Bleeding Ivory l Robb Stark

lion out of place

Joanna has been dreading the day since she was told that she wouldn't be returning to Kings Landing. She thanked the gods she was free from the capitols filth but at the expense of her family. Now she found herself abandoned in a place where she had no mother, no father and no siblings. She feared that Tommen and Myrcella would forget her as they grew older.

Outside Winterfell Joanna stood with Tommen who clung to her leg refusing to let go. Myrcella in her mothers embrace as the tears welted out of her eyes. Cersei couldn't stand seeing her children this unhappy, she glared to Robert who didn't even have the decency to wish Joanna a prosperous life.

"No! I want her to come back with us. Please mother!" Tommen pleaded, his screams making it harder for Joanna to maintain composure. She bent down as Tommen's arms clung around her neck. Wrapping her arms around his small torso she lifted the young boy up but not without a tear escaping her blue eyes.

Joanna turned her head to see the Starks, she saw the pain in Arya and Sansa's eyes when the realisation sunk in that they too wouldn't see their brothers and mother again. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Robb placing gentle kisses on his sisters foreheads. They were handling it far better than Myrcella and Tommen but then again the Baratheon children were no older than seven years of age.

Joanna breathed a deep breath as she finally released to Tommen firmly letting him go when she took notice of Jaime in front of her

"You know if it weren't for the guards I'd probably cling to you like your sister just did and never let you go." Jaime mocked as he raised his hand to wipe the single tear drops escape her eyes.

"We can't have that. What would the great Tywin Lannister say to his son weeping at the feet of a child." The two laughed. As silence filled the air Jaime felt shocked and taken back when he felt his arm make contact with her skin. She wrapped her arms around him. For a brief second Jaime felt like himself again. Not the arrogant son of Tywin Lannister and not the notorious Kingslayer. But like Jaime Lannister, the man who raised Joanna to be the woman she was before him. Jaime could feel the cold stares of Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark directing at him but he didn't care.

"I'll miss you. Please take care of them, please take care of our family." Joanna pleaded as she let go of him. They turned to look at Myrcella and Tommen, Jaime didn't answer but he didn't need to. He knew since the moment she was born, he swore an oath to himself that he would protect these children with every bone in his body.

his children

Cersei smiled brightly as cupped her daughters face, looking back into her mothers face and her fathers eyes. Gnawing at her bottom lip as her cheeks cramped with pain from her motherly smirk

"My little dove, such a pure heart brought into this world. I can't help but embrace fear knowing I leave you in this place. You deserve to live where the sun kneels at your feet and the gods sing praises of your beauty. You've always been as enchanting and radiant as you are now. When I look to you , despite all the mistakes I've made, I know I did something right. I raised you right. My darling I need you to know I will always protect you, no matter what. I will fight with my dying breath for your safety and for you to return to us." The two women said nothing as they embraced each other. She felt a wave of calmness as she held her mother and she cherished it, knowing it would be the last time.

Joanna wandered to the crypts again. The last Lannister in Winterfell. She needed an escape from the handmaidens walking around the grounds. Catelyn was in too much shock with what happened to Bran that Joanna didn't want to be a burden with her presence.

She once again found herself staring at the statue of Lyanna. Maybe because it was the only connection to her family that she still had. The idea that Robert would tell her tales about Lyanna Stark to spite her mother.