Joanna sat in her chambers too afraid to leave. She had no courage to face Catelyn after her violent actions. She looked to her bandaged hands that old Nan helped her with. She could still see it, his body lying at her feet.

She could still hear the scream he made when she stabbed holes into his legs - Joanna shuddered in thought of what she caused. It seemed so against her nature to act out of violence. It wasn't her and though as valiantly as she fought she felt ashamed. Ashamed that she had taken so much repressed anger out on him.

Three knocks at the door. Joanna rose from her bed , praying it was just a maiden to bring her food that she in any case would not eat. Joanna looked to the door to see it was Robb, hoping she would grant him permission to enter which she did.

"I haven't seen much of you in a week. Even Old Nan grew worried about you Joanna." He said as he approached her bed. Joanna held the fur covers hoping to avoiding his stares to her bandaged hand. Robb didn't understand why she felt ashamed. She was a hero in his eyes. To be able to fight off a mercenary unarmed - she was proving day by day that she was a true warrior.

"Joanna - I want you to know none of us think any less of you. In fact my mother can't stop singing praises of how selfless you fought. Had it not been for you and my brother would be dead. I'm in debt to you." He tried reassuring her but she didn't reply. Robb grew worried at the sight of her. Her skin was pale and eyes empty and void.

No one understood what was going through her mind. Joanna thought less of herself. Her whole life she preached to act out of diplomacy and humanity and cast aside violence but where was her logic the night she killed that man. If she closes her eyes she can still see him lying in a pool of blood as her dress continued to stain. It wasn't the fact that she killed him but the fact that she enjoyed it. It felt like she was giving into her Lannister ways and if history has proven anything is that Lannister blood is violent blood.

"Joanna, please say something. All I want is to hear your voice and to know you're fine." Robb explained as he reached out his hand to remove the fur skins. His eyes widened when he saw she'd removed the bandages and had stained the sheets with blood. Her dagger lying in her lap as the scars were deeper cut into her hands. He looked to her alarmed but it didn't faze her.

"I killed someone Robb. I don't deserve your care." She choked on her words as tears gleamed in her eyes.

The realisation hitting him only now. Robb had to take into account that she was a princess. Raised in a castle all her life, not even allowed to run up and down in the Red Keep. Cersei not even allowing Joanna to ever see a nosebleed or scar on anyone's body. A first kill would traumatize anyone - no less a princess

"Joanna, he was a mercenary. He planned to kill Bran."

"I could've stopped when I stabbed his legs. I could've called for help and he'd be lying in a cell, serving a sentence or taken the black. Robb, this was a man - mercenary or not. What if he was a man who only did what he did to provide for his family? What if he had a wife and son that were dependant on the money he was given to taken lives? What it - " She rambled as the thought of a young child waiting by the door for their father to arrive flood her head.

"A wife now suffering under poverty because their only source of wealth was now stripped away." Robb shook his head, not in disapproval but at how much she reminded him of Sansa. They seemed to live a infantilised life where if they were good enough people they'd live a happy life.

Robb shifted his body closer taking hold of her freezing cold hands. He enclosed his with her providing them heat. Robb couldn't stop staring into her broken blue eyes. It hurt him to see her this way

"Joanna, what if he was a rapist or murderer? What if he killed out of pleasure. I understand what you're saying but you can't punish yourself from stopping a murder." Joanna turned her face but Robb gently used his hand to stroke her cheek allowing her to look back into his Tully blue eyes.

"You saved a life, yes at the cost of someone else but don't forget this man chose to do what he did. You saved a child's life from being ended for no reason. Bran will have a long life and it's because you saved him. Would you have done the same if it were Tommen and Myrcella?" He asked knowing well enough the answer would be yes. Joanna sighed as she forced herself to smile. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she would kill again if it when it came to her family, especially her siblings.

"Thank you Robb." she whispered, seated on her knees as she brought her body closer to place a sweet kiss on his cheeks. She leaned back and saw the blush grown on Robb's face. She smirked as she rested her forehead against hers. Robb stayed that way, relishing in the feeling of her body this close to his.

Sir Roderick entered the room and felt immediate discomfort as he took notice of the intimate moment he interrupted between the pair. Robb mentally groaned as he leaned back his head. Joanna swiping a strand of her loose hair behind her ear as she leant her head on his broad shoulder.

"My lady, my lord I apologize."

"It's all right Sir Roderick." Joanna excused him. Robb turned his head to see her not even looking at his direction. Her eyes solely focussing on him

"My lord, your mother has asked me to inform you to meet her in the God's Woods, privately." He emphasized. Robb turned to look at her but she quickly replied

"Go, I'll be fine." She nodded her head.

"What I am about to tell you must remain between us." Catelyn sternly informed the men she'd asked to meet with her. Robb, Theon, Ser Roderick and Maester Luwin.

"I don't think Bran fell from that tower. I think he was thrown." She stated

"The boy was never short footed before." The Maester added. Robb felt immediate anger at the news his mother delivered.

"Why? Why murder an innocent child unless he saw something he wasn't mean to see."

"Saw what my lady?" Theon questioned

"I don't know but I will stake my life that the Lannisters are involved. We already have reason to suspect their loyalty to the thrown." Catelyn confirmed. Somehow it felt like a blade was twisted into Robb's body. He was infuriated that some dared to kill an innocent child , but he also pained to think - to even wonder if it were possible that Joanna was involved. Could it have been?

"Did you see the dagger my lady? Too a fine weapon for such a man. The handle dragon bone and the blade - Valyrian Steel. Just like the princess's dagger." Ser Roderick said as he pulled out the dagger the mercenary had attempted to use on Bran. Robb and Theon shared a glance to one another.

The night of Bran's attack they found the princess curled into a corner of the room gripping a small dagger in her hand. Existing of dragon bone and valyrian steel.

"You don't think she was involved with this, do you my lady?" Maester Luwin hesitantly asked. Though they knew they couldn't trust the Lannisters it seemed like Joanna was a grey are. She was slowly but surely gaining everyone's respect in Winterfell. She felt no need for her handmaidens to serve her, she helped take care of Rickon and sat through many meetings along side Maester Luwin and Robb.

"I don't know. However I do know that Tywin Lannister gifted his grand daughter a Valyrian dagger. It can't be a coincidence that your father received information to withhold his trust in the Lannisters, Bran being attacked and the princess sharing the same steel as the mercenary."

"Mother, it's not her. It can't be." Robb defended her, refusing to believe what his mother was telling him. Catelyn looked at her son, with sympathy swimming in her eyes.

"Robb, true as her character might be she is a Lannister. We've received word her family is the reason Jon Arryn is dead. Your father left home to ensure the king is protected because he doesn't trust them. For now we can't trust anyone besides ourselves."

Joanna forced herself out of her chambers and into the kitchens. She wrapped her hand in bandages and hid her dagger under the bed because she couldn't bare look at it anymore. Her petite hands pounding into the yeast as she was preparing to put in another fresh bread in.

"This look cozy." Joanna blew the hair out of her loose hair and saw Theon standing in the doorway. She rolled her eyes, with no interest in whatever comments we would fling her way.

"What do you want Greyjoy?" She huffed as she set the freshly baked lemon cakes next to the pies she planned on handing out to the orphanage later that day.

"I must say, you're effort to win everyone's trust is adorable if not pathetic even. You know no one will ever trust you."

"I'm not trying to win over anyone's trust. Gods, why is it so hard for you to understand I'm not like Joffrey?" Theon reminded her a lot about her brother. He too was exceedingly arrogant. Always boasting and throwing insults at her. But Joanna was smarter than them. She never gave them the satisfaction of forcing a reaction out of her.

"Oh come now princess, your mother isn't here to keep your tongue on a leash. Being friends with Sansa, visiting orphanages, offering gold and helping Lady Catelyn with Rickon - you try too hard for them to like you. The Northerners know better than to trust a Southern bitch. No less the spoilt little princess like yourself." He remarked. Joanna groaned in frustration throwing her fists on the wooden table as she faced his arrogant smirk

"Theon, my gods, what have I ever done to you to make you hate me this much. Ever since I've arrived you've been nothing but vile. Is this because I bested you in archery?" And suddenly it clicked in her head. At a young age Joanna knew why Joffrey wanted to paint her as the aggressor. It wasn't out of spite. It was out of envy.

"Or is it because I'm a Lannister? Is all of this because the North welcomed me with open arms the second I stepped foot here and you were treated like scum?" She cocked her head. His facial expression dropped when he took notice in her change of attitude.

"Is it because you were forced to serve as a squire after your father let your brothers be killed in their dim-witted rebellion you so pathetically boast on about. Or is because Robb and Lady Stark accept me as a Stark , more than you?" Joanna asked. Before she could go on her rosy cheeks were met with a clap so hard she could feel the burning sting spread across her entire face. She yelped as she hadn't felt one as hard as this since she was a child.

"Theon!" Robb marched towards his friend grabbing him by the arm as he forced separation between the two. Theon was enraged and only saw red. He shoved Robb off him as he looked to the princess again.

"Get out. Now!" Robb warned him grabbing his arm tighter. Theon tried to argue but he was met with the growls of Greywind who slowly crept from behind Joanna's gown. The direwolf had not reached it's full size yet but out of his brothers and sisters he was the alpha and most ferocious around men. Theon spat in Joanna's direction as he marched away.

"Thank you." She whispered as she kept her hand to her cheeks. Robs rested his hand above hers. She couldn't deny that she grew fond of him and him of her. But Robb had to remember his mothers words. He didn't want to though, because as much as the thought of Lannisters hurting his brother he couldn't bring himself to believe it was Joanna. Robb breathed out as he brought her forehead against his.

He wanted to kiss her, more than ever. Every day he grew more fond of her. Her smile, the way her eyes light up whenever Greywind pawed at her legs, her kindness.

"Are you going to wage war against my family?" She whispered, closing her eyes as she felt her arms wrap around his torso.

"Would you hate us if we do?" She didn't answer. Silent as she may have been the last week she wasn't immune to the poisonous whispers that spread like wildfire around the castle. She heard the whispers that her family were suspects to Bran falling.

"I'd understand but I'd wish you were able to meet on a middle ground. I - "

"What is it?" Robb calmly asked

"I wish it didn't put me in the position to choose. I'm to marry you but I can't turn my back on my family Robb. Gods, I can't imagine what would happen if my grandfather -"

"Hey, you don't have to choose. I know you had nothing to do with Bran's accident. Joanna, I'll protect you no matter what." Robb reassured her. She opened her eyes to look back at him, his hand still tender on her cheek that stung from Theon's hand. She leant into his chest praying to the gods that she didn't have to make a choice between Starks or Lannisters.