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"Jon Arryn is dead."

"The Hand to the King?"

Aneira turned away from petting Ghost, who had grown larger in such a short amount of time, to face his master. Jon was prepping arrows for a training session, counting the batch ten times over to make sure there were not missing any.

"Yes. His wife is Lady Lysa of the Vale. Sister to Lady Stark." Jon told her, though he wasn't sure why he was explaining something she already knew. "But you knew this already." He continued, turning to face her now as he held out the bow for her to take.

"This is true." Aneira took the bow and quickly placed a kiss atop Ghost's head as she stood up. She brushed at her skirts, freeing the material from any of the stray dirt or hay she had been sitting on. "But I do like listening to your voice. It's helping drown out that one over there." She nodded her head towards Theon, who was cackling loudly with Robb on the other side of the courtyard.

Blushing with the knowledge that Aneira liked his voice, Jon stepped back and gestured with his hand for her to start practice. She stepped up beside him and readied the arrow and bow, clearing her mind of any distraction before releasing. She did not make the target, letting out a groan as she adverted her gaze to the ground.

"You have to relax. Your elbow and shoulder, here," Jon moved closer and placed one hand on her shoulder while the other gently took her elbow and maneuvered her to the position she needed to be in. "Now forget about all of the noise around you. Forget about what is distracting you from what you want."

"What is it I want, Snow?" She couldn't help herself, turning slightly to look at him. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized how close they were to one another, her eyes immediately pulled by an unknown force to his lips before drifting up to meet his gaze and then finally back at the target again.

He didn't respond, slowly stepping back from her as his hands dropped to his sides. She could feel his eyes on the back of her head but did exactly as she was told. Her eyes fell shut, her mind tuned out all of the noise around her, and her body relaxed before her eyes burst open the moment she released the arrow.

"You are a genius!" Aneira cried out after watching the arrow hit the target in the middle. She dropped the bow and spun around, her arms flinging around his neck as she jumped up into him.

Jon slowly wrapped his arms around her waist as he let out a laugh. "I'm not a genius. Just good at archery." He set her down and ignored the looks from Robb and Theon. "And you'll get there. You just have to keep practicing."

"Well, with you as my teacher I think I'll be just fine." Aneira smiled, moving her hands to either side of his face before she quickly kissed his forehead. "Now I'm starving. Let's go see what's left in the kitchens. I have a feeling that once the King and his family arrive, we won't be eating much."

She was too exhilarated from hitting the target that she didn't notice the sad look in Jon's eyes as she spoke about him being her archery teacher. He followed behind her in silence, working his mind to find ways to break the news to her.

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"You know you must promise to be on your best behavior, Arya." Aneira looked over at the younger girl, a frown deeply set on her lips as she sat back into the chair and continued getting her hair brushed.

"I don't want to sit pretty and wear dresses." Arya groaned dramatically.

"Arya, you must. Prince Joffrey-" Sansa began but was quickly cut off by Aneira.

"Sansa, I don't think your sister wants to hear about how much you seemingly love the young prince." Aneira couldn't help but smirk as she noticed the blush rising up on Sansa's cheeks. She remembered what it was like to have her first crush - but this was different. Sansa had never seen Joffrey in person, Aneira was sure she was in love with the idea of him, though. Which in all honesty, she couldn't blame her. She had been a young, naive girl once.

As Aneira left, leaving behind a scowling Arya and blushing Sansa, she maneuvered her way through the halls until she heard the familiar voices of Jon, Robb, and Theon. She was never one to be shy so without bothering to knock she pushed the door open and was met with the bare back of Theon Greyjoy.

She grimaced slightly before looking further into the room and spotting Jon standing there in nothing but a pair of trousers and his bare chest. Gods, he was beautiful.

"Why does your mother want us getting pretty for the King?" Jon watched Robb get his facial hair removed, completely oblivious that the door had opened and they had a new spectator.

"I reckon it's for the Queen. I heard she's a-"

"Don't finish that thought, Greyjoy. It isn't wise to speak ill of your Queen." Aneira cut him off, smirking a bit as she watched the shocked expressions on both his face, as well as Jon's. Jon almost wanted to cover himself up - Aneira could tell he didn't want her to see him this way. The blush dusted across his cheeks was rather cute.

"Did you run away from getting your hair done?" Robb snorted, keeping his head still since he had a straight blade against his skin.

Aneira raised her hands and pat her hair against the top of her head. "Sansa started talking about how much she cared for the Prince. I had to escape. I just feel terrible that I left poor Arya behind."

"I hear the Prince is a right royal prick." Robb replied, his eyes finding Aneira's as she made herself right at home beside Jon. The future Lord of Winterfell was not shy in the least, even flexing his muscular form on display for her. While this was something she was used to, Aneira couldn't help but still enjoy the sight.

"Well there's nobody you need to get pretty for, you know. The princess Myrcella is much too young for you, Robb." She told him with a smirk. She glanced at Jon, playfully ruffling up his hair before looking at Theon. "And well, I'd like to believe that King Robert still has some fraction of a brain left. You wouldn't be on the offering plate I'm sure, Theon."

Jon nudged Aneira away with a playful glare. He turned to face his brother who was being wiped clean, only to now swap places with him.

"Shear him good, Tommy." Robb grinned, patting Jon's shoulder as he moved to stand beside Aneira now, "he's never met a girl he liked more than his own hair."

Aneira snorted, quickly covering her mouth to hide the laughter trying to escape. "All laughter aside, please don't chop too much off, Tommy." Aneira pleaded, "I rather like the curls on him."

"Pretty to look at, Glover?" Theon snickered.

"Yes, quite pretty, I'll admit." She shot back, glaring at Theon and then at Rob who was laughing along. Theon was wasting his time if he thought he would be able to embarrass her in any way.

She turned back to Jon and gave him a small smile as a Tommy got to work cutting his locks. Rob and Theon moved to another part of the room to get changed, though that didn't stop Theon from calling obscenities over to Aneira to try and get her riled up.

"I think they'll be here within the hour, Annie." Jon spoke up, meeting her gaze as he was being pushed and tugged every which way to get a better angle for his haircut.

"I guess that means I should hurry up and get ready then." She sighed, her finger aimlessly twirling a strand of her hair before she pushed herself up to stand tall. "Maybe we can run off for a ride after we welcome the royal family. Your Father will be too distracted to even notice us gone."

"Maybe." Though his eyes glistened with the thought of getting away from the royal family even before their arrival.

"Maybe is better than no. I'll see you in the courtyard, Snow." Aneira gave his bare chest a quick glance, trying hard not to wonder when he had gotten the defined muscles she had never seen before. Before her mind could continue with the dirty thoughts, she rushed through the doors and back to the room she had left the younger Stark girls in so she could get ready for the welcoming party.

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When Jon came to her room to tell her that the royal party was arriving, Aneira was not in any rush. She had been sitting at her desk, nervously playing with the ends of her hair. The light brown strands had been curled and only the top half was tied back in an intricate bun. She usually loved letting her hair flow freely, but Lady Stark had insisted upon a new style to show off to the royal party.

She wore a new dress, but for her it just looked like all the rest. It was black in color, and fit her body like a second skin. Her alabaster skin peeked out around the neck of the dress which helped Aneira realize she probably should wear some kind of necklace to cover up the beginning of where her chest was starting to show.

She knew the southern ladies dressed differently, but living in the north didn't give Aneira much wiggle room with having her breasts on display. It was always cold so there was never a time she was able to show off her womanly figure. "Can you help me with this?" She held up the large silver necklace, the pendant hanging in the middle was manufactured to look like an iron fist - the sigil for House Glover.

Though she lived in Winterfell now, and most of her outfits coincided with the sigil for House Stark, she never forgot where she came from, who she was. Jon took the necklace and she turned to face away from him once more. She lifted her hair up in the back and smiled to herself as she felt his fingertips graze the back of her neck. His touch, though rough, was always soft in nature and sent shivers down her spine.

"Thank you, Jon." She fixed the necklace to hang just right before she turned to stand up. "Let's go meet the King."

Jon bowed playfully, "Shall we, Lady Aneira?" He held his arm out for her to take. She did not think twice and linked her arm in his before moving out of her room and through the halls until they made it to the courtyard.

"I don't know why but I'm nervous." Aneira admitted in a whisper, looking over to the right where Jon had positioned himself. "I've never met royalty. What if I embarrass myself?"

"Those people are of no importance to you," Jon let his hand reach forward and slip into Aneira's. "What they think of you does not matter."

Aneira smiled warmly at her friend, lacing her fingers with his to give him a tight squeeze before they all turned their attention to the gates as the royal party entered Winterfell.

The duo snickered as Arya ran to join her family, her father kindly removing the helmet she had been wearing as some poor disguise. They stood in second line, behind the entire Stark family. Aneira nervously shifting her weight from foot to foot as the royal carriage entered, King Robert entering on his horse behind it.

"You've gotten fat."

Silence.

Aneira nervously chewed on her bottom lip before both Ned and the King burst out into laughter and embraced one another in a tight hug. Robert then hugged Lady Stark, catching Aneira's gaze over her shoulder.

"Ned, surely this is not Sansa?" Robert raised a brow, eyes taking over Aneira before he turned to look further down the line, counting the children and using his fingers to keep track.

"No, my King," Aneira spoke up, letting go of Jon's hand before anyone noticed they had been so close. She bowed before Robert and looked back up with a smile. "Aneira of House Glover."

"Glover!" He exclaimed, gently grabbing hold of her hand and placing a gentle kiss to the back of her hand. "I thought you looked familiar. You look just like your Father, my dear."

Aneira froze at the mention of her father. Her eyes widened as she stared up at the King. She wanted to ask him who that was but knew better. Catelyn had taught her better and she politely bowed once more. "Thank you, Your Grace."

Robert smiled as he continued down the line while Aneira stepped back and glared at the back of Lord Starks head. She had come to the conclusion that everyone knew who her father was but her.

Her hands closed tightly in a fist as she ignored the stares from Jon and Theon. She knew if Robb wasn't infront of the king, he would be staring at her too. Just when she thought the fact that her Father was unknown to her was far behind her, the anxiety and sadness bubbled back up within her.

When she heard the king request to see the crypt and Ned scurry after him like a loyal pup, Aneira turned and immediately made her way through the crowd. She passed Jamie Lannister, averting her gaze as she realized the Queen had walked over to him.

She needed to get out of there. Her chest was beginning to tighten, the constricting feeling was causing a burning sensation to spread and soon, Aneira felt like she couldn't breathe. Tears filled her eyes and began to blur her vision, but she still moved through the stables to get to Teddy. Haphazardly Aneira placed the saddle onto Teddy's back,  pulling on the straps to make sure they were in place before hoisting herself up. Her dress bunched by her inner thighs, and she knew this was extremely unladylike but she threw any care she had out with the wind.

Nudging Teddy forward as she tightened her thighs for a better hold, Aneira made her way out through the crowd, thankful that the people of Winterfell moved out of her way so she was able to gallop past Jon who had chased after her. She knew Winterfell and the surrounding grounds like the back of her hand so even through blurry vision, she was able to get to where she wanted to go.

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She made it to the surrounding woods by the godswood. It seemed to be the favorite place for most of the Stark family to think and relax, and although Aneira was not a Stark, she was no different. She slid from atop Teddy's back, fixing her skirts and sniffling a bit before she gathered the reins and made sure to tie Teddy to something so she wouldn't wander off.

The ground was bare, meaning there had not been any snow for a while, leaves crunching beneath her boots as she walked to the willow tree. She knew she would not have much time to herself, so she took to the silence with her eyes closed with her body perched upon one of the rocks that was nestled amongst the stream. At this point she didn't care if the dress got dirty, though she knew Lady Stark would feel differently. She couldn't bother herself with that right now, her mind reeling over the idea that everyone knew who her father was except for her.

She knew her Uncles knew the identity of her father and she never pushed with them because while they gained a niece, they had lost their sister - her mother - and that was traumatic enough. There was something else at play if her Father was never in the picture. Was he not of the same station? Was he dead? Was he already married to another when he impregnated her mother?

She had so many questions and she knew that they would go unanswered, atleast for right now. With the back of her hand, Aneira wiped the tears from her cheeks and finally opened her eyes. She could hear the hooves of one horse beating against the forest ground but she didn't have to guess at who it was.

She watched Jon tie his steed beside Teddy, chewing away at the inside of her cheek. She stood up quickly, staring at him with wide eyes that were still wet from crying.

"Do you know who my father is?"

"What? Of course I don't." Jon was taken aback by the question, not feeling comfortable with being accused of holding back such a big secret.

"Please do not lie to me, Jon Snow. It seems like everyone around me knows who he is." Aneira snapped, one finger pointed at him as she accused him of lying. She only let her hand drop back to her side when he stepped up in front of her. His eyes were warm as they stared back at her, and she knew right then and there that he was not lying to her.

Jon didn't reply back with words. He only wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, holding her against his chest for support. "I'm sorry, Annie. You know, as well as I do, that you are not alone in this."

Aneira immediately felt embarrassed, quickly remembering that Jon did not know who his mother was. Maybe this feeling of truly not belonging anywhere was what had brought them together. Aneira clutched onto the back of Jon's furs, pressing herself into his hug as a sigh of relief escaped her lips.

"I'm sorry for accusing you of knowing my Father, Jon. I just, I think I lost my mind when the king told me that I look just like him." She finally pulled away, moving her hands to gently take his face. Her thumbs brushed against his soft skin not that he had been shaved bare. She found herself missing the scruff that he had been growing in.

Realizing what a compromising position they were in, Aneira pulled herself away slowly and gave him a nod. "I may be able to forget this ever happened if his grace would be so kind as to not mention it again. Do you think your father would be able to mention it to him? I mean, after all, they are friends."

Jon couldn't help but chuckle. "Sure. I can ask him for him. I don't know how much good it will do, though. The King likes his drink and we both know what happens with that."

"I wonder if he'll whore himself around here in the North. Us northern girls have to be considered exotic to the men from the south." Aneira teased, a snort escaping her lips as she sat back down and pat the rock beside her for Jon to join. He happily obliged, sitting beside her and shifting his furs from around his back to over both of their laps.

"I'd believe that women from across the narrow sea would be the exotic ones." Jon hummed, earning a sharp elbow from Aneira into his ribs. "Not to say you're not ex-" Jon paused, "Wait, are you trying to trick me into saying something I'll regret?"

Aneira burst out into laughter, grinning ear to ear at Jon as he soon joined in. She knew she could always count on him to help cheer her up. And she never wasted the chance to tell him that. She wanted him to know how much he meant to her.

"Thank you." She ended up whispering now, their laughter had died down as she lay her head on his shoulder. Her hands rested beneath the fur on her lap, clutched together for warmth.

"You never need to thank me, Annie. This is what friends are for." Jon whispered back, a small smile on his lips as he looked down at her. Aneira let her head tilt back just a bit so she could catch his gaze, her own lips tugging up into a smile.

"Yes, well, I truly don't know what I'd do without you. If I had to suffer Theon and Robb all by myself I don't think I'd make it." Aneira sighed deeply, looking away from him once she heard the galloping hooves of more horses. She knew it would be too much to ask to ever get some decent privacy around here.

"We know what might cheer you up, Lady Glover." Theon smirked from atop his steed, his voice echoed out loudly and caused Aneira to cringe.

Robb huffed, "Theon, I told you to let me do the talking."

"Right, right. Go on." Theon gestured with an open hand out by his side for Robb to continue.

"We're going to sneak off to the Smoking Log for a drink,"

"And for women." Theon cut Robb off. It was rather apparent by the twinkle in his eye that he was excited.

"Well," Aneira forced a laugh, "I am not looking for a woman to share my bed with. Unfortunately I would not be much company."

Jon blushed as Aneira spoke. The part of his brain, the one he had no control over, could not help but begin to imagine Aneira in bed with another woman. He cleared his throat and moved to stand up, taking his furs as he went. "Do you think that's a wise decision with the King just arriving?"

Theon rolled his eyes with a loud scoff. Robb sighed, "The King is busy with official business involving Father. I do not think they will miss us."

Aneira shook her head, "You need to be careful Robb." She warned him, walking towards them as they remained by the horses. "You are to be the next Lord of Winterfell. You cannot be so careless."

"Annie, I know what you are implying. And I have been careful."

Robb's pleas did not go unnoticed, but Aneira was still not comfortable with the idea of him going off to sleep with women in wintertown. She looked back at Jon to see if he'd help her, but he remained quiet. He never wanted to speak out against Robb. Jon had been used to Lady Stark ensuring he knew where he belonged, and that it wasn't as his brothers equal.

"I don't think there is anything wrong with giving the women what they want, Aneira." Theon laughed, leaning forward to look down his nose at her. "So really, Robb is just obliging the people he will someday lead."

"What is it that they want so badly, Theon?" Aneira immediately grimaced as the last syllable fell from the tip of her tongue. She was usually not this gullible when it came to Theon. He was always trying to make her uncomfortable, or atleast make her say some very unladylike things.

"First off, his nice, big Stark cock. Next, his seed."

"Theon." Jon warned with a glare, "That's enough." He then turned to look at a Robb, "Like Aneira said, be careful."

"You're not coming with?" Robb ignored Theon, his gaze remaining on Jon.

"No, I'll make sure Annie gets back safe. Maybe next time." Jon lied . There would never be a next time. There was never a first time, either. Jon was incredibly proud of his lack of promiscuity. The last thing he wanted to do was bring another bastard into this world.

"Suit yourself. More cunt for me." Theon turned and started to leave. Robb, remained still, a sigh escaping his lips. He opened his mouth to apologize but Aneira quickly raised her hand to stop him.

"Do not apologize for the vile words that come out of Theon. He is not you, trust that I know that." She told him with a small smile, "Now, go. And please, be careful."

Jon and Aneira stood still as they watched the two leave. The air between them was strange, almost as if time was standing still. Jon was clearly uncomfortable with the way Theon spoke and Aneira smiled at herself with the realization that Jon Snow, the bastard, was truly the better man than his half-brother.

"You are a true gentleman, Jon. Most boys our age would have jumped on the chance to experience the warmth of a woman's bed."

"You're going to have a laugh with what I tell you next but I don't care at this point. I know you know this already." Jon sighed.

"What? That you're a virgin?" Aneira raised a brow. That thought didn't bother her - after all, she was still a maiden herself.

"Yes. And I seem to be the only man with a cock who believes that the unity between two people is sacred. I mean, I don't want my first time to be with some whore who opens her legs for my coin, and not for me."

"Like I said," Aneira smiled again, her hand reached out and gently cupped the side of his face.

"A true gentleman."