New Friends (Jon Snow x Reader)
Description: Youâre the first daughter and second child of the royal family. When you visit Winterfell, you quickly find yourself making friends with the Starks and one Snow. Despite knowing you two could never be together, youâre quickly catching feelings for one another.
Maybe a part 2? Iâm not sure yet...
It had taken far longer than you would have wished for, but you and your family were finally arriving at Winterfell. Your father had insisted that you stay in the carriage, but you hated the stuffy little room. Youâd much rather ride your own horse, like Joffrey did. But your father was king, and his word is final. So, you resigned yourself to staring out the small window of the carriage, your younger brother leaning into your side as he slept.
Finally, after weeks of constant travel with small breaks in between for your father to hunt and drink, you saw the walls of Winterfell approaching. You could hardly contain your excitement. Ever since you were a little girl, youâd heard stories of the honorable Ned Stark, and the icy chill in which he resided. Youâd dreamed of seeing the northern snow for years.
The second the carriage came to a stop, you jumped out and took a deep breath of the cold, fresh air, a large grin stretched across your face.
Behind you, you could hear your mother, sister, and newly awoken brother stepping from the carriage as well. Your mother placed a gentle but strict hand on your shoulder and leaned down to whisper, âBehave yourself. You may be excited, but try to act like a lady while weâre here.â
You nodded slightly, sending a quick, âYes, mother,â like the good little girl youâd always been taught to be. Your mother loved you, of that much you were sure, but you sometimes felt as though you could never please her.
You followed your mother and father, taking your place between your elder brother and your younger sister. You watched as your father greeted all of the Stark children and immediately asking to see the crypts. After heâd left, ignoring your motherâs protests, she was left to introduce her own children.
âMy eldest, Joffrey.â Joffrey held an air of overconfidence to him. Heâd always been rather cruel, though heâd been slightly partial to you, even if heâd never admit it. âMy eldest daughter, (Y/N).â You quickly dropped into the curtsy that youâd been forced to perfect, sending a kind smile to your hosts. âMy younger daughter, Myrcella.â Your sisterâs grip on your hand tightened, so you gave it a quick squeeze of reassurance. âAnd my youngest, Tommen.â You glanced at your younger brother as he bowed to the Starks in greeting. You smiled slightly and quickly turned back to your hosts.
âAllow me to show you to your chambers,â Lady Stark said. As you were being led inside, you quickly peeled off from the group, instead making your way to the stables.
You grinned widely, running a hand across the nose of the large, dark mare before you. âHello there, beautiful girl. I bet your itching to stretch you legs,â you spoke softly, continuing to gently pet the mare. You grabbed a saddle and heaved it over the back of the horse, fastening the straps. You had done this so many times by that point that you almost didnât even have to think about it. You unlatched the gate and led her outside before quickly taking your place in the saddle and riding through the gates of Winterfell, sending a small prayer to the gods that the guards wouldnât recognize you.
Gods, the wind felt wonderful on your face as you spurred the horse to run faster. The forest raced past you as you rode, the cold air burning through your lungs. It was freezing in the north, and even your warmest coats did almost nothing to keep the cold winds from cutting through you. You slowed the horse to a trot, panting slightly from the ride. You took this time to gaze more closely at the forest surrounding you. Tall, dark green trees surrounded you on all sides, a soft layer of white coating the branches.
The sound of hooves behind you pulled you from your daze. Your heart picked up slightly, and you gripped the dagger your father had given to you on your last name day. It was probably the sound of your guards coming to fetch you, but youâd heard stories of wildlings viciously attacking the northerners. You turned to face the sound, preparing to defend yourself against a wildling attack.
Instead, a boy not much older than you appeared from between the leaves. You quickly recognized him as the bastard of Winterfell. He pulled his horse up to you, eyeing you in slight suspicion. âYou shouldnât be out here,â he muttered.
You blinked slowly before quickly hiding the dagger in your skirts once more. âMy apologies, my lord, I wanted to go for a ride and see this beautiful country is all,â you smiled at him, hoping to both ease his worry and keep him from telling anyone. Your mother would be furious if she found out you had left the castle without an escort.
The boy shook his head, thick curls shaking as he did. âIâm no lord. Now come on, before anyone notices youâve gone.â
You grinned and grabbed his hand. âThank you, ser. Itâs very kind of you.â The boy nodded and took his hand back, turning away to hide his blush.
âFollow me, Iâll lead you back to the castle,â he muttered and flicked his reins. You nodded and followed behind him.
The journey was made in silence, not a word between you until you reached the gates of Winterfell. One of the gold cloaks moved to greet you. âYour grace, your mother has been looking for you. You know how she feels about you riding unescorted, especially in a strange land.â
You flinched at his words. Your mother would never let you out of her sight after this. âI offered the princess a tour of the north. She was escorted by me.â The boyâs words shocked you beyond belief. You hardly even knew him. In fact you didnât even know his name. All you knew was that he was a bastard.
The guardâs jaw clenched. âAnd who are you to be escorting her, bastard?â The title was spat out with such hatred that it struck even you.
âMy name is Jon Snow,â Jon growled back. âAnd I am a son of Lord Eddard Stark. Iâve been training to fight since I was old enough to hold a sword. She was safe.â You smiled and placed a gentle hand on Jonâs shoulder in reassurance.
âYour grace, your mother requested your presence as soon as you returned. You need to begin preparing for the feast,â the guard said. You nodded and slid from your mount, Jon following suit.
You smiled and curtsied to him. âThank you for a wonderful tour, Jon. It was lovely meeting you,â you said kindly. Jon nodded stiffly and began taking both horses back to the stables. Your smile stayed with you as you were escorted back to your temporary room in Winterfell.
You sat completely still as you hair was teased and pulled into an acceptable style for the feast tonight. You had already been stuffed into an unbelievable tight corset and extravagant gown, and you were beginning to grow impatient. Youâd much rather talk with Jon than be subjected to a night of small talk and shoes that pinched your feet. Of course, such luxuries were not allowed to a princess of the seven kingdoms. At least you would have your hair styled in the northern manner.
A knock at the door caused you to smile, finally released from the womanâs unrelenting fingers. âThat will be all, thank you,â you dismissed her. She nodded and curtsied, knowing better than to protest. You opened your door to see Robb Stark before you.
âYour grace, Iâm here to escort you to the feast,â he said stiffly.
You smiled softly and nodded. âOf course. Thank you, my lord.â
âYou can call me Robb,â he muttered, slightly unsure of himself.
You gently took his arm offered to you. âThank you, Robb,â you corrected your previous statement.
Robb led you down the hall and into the feast hall without saying a word. Silence must run in the family. You took your place at the long table where all the children sat, turning to see your sister escorted by Brandon Stark and your brother escorting Arya Stark. Finally, little Rickon Stark clumsily made his way to the table, causing a slight smile to return to your face. Joffrey and Sansa had already entered before you, since Joff was the eldest. Once your uncles and the other high lords had entered, the feast began.
It was much more fun than you had thought it would be. The northerners talked loudly and festively, making you forget your obligations and simply focus on enjoying yourself. You were sat near Sansa, who simply refused to stop talking about Joff, when the piece of food hit her right in the face. Loud laughing echoed through the hall, and you glanced over to see Arya Stark holding a spoon and a mischievous grin.
Quickly, you rose from your seat and went to her before someone else could get there first and scold her for her actions.
You smiled as you grabbed her hand, sitting beside her. âYou must be Arya Stark,â you said, trying to catch her eyes as she stared at the table. âYou know, from what my father says, you look just like your Aunt Lyanna. Do you know what they called her?â Arya shook her head nervously. âThey called her the flower of the North. Of course, I think youâre much prettier than any flower. You have kind eyes.â
Arya slowly looked back up at you, still rather wary. âIâm sorry for throwing food,â she muttered.
You chuckled and shook your head. âActually, I thought it was quite well done. You have wonderful aim for someone so young,â you complimented.
Aryaâs face lit up in surprise and happiness. âI can shoot a bow and arrow, too,â she bragged, her earlier nervousness already long forgotten.
âYou must be incredibly talented to learn such a difficult thing as archery,â You raved. âIâd love for you to show me sometime.â
Arya nodded excitedly, her eyes sparkling at the prospect of showing someone else her skills. âWould you like to meet Nymeria?â She blurted.
You tilted your head slightly. âForgive me, my lady, but I donât know who that it.â
âSheâs my direwolf. Iâve been training her myself, and she already knows how to fetch me things!â She rushed.
You grinned widely. Youâd heard of the great animal that donned the Stark banners, but you never dreamed youâd see one in person. âIâd absolutely love to meet Nymeria,â you said honestly.
Jon found himself smiling as he watched you talk to his favorite sister. You spoke to her like youâd known her for years, and she seemed to be quite taken with you. He knew Arya had some trouble with the ladylike manner expected of her.
Jon quickly shook the thought from his head. You were a princess, for the godsâ sakes. Nothing would ever happen. Still, he couldnât seem to take his eyes off of you.
That is, until his uncle Benjen interrupted his wine-induced thoughts of you.
You glanced over to see Jon running from the hall, tears rolling down his cheeks. You looked back to Arya. âPlease excuse me, my lady, I will be right back,â you said quickly. Arya nodded, a large smile still holding her face.
You picked up your skirts slightly and rushed from the hall after Jon. You shivered at the rush of cold air that hit you, but you didnât care. Instead, you ran after him and grabbed him by the shoulder, spinning him to face you.
âWhat do you want?â He spat, his voice laced with venom. You took a step back in shock. Quickly, he realized his mistake and said, âSorry, your grace, I thought you were someone else.â
âItâs alright. Care to tell me why youâre crying?â You asked. Jon quickly turned away. You sighed. âAlright, instead, why donât we just sit?â After a few moments, Jon nodded, and the two of you sat on a stone bench nearby. The stone seemed to take whatever warmth had been left in you, and you soon found yourself shivering. Suddenly, a weight appeared on your shoulders. You looked up to find Jonâs fur cloak wrapped around you.
Before I could protest, Jon said, âYouâre cold. Iâm not. Itâs more use to you than it is to me.â You nodded slowly, allowing the silence to retake the two of you. You felt a warmth against your shins and looked to see a large, pure white wolf leaning against you. You smiled and reached a hand out to scratch him behind the ears.
âHeâs beautiful,â you breathed, already enraptured by the direwolf.
âHis name is Ghost,â Jon smiled slightly. âHe seems to like you.â
âWell thatâs good, because Iâm rather taken with him as well,â you grinned. âI took a bit of chicken with me, but if youâre not hungry...â you started hopefully, hardly taking your eyes off the handsome young wolf.
âPlease, he would be much happier with it than I would,â Jon grinned, ruffling the fur on top of the wolfâs head.
You pulled the chicken from beneath the cloak and offered it to the wolf. Immediately, Ghost happily took the gift and almost ate it whole. After, he jumped onto your lap, his giant paws on either leg, and started trying to lick your face. You laughed and did your best to get away from the onslaught. âGhost, get down!â Jon shouted, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck. You laughed and wiped at your cheek. âSorry, heâs usually much better than that,â Jon turned to you.
âItâs alright, heâs just saying thank you,â you dismissed without a second thought. Silence fell over you again, though this was a slightly more pleasant one. You found yourself gazing thoughtfully into Jonâs eyes, and to your surprise, he returned your stare wholeheartedly.
âIâm joining the nightâs watch,â he suddenly blurted out. You raised a brow in surprise, leaning back a bit. âI canât take a wife, and I canât father any children. And I would die before I fathered a bastard,â he said it with such conviction, his eyes hard as he looked at you.
You nodded slowly, mulling over his words. You turned back to him after a few moments. âThat doesnât mean we canât be friends, does it?â You asked. Of course, you knew as well as he did that you two might not survive long as just friends. But you had to try. You liked Jon, and you didnât want to let him out of your life.
âAye, we can be,â Jon said, unsure.
âGreat,â you grinned, though this one didnât have quite as much heart as usual. âThen Iâll write you every week at Castle Black. And I expect responses, Jon Snow, or Iâll come down there myself and give you a piece of my mind.â
Jon chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. âYou have my word, your grace.â
You rolled your eyes. âI am far from graceful, Jon. Just call me (Y/N).â
Jon grinned, glancing back at you. âA letter every week. I promise... (Y/N).â The name sent butterflies fluttering through your stomach, and you grinned back. You would be looking forward to those letters.