As a child she was taught to fear death. To shiver, cry and aguish in its presence. To pray the dark creatures that moved through the shadows. To shield and guard herself from whatever the night would bring. Sleep with a candle light in the hopes of wakening from a night terror to be comforted by the warm light but Joanna felt nothing of that.

The time had gone by – to the point where she didnt know how long shed been there. It could have been days, months perhaps even years. Not that it mattered- nothing mattered anymore.

She's already lost her entire will to live.

How was it possible that she was both alive and dead at the same time? Time was an abstract concept now. What was the point of living anymore? She had no country, no family, no honour and no husband.

Why should she even consider living anymore?

Joanna feared that death would be the punishment for her treason against the Lannisters but nothing could be worse than this. Living with no free will. She was wrong – so terribly wrong.

Nothing could compare to the emptiness inside her heart- his absence never left her. Every time she closed her eyes she could see flashes of their lives and the life they were meant to have but now all she could think of was his blood staining her dress as he rested in her lap – sacrificing himself to save her more than once.

Her wrist were blue and bruised from the bounds shed been chained to in her darken cell. Her skin burnt and tattered as she tried to break free. For gods know how long shed been held hostage in a castle to House Lin.

The heels clicked on the ground as her approach. Her dull and lifeless eyes looked up to see a radiant and glowing Shae Lin.

"Morning princess, I take it you've had a well-rested sleep?" She mocked the starving princess in the corners of her dark prison cell. Joanna felt beyond irritation for Shae as she looked up to spit to the ground.

"Well that's not how a lady should act. I would've thought Cersei Lannister taught you better than this." Joannas heart stung as lunged to Shae but the chain whipped her body back to collide with the cold ground.

"Oh stop, you've been at this for how long?! You should be careful Joanna." Shae crossed her arms as she disapprovingly shook her head. "After all, we dont want you to harm the baby."

There was no end to Joannas suffering. She'd been heartbroken for so long that the second she woke up in her cell she didnt care for her child. There was no more love for it without Robb.

"Why dont you just kill me? Why keep me locked away?" she spoke with no tone in her voice for the first time since the wedding. Since she screamed for her husband.

"Because I've been given a task that requires me to keep you alive." Shae retorted. She clenched her jaw as she stood back. Looking back to the other empty cells before taking a seat in front of Joanna. Joanna had no more energy left in her to fight – there was no point in fighting anymore.

"Why?" Joanna demanded again

"Your family requested that you remain alive."

"My mother."Joanna sighed as she laid back to look at the grimy ceiling "Why am I not surprised?" She turned her head back to Shae "So who was it? Im smart enough to know it couldnt have just Walder Frey and House Lin to betray us – so who else?" Though not at the best of terms Shae was still able to be impressed by her quick intellect.

"Nothing? Funny how you come here every day and now you decide to keep your mouth shut when I speak." Joanna remarked. Shae did not take this lightly as she rose to her feet and flung a dagger near Joannas head. Joanna flinched as flew to the ground protecting her head

"You are in no position to be snarky with me! I'm the only reason why youre still alive!" Shae yelled. The aggravation in her voice was enough to scare Joanna. Shae collected herself as she breathed in deeply as she looked to her prisoner.

"I'm sorry – I'm sorry. Just please don't..." Joanna begged but she couldnt finish her sentence. Please dont what? Please dont kill me? She though  although she'd never admit it death seemed more inviting than what she has endured. Shae's hardened face remained stoic as the princess looked back to her with red puff eyes.

"It wasn't just us. After the Karstarks, a rebellion began. A plan to overthrow the King. Even a blind raven could see that there was no point in fighting this war anymore. Your focus shifted away from avenging Ned Stark and you would have dragged us all to our deaths."

"We were your friends. How could you have done this to us? To me?!" Joanna objected where she cowered

"BECAUSE YOU GAVE ME NO CHOICE!"

"SO THIS IS MY FAULT?!" Joanna shrieked as she threw the empty bowl against the prison cell gate, the grey slab of food flung across Shaes' dress. Wiping the crumbs off her face Shae grabbed the food off her chest onto the ground

"Yes! Because when I told you not to marry him you didn't listen. I warned you from the beginning that the North would never bend the knee to a Southerner and like lovestruck children you ignored every sign of danger and married one another! With no witnesses and permission you jeoprodised the entire North by betraying one of the pillar houses of the Northerners!"

Joanna turned around as she slumped herself into the corner. She didn't want to think for one second that it could be her fault. It just couldnt

"Just tell me one thing. If not for me then at least so I can tell my child." Joanna's lip quivered as she forced herself not be scream and cry in front of Shae

"What?"

"Tell me what happened to Robb. Please Shae-" She heard the huff of Shaes voice. Everyday she cried begging for an answer but yet to no avail. Shae walked away everyday giving her nothing but dust to what happened to Robb.

This was her punishment worse than death. She could spend an eternity in a cell but she couldnt live without knowing where he was. Was he alive and held prisoner or was he already dead? What happened to Robb Stark?

Night had fallen and the tiniest amount of light from her barred window turned into the night sky. She looked out of the window every knight hoping for someone to fling a knife through her heart and end her suffering. The doors opened and she turned around to see a maiden of house Shae enter with her food. Ayame was her name.

Ayame, unlike so many of the guards bared no ill will to her. A kind handmaiden from the west that had been instructed to care for Joanna. She was the same age as Joanna but carried herself well enough that she came of naive in moments when she needed. She came to bring her food everything and change her dressing. Joanna didn't know why Shae didnt give her rags to wear but she would not shy away from it as the cold winds blew though the brick walls.

"Time for dinner." Ayame announced as she set the food down. Joanna turned around to see the young woman standing in front of the open cell door. Joanna huffed as she threw her dress off and flung it to the corner of the room before yanking the new one over body as her threw the fur cloak over her shivering arms.

"I take it you dont to be cleaned again?"

"No. You know the rules, cross this line and I will not hesitate to strangle you to your death." Joanna replied with snark which had no effect on Ayame.

"You wouldn't do that. If it weren't for me you and your child wouldn't even be feed." Ayame was a maiden but not without attitude and she never hesitated to put Joanna in her place, respectfully of course.

"You're right. Tell me? Is Bolton still alive?" Joanna asked as she remembered Robb shooting the traitor through his knees rendering him injured

"Yes, he plans to visit my lady Shae within next week to discuss – well I'm not quite sure what they are discussing. She never lets anyone attend her meetings, not even to fill their wine." Just hearing Ayame inform her made her heart ache for Isabella. Since arriving shes heard rumours between the guards of Isabella and Arya escaping – the last she heard was the figures riding away further North but she could only assume that the Freys caught up to them and if not the Freys then they would already be dead from the cold. Isabella and Arya had no food, no money an no preparation. She forced herself to believe they were already dead – well almost all of them.

"Why all the secrecy? What does she have to hide from her own house?" Joanna unknowingly wondered aloud. Ayame would lie if she said she didnt wonder herself but to every question the betrayed princess asked she had a minimal of answers to.

"I don't know but from what I can tell it seems like their plans arent just to stop at the Red Wedding." Ayame picked up the empty tray as she closed the cell again and left.

Their plans aren't just to stop at the Red Wedding.

What could she even mean by that? What use was the rebellion if their King was already – NO! No, hes not gone I refuse! Joanna thought to herself. The very idea that he was she wouldnt allow herself to think so. She turned around to pick up the tray and eat- she had to for Eddard.

Picking the bread apart she dipped it into her lukewarm soup and ate it. Now that Shae admitted the nature of her survival she had no more use to believe her food was poisoned. The soup was thick and rich as the vegetables melted into her mouth. Her taste buds blessing her for allowing food to travel through her body again.

If it wasnt for her child she would have let the food waste. Have them rot and become stale but after Shae mentioned her baby, she forced herself to swallow the food. How could she have become so neglecting of Eddard. Joanna willed herself to eat – for him - for Robb. Wherever he is, alive or gone, he would want to see his child healthy and alive. She owes it to him to keep Eddard alive.

The whining of her visitor distracted her thoughts. Her head snapped upwards to see a snout sticking out from the window. Joanna rose to her feet as she took the piece of meat in her tray, climbing on the bench of the window she felt the his breaths warm her brittle hands.

"Hi boy, did you find it yet?" She cooed to Greywind as he carried a sword in his mouth. Joanna quickly grabbed it as she rewarded him with the meat. Greywind had grown significantly larger and his fur was darker. He was near the size of a horse by now and could only travel at night to see her. She didnt know how he was able to find her, all she could remember was the first night shed spent in the cell Greywind had a piece of cloth wrapped around his leg from a dress Robb had made for her. Every night he came to visit her bringing her some form of weapon he took from whomever he killed. It was like he was preparing her something.

Greywinds tale wiggled ecstatically as she scratched behind his ear like she did when he was just a pup and she arrived in Winterfell. What now only existed as a distant memory for Joanna. Using the cloak she wiped off the dry blood around his mouth as Greywind stood taller to slick her nose. Joanna realised more than ever how she missed Robb – Greywind was a constant reminder of him but every night he visited her, it was like she could breathe again. Like he was with her again, even if it was only for a few minutes.

"You have to go now boy, you know their shift starts within the next hour. I'll be here tomorrow night". She whispered as she heard footsteps from the floor above her. Greywind whined as he bowed his head before running off into the woods again.

Joanna stepped down from the bench as removed the blanket she sewed together with cloaks that Ayame gave each time she was forced to dress in newer clothes. Since her capture shed been digging a hole that she concealed. Revealing it she placed the sword down next to the bow and five arrows Greywind had been able to retrieve her. She was collecting everything she needed. Joanna didnt knew where she was going but being sold off to the Boltons was the last location she needed to be. Throwing the dirt back she covered her body in the fur and lay back down again pretending to sleep. She could hear the guards take shifts as they walked past her. Looking through the window she saw the moon and thought of him again.

Her first and last thoughts before falling into a slumber of nightmares were him and only ever

Robb.

Author's note:
so Joanna's back but obviously a lot has changed since the Red Wedding and book four will definitely show a different side do Joanna.
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