She wondered if it were always like this in Winterfell. Another dinner held in the feasting hall where people cheered and drank. Or was it merely because her family was here? It had been four days now since their stay and every night seemed promising.

Amariah joined in the merriment as her brothers sang songs that were not fit for the ears of children. Arya's lips were in an o-shape at the crude language but she laughed nonetheless. Sansa seemed unsure until Paige nudged her with a smile and she too joined in with laughter.

All was well in Winterfell. The Oardens and the Starks were happy as well as all those who joined them that night. Amariah's belly was full and warm from the drinks provided. It wasn't a usual for the children to indulge in wine and ale but tonight was one of the unusuals. Her parents were much more lenient than Lady Catelyn. Everyone was more permissive than the lady but she allowed her children to have this night of fun. Lord Eddard was not completely against it. So long as they did not indulge too much.

The hall was warm and the air heavy with yelps of happy, drunk men. It was like a celebration. A celebration neither really knew of. But they did not question it.

It was not everyday Amariah would experience such a night and it was wonderful. She loved how comfortable they all fit with one another and knew the ties between the Starks and Oardens were indeed strong. Kalogeros elbowed her a couple of times as he carried off with a joke. He had one too many to drink and it showed with the way he slurred his words. She was nonetheless happy even with having to sit between drunks.

There was so much to enjoy and she wanted to share it all with the people she cared about. New and old. Her eyes raked over the crowd to find one boy in particular in hopes he would join her with just as much mirth. And there he sat, Jon Snow. He faced her direction with a cup of his own. A smile played on his lips to something one of the men next to him said. He was attentive to the man's words but his eyes were solely upon her.

Jon watched her laugh, her cheeks pink from having drank to her heart's content. She was clearly enjoying herself and he nodded at her when she waved.

Amariah gestured her hand in a way to invite him over. She wanted him to sit with her but he made no move to do so. He shook his head softly with a small look she could not discern. With much more enthusiasm, she gestured with both hands but he only looked away. The smile she had had fallen at his denial.

It was not the first time he chose not to join her and she knew why. The first night of her stay, Arya had told her how Lady Catelyn forbade it.

Because he's a bastard.

She looked at Kalogeros who continued in making a fool out of himself. He had no qualms in doing so whether drunk or sober. He was happy. Awfully and utterly happy. Would Jon been just as such if he were accepted into the family like her brother was?

There was no reason for her to dwell on those thoughts. Tonight was not a night to sulk and she would not allow Jon to do so either. She was tired of watching him sit away there, simply watching her whenever she watched him.

Pushing off from where she sat, Amariah grabbed her cup which had been filled for the fourth time and made her way over to Jon. She had to stop a few times to collect herself. The drinks had gone to her head unbeknownst to her when she'd been sitting. After catching her footing, she ambled over in his direction.

Jon saw her get up but thought nothing of it. It was when she came to him that he expressed something. His eyes widened with his lips slightly apart. Was she mad? He could not fathom the idea on why she would approach him in the middle of the feast. Her face was lit with a glow and she smiled at his taken aback expression. A small giggle errupted from her as she patted his arm enthusiastically.

"Let's go." Her voice was high like a chime.

"What?"

"Let's go," she laughed. "And bring that thing with you." She waved in the direction of the pitcher that sat heavy with wine.

Jon looked to the jug and back at her. There was a hint of amusement laced in his voice as he spoke. "You're drunk."

"Not yet, I'm not." She patted his arm again. "Now let's go!"

"Where are we going?"

He hoped she would not drag him to the table where his half-siblings sat. Jon knew he would not be able to handle the embarrassment if and when Lady Catelyn caught him. Surely she would have his head.

"I," he started.

"Outside. We're going outside, come on."

Amariah gripped his upper arm and hauled him up. She nearly dragged him before waiting until he had the pitcher in hand. She held onto him tight as they wormed their way through the crowd and out into the cool night. The cheers of the people still rang loud and there was the occasional drunk who sat out laughing with a companion. Amariah's feet dragged through the now dissipating snow with Jon in tow and nearly skipped in the direction of the stables. She bounded into the small housing and it was here that she released him. She did not stop walking until she reached a stack of hay that sat on the opposite of Jon's horse where she nearly threw herself onto the ground cursing softly when she spilled some of her drink.

Jon stood awkwardly unsure of why they were here. She'd been with her family and he with friends. If he could call them that. No, they were not friends just companions for the night.

"Come." She pulled him out of his reverie and patted the space by her. "Sit with me."

He did not question it further and walked over. He held the pitcher firmly as he sat down and watched her as she tried in settling herself in.

"It's cold." Her voice was low as if the words were meant for herself but Jon heard her all the same.

Neither of the two had their furs on them. He could see her struggling to curl her legs in and drape her skirts over her feet to keep them warm.

Amariah bumped into his shoulder and leaned against him seeking for warmth. His palms grew sweaty and he was brought back to question her once again.

"Why are we here?"

Amariah looked at him in confusion. As if the question stunted her. She pursed her lips before smiling.

"Because you wouldn't sit with me."

Jon's brows pulled together at her absurdity.

"Then you could have sat with me."

As much as he himself could not believe those words, he said them for her sake. To hide the reality of their situation. Imagine the talk if Lady Amariah Oarden took to sitting with the bastard of Winterfell rather than being in company with those worthy of her presence. But surely, there was already talk after she made as many attempts as possible to be by his side. To get to know him better, she said. She was adamant to do so.

She shook her head with an incredulous look. "I didn't want to share you with people I do not know."

His tongue swelled and his heart skipped a beat. Jon's face grew warm and he looked down at the pitcher. He ran his fingers over the object absentmindedly and found he could not say a word.

She had a habit of doing that. Amariah spoke her mind. More so now that she had a couple of drinks. She'd been trying to get him to sit with her during the feasts and each time he would not go. She would not speak of it the next day but he knew she wanted to. Either way, neither spoke about it until now and she made it very clear that she would have him join her for the night one way or another.

"Drink?" she asked.

Amariah shoved her cup up into his face and waved it about. He shook his head as if he were lost in thought and pushed it back down to its previous level.

"It's yours."

"But that's why I told you to bring the thing. So you and I could drink."

"The pitcher?"

"Yes that."

He laughed. "You are drunk."

She brought the cup to her lips and mumbled something before taking a drink.

His brows pinched as he frowned trying to understand what she said. "What?"

"I said I'm not drunk!"

Jon was stunned for a moment before his face twisted into a comical expression. He laughed out loud in response to which Amariah joined in with a shake of her head. She was making a fool out of herself just like her brother but she did not care.

"I might be. A little." She smiled.

"A little bit, yeah."

Everything died down around them save for the occasional snicker or two. From a distance they could hear the hall still alive in merry. There was a chorus of laughter here and there and it would fill the night sky whenever someone opened the doors. It was much calmer where the two sat and Amariah soaked it in as best she could.

She shivered from the chilled air that seeped into the stables but it did not kill the warmth that spread through her like wildfire. The wine kept her in a state of being glad. She took another swig and reveled in the taste. It was sweet with the after taste slightly bitter. The latter had gone numb on her tongue after having drank so much. Jon poured her some more when she drained half her cup and she was quick to down it again before thinking against it. The point of being here with him was so they could enjoy themselves. Not with her drunk and him becoming responsible for her.

Would he feel obligated to do so? she thought. Would Jon watch over her if she were beyond herself from having drank so much? He was a gentleman, she supposed. But she would not carry on. She placed her drink down away from them afraid of holding it any longer lest she be tempted further more. It was a sign for Jon to put down the pitcher as well and he sat stiff when she made herself comfortable by his side again.

Could he say he was entirely uncomfortable-he could not say. She simply sought for something to keep her warm and what better than to seek it from another person. He did not think further of her actions, leaving it just as it was.

Amariah closed her eyes for a minute and hummed in a way of appreciation. She could feel how tense he was and the frown that graced her face was something she could not hold back. Despite how she wanted to enjoy her time here with him, he seemed to be feeling otherwise.

Drawing her arm back, she punched him in the side earning her a sound of displeasure on his part.

"What was that for?"

"You're tense. Relax."

"Last I checked, hitting people doesn't equate to relaxing."

Her eyes drew open lazily to stare at him.

For a minute he suspected she was not in a joking mood. That it had been drawn away once she set her drink aside. The look she gave him led him to believe so and he forced himself to comply. Anything to stop that look. He leant back against the hay with a sigh. He shimmied his shoulders in a way to show that he was making himself comfortable and the reaction she gave him was enough to let him know she was in a state of content once more.

"Better?" He was being smart, but she looked overlooked his tone and smiled.

"Better."

They found themselves like this for a while. Her leaning against him, having slid down enough by his side so she could lie her head on his shoulder. Another moment he found himself stiffening again but he fought the urge to do so lest he offend her.

Questions swirled about Amariah's head like flies, buzzing incessantly. Though they said nothing her mind was alight with all she wanted to say. Every single one that brought on a curiosity since her first day at Winterfell. She did not ask many, almost always keeping to herself. She did not know the people of the town as well as one would think with how comfortable she looked by Jon Snow's side.

Speaking of which, they agreed on getting to know one another on a, possibly, personal level. She expressed interest in him and he in her. Neither of the two were willing to jump into something without knowing where one stood in life compared to the other. Amariah found this to be the perfect opportunity to ask some pressing questions she had.

There's always a time and a place for such and she found that neither of the times she'd been with Jon was appropriate as they were in ear shot of others. She thought then on what to ask. Some were personal and others not so much. She did not know how he would feel for what she would say and so settled on a few simple questions she believed he would not mind answering but his silence said otherwise.

"Are you afraid of her?"

Jon could not think of who she could mean. She did not mean herself and he didn't find his half-sisters frightening. Especially not Arya. Could she mean her mother or her sister? He thought no, but to say he was afraid of them would not be entirely untrue. Jon was not one to welcome people with open arms because no stranger did so with him. Why would they? That left only one other but he did not answer for how unsure he was of her question and how personal it was if it were what he thought.

Amariah tilted her head to look up at him and found the look of uncertainty on his face. She bit her tongue as punishment for having asked the question and sat back enough so they were not as close.

There was a cold draft that wafted up his side from the loss of contact. He yearned to feel the warmth again and he blamed himself for not having answered a simple question. What was he most afraid of? For her to mock him if he were to tell her that yes, he was a little afraid of his step-mother. He bit the inside of his cheek and drew in a heavy breath.

"She's a good woman," he said almost too quickly.

It was not what she expected to hear. Not what she believed to be a white lie but him having spoken about his father's wife. From day one it was obvious to many how sensitive the relationship between Catelyn Stark and Jon Snow was. If one could call it a relationship. The finality behind his words though was clear and she fought with herself to not ask him to elaborate. They were not so close to think she could ask him such. She was stupid to believe she could otherwise.

She chewed on her lower lip thinking of something else that would pull him out of the mood she sensed him to be in. Many of them seemed personal and she found herself looking for a new set of questions to ask.

It was known how loose Amariah's tongue could be. Talking before thinking. When she found something-or someone, in this matter-she liked, she would go on without thinking of the consequences that could transpire. It was something she was frequently called on by her parents. Though it was something to be praised on in certain situations, as Septa Edmeè once said, but a quick slip of the tongue could leave one in perilous danger. Amariah knew she was not in perilous danger now but Jon's reaction was a reminder that action comes later rather than thought.

"Are you afraid of her?"

Her eyes quickly found his when he spoke. She watched the way his brow arched and the small twitch at the corner of his lips. She could not read the small gesture he made with his face but answered the question in all honesty.

"A bit."

Before she could stop herself she smiled. It was one of infectious taste for Jon smiled back with a nod.

"Same."

They laughed at the odd similarity they found in one another. Amariah was sure the lady was a good woman as Jon claimed her to be. But where she stood with bastards was not good enough for the Oarden girl.

She let a quick breath of relief escape her knowing now that Jon was not mad. Her teeth found themselves to be worrying her bottom lip once more like the bad habit it was. Whether it was a subconscious or not, it did not always mean she was filled with anxiety. She was calm now feeling the weight she placed onto her shoulders easing off of her. It was a way for others to know she was in thought.

Other questions to ask, she wondered. Something a little less personal?

Her eyes roamed over their surrounding. The soft whine of Jon's horse caught her attention and she watched as the animals fur bristled before he shook it off.

It was awfully cold. She always thought with dread. How the animals here grew accustomed to it, she did not know. Amariah was sure that if she brought her mare the poor thing wouldn't have lasted the night.

"Why is it always so cold here?"

Jon looked at her and to his horse who captivated her for the moment. He shrugged though she could not see and spoke. "Because it's the North?" He shook his head with another shrug. "I guess that's why it's called Winterfell."

A small realization dawned upon her at his words. Like a child having discovered something of great beauty, her mouth drew open in a small gasp. "Gods." She looked at him with wide eyes. "That's why it's called Winterfell."

The look on her face did nothing for Jon besides make him chuckle.

"Yes," he said in a way one would speak to a child.

She playfully hit him in response, closing the distance between them once more. Amariah curled into his side with her bottom lip between her teeth. She sucked on it thinking of something else to ask. No matter how foolish it made her seem. Anything to hear him talk.

"Don't do that."

Her eyes drifted up to him with her lip falling free from the clutches of her teeth.

"Do what?"

He motioned at his own mouth with a frown.

"You bite your lip a lot. Don't do that."

Amariah squinted in a way Jon could not ascertain.

"Are you telling me what to do?"

The joke behind it was clear now but he sighed all the same with a slight roll of his eyes.

"I'm saying it because the cold here is harsh and you'd make it worse by biting them." He spoke in a way of fact. "The skin would splinter open and-"

"And what?" She challenged. "You wouldn't kiss me if my lips were bloody?"

His mouth hung ajar and that familiar rush of heat that crept over his face came back. He stuttered a bit before not knowing what to do or say. "I-I. I didn't-what?"

She stunted him but she did not stop with her little torment over his mind.

"Would you even kiss me if they were pretty and lush like on a Summer's day?"

Jon's mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air and there was a small part of him that felt like he needed that very same thing. "Um," he started but he could not find a way to finish.

Was she toying with him or was there a meaning that underlied those words? There was no humor behind them and he felt himself shifting uncomfortably with still nothing to say.

"Do girls make you uncomfortable, Jon?" He could tell then the undertone. She mocked him. "Have you ever kissed a girl?"

His chest expanded with the look of his face turning into something most unpleasant. Had she offended him? Amariah would have to wait and see.

"I have kissed a girl."

"Oh really?" She twisted in her place to perch her arm on the stack they leant against. Her attention solely upon him. "Who?"

He was not going to tell her about Ros. That would entail him to explain who she was to him and what led to the kiss and he could not even fathom on getting to any of that. The blush on his face deepened from a pink to a bright red at the thought.

As a counter, he turned to face her directly and switched the topic to her. "Have you kissed a boy?" It came out almost defensive to which Amariah only smiled.

"Yes, I have. Many, many boys." She could see the need for him to stutter once again. "And they enjoyed it very much." She shrugged. "Some came for seconds."

Jon was entirely speechless by then and he could not tell if what she said might have made him jealous. That she had kissed many boys, none of which were him or because she kissed many while he had one?

A laugh like any other escaped her. There was a slight wheeze before she placed her hand on his cheek her eyes shut from the laughter that tore through her. Jon rolled his eyes catching on to her little joke. "Many, many," he mocked to which she laughed harder with her head bowing down.

"I'm sorry," she cried. "That was immature of me. I think I'm still a little drunk." The fluttering in her stomach reminded her of how true that statement was. "Inexcusable either way."

To say there wasn't a small relief that pooled in and over him would be an understatement. Her life before him was nothing for him to concern himself over but to know there really weren't many-it was pleasant feeling.

"So how many have you really kissed?" He asked before he could stop himself. The curiosity-the need to know more about her now in their time together was growing into something stronger.

"Two."

"Two?"

"Yes," she nodded as she sat back again. "Only two."

"And who were they?"

Amariah sighed. "Rory Dahnst from House whatever the name was. A cousin by marriage. When we were young." She thought for a moment before she frowned. "Horrible kisser. There was spit everywhere."

Jon's head tilted back as he belted out a laugh. "And the second?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Some boy. They call him the bastard of Winterfell but I don't know much beyond that."

She did not look at him but she could feel the heat of his gaze on her.

"That wasn't a real kiss." His voice was soft but clear to her ears.

Her head lolled to the side as she looked at him with half-lidded eyes. When had she become so tired. She cursed herself for having drank so much. A lesson to be learned by the adults, perhaps? It was not beside the fact of how the fluttering in her stomach changed into something more.

"Would you like a real kiss, Jon Snow?"

He did not pull back nor was he caught off guard this time. There was something in him that craved for her to not be joking this time. This one time and he would have gone through with it if she were willing. If she weren't so drunk.

That gaze of his turned into something else and she could feel the sigh that so suddenly wanted to escape her bubble deep within her chest.

"You're drunk," he said in finality.

"I am." A small pause. "Maybe another time."

Maybe another time, he too thought. For tonight would not be the night. Not for a while, he told himself. At least.

"We should head back. Before someone comes looking for you."

It was evident how disappointed Amariah was but she hid it well from him. She simply nodded and yawned before reaching for her forgotten drink. The smell of the wine fell on different taste this time around and she held it away from her. It was about that time she went to bed for the night took a turn to where all she wanted at that point was to rest. Despite knowing how her morning would go-her head throbbing from the night before-she would wake with a determination like no other. She wanted to know more about Winterfell and she hoped Jon would be her usual companion for the day and maybe young Arya would join them as well. Amariah had taken a liking to the girl. And all that made Winterfell dreadful in her eyes prior to knowing Jon was overshadowed with great joy. Such a reminder as she and Jon left the stables and out to hear the pleasant sounds of the people of the town cheering on.

AN: A little fluff-ish filler to make up for the lack of updates.
I didn't know the chapter would come out so long but I'm sure you all don't mind that.

I know this took forever to get up. I recently updated another story of mine (and soon another) explaining why it's been so long which I'll also say here. For one, I have been on a huge Vikings kick so it was hard to update when I couldn't get my head in the game (get it? Game? Game of Thrones.. don't mind me). Second, my health took a turn for the worse and I ended up having surgery recently to which I'm still recovering from. Third, I had no power but am glad because now it's (obviously) back on! So to say these past weeks haven't been crazy for me would be a lie.

And despite it all, the story has been receiving quite a bit of love. Thank you to all who have fav'd and followed. It truly means a lot.
Reviews:
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zZhell-butterflyZz: This is so sweet, thank you! I try my best to do just that so this encourages me to continue on.
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Reviews are always welcomed you guys so keep them coming!

Thank you guys for everything. You have been nothing but sweet to me.
Until next time.