :||: Queen Series #2

9) A Very Good Idea

Naveena
"Open the gate!" I heard as the double doors swung open and we trotted into the courtyard of Castle Black. Many men draped in black coats stood around gaping, not sure what to make of a stranger.

Pulling back my hood to reveal my face, my eyes scanned the faces staring back at me. He wasn't here. A familiar stocky man and a shorter man with cropped hair above the shoulders walked towards me. "Samwell Tarly." I smiled, allowing him to help me dismount.

"Lady Naveena," His smile was one of the most joyous ones I've ever seen.

There was a bark, and two giant wolves bounded towards me. Sam stepped out of the way as the two pranced excitedly around me. I crouched down, their hulking forms now taller than me, their tongues licking at my face and hands as I rubbed their necks. "Hello, my beautiful boys. Hello, Grey Wind. Hello, Ghost. How are you? Are you good?"

My voice got higher as I spoke to the two wolves, their tales wagging. "Lady Naveena," I stood, eyes falling on a tall man with short blonde hair. From my last visit, I remember him as Ser Alliser Thorne, Jon's archnemesis. "Welcome to Castle Black. I assume you're seeking refuge with your brother?"

"My brother?" My brows furrowed in confusion. "Here? In the North?"

"Aunt Naveena!"

My head whipped around at the sound of my niece's voice, and Shireen ran towards me, her overprotective mother hastily following along behind. Grinning, I knelt to hug her, clutching her to me. "Shireen!"

Pulling back, I ran my hands over her face, not minding the patch of greyscale. As an infant, Stannis' only child had contracted the disease, and every expert had been called in from across Westeros, finally curing it before it could spread too far. "It's Princess Shireen now." Came a surly voice from behind her.

Standing, I came face-to-face with Selyse, Stannis' wife. "That's right, Stannis is the self-proclaimed king." Her face twitched in irritation. "In any case, it's good to see you, Selyse."

"Naveen?" Stannis walked down a set of stairs, leading to the elevator, walking towards me.

I embraced him with a smile. In all honesty, it was good to see my brother after all this time, despite what had happened. I smiled politely at him, being slightly standoffish and he was his usual awkward anti-social self. Taking a step back, he cleared his throat. "I'm glad you're alright, Naveen. We hear you were missing, and in a place like King's Landing, we assumed the worst. Are you alright? You look–"

My eyes caught sight of someone over his shoulder, and Stannis' words faded away on the crisp icy wind. The whole yard was drowned out, drifting away to somewhere else as my feet began moving, side-stepping my brother. He descended the stairs, moving towards me, his arms reaching for me, and suddenly, I could breathe again. Jon wrapped me up in his arms, burying his face into my hair as I buried mine into his neck. He slowly turned us around, clutching me to him, my feet not touching the ground.

"Jon," I whispered.

"Gods, I missed you," He sighed against me quietly.

Gently, he placed me down on the ground, and I smiled up at him. His hair had grown out again since I last saw him and a thick beard of his dark hair on his face. Even when I realised we were standing in front of everyone, I couldn't stop smiling at him. I'd missed him so much. "You look well, Jon Snow."

His eyes raked over my figure, which was still stiff from the cold. "You look freezing. Come on, let's get you inside."

I was taken to the mess hall and sat in front of a cosy fire. Grey Wind lay right beside my leg, and I let a hand fall beside me to stroke his massive head, Ghost laying down beside him. A woman brought over a steaming bowl of I-don't-know-what, and I didn't ask as I dug into it. The warm broth hit my stomach like a kick in the guts, but I kept eating, eventually picking up the bowl and drinking what was left, not minding I had company.