Shae knew she was the last person to speak of unruly behavior.

How could she? Besides for the members of her house she knew from an early age that no one looked like her. No one in the Norths was like her, had eyes like her, not even her skin colour - she would be a hypocrite to judge others by appearance although character is something different. Her father believed it was for better judgement to judge not by skin but rather intension. It was noble to say the least but that did not mean that she had the patience to tolerate those who tested her temper.

Ramsey Bolton

A fine example of a man Shae Lin can not stand to be in the same room with. He was vile and crude. Had no regard for human life and above all was sadistic. When Lord Bolton promised her to end the war he forgot to mention that she would be saddled with his bastard son.

Understand, that she had nothing against bastard at all, but there was something within Ramsey that terrified her. His eyes were as cold as the stories Old Nan would tell them. His voice alone struck fear into his men - she could see it. The North was under new supreme but no one had any idea what the future for their houses held.

"You think too much. Rest assured you will remain head of your house once my father returns to Winterfell with the Frey woman." Ramsey spoke as he pulled up his trousers. He turned to see a bare naked Shae in bed biting the corner of her lip. Many thoughts ran through her mind - ones not even she would reveal

"So you say, but do you honestly think that Tywin Lannister and Walder Frey will keep to their promise?" She sat forward in her bed. The arrangement does seem strange to say the least and if she were asked in front of a trial she could attest that bedding Ramsey Bolton was anything but pleasure.

He would always leave her bruised - not out of passion but because he enjoyed inflict pain on her. But she had an iron will and that was something he found as a challenge. Whenever he'd make his visits he would find new ways to try and break her bed - none of them to a successful avail.

Shae regretted bedding him since the very first night. The night she brought Joanna to House Lin. Joanna had no more fight in her body. Like a ghost she was escorted to cell without a tantrum or will to fight - understandably so.

Was she proud of what she'd done? No, but it needed to be done. She had warned Robb and Joanna time and time again not to let their friendship evolve into something more. She pleaded to Robb not to drag Joanna into this mess but like love struck children they didnt listen.

She didn't care that they were sneaking around from ones tent to the other but it became a threat to the North when he married her. She could still remember the morning of their announcement. They were called to camp where Robb proclaimed Joanna as Lady of Winterfell.

Outrage spread through the camp - many refusing to bow to a kin of Tywin Lannister. How could they not. The Lannisters have cost the North so much. The princesses kidnapped, the Warden of the North murdered and their youngest crippled and burned alive.

Robb had no patience of their arguments as he silenced his Lords. That was the beginning of the unravelling of the Northern army. The next was the betrayal of the Karstarks and the execution of their lord. The Lords of Winterfell were dropping like flies and the closer they travelled south the more their numbers dwindled.

It was finally when she was requested to join Lord Boltons attempt at saving the North that she had no choice of joining. She could not stand by and watch as the lovers burn her home to the ground.

"You're one to talk about loyalty, aren't you? Didnt you bend the knee to a dead king?" Ramsey replied with a snarky remark shed grown use to

"Yes, but-"

"But nothing. Why suddenly gain a conscious when you were a helping aid of the Red Wedding?"

The red wedding. Thats what they called the massacre

"Tywin already got what he wanted. The threat of Robb and Joanna has been tarnished. The rebellion against the South is non-existent and House Stark no longer stands to exist. You and your father need to realise that you need him more than he needs you." Ramsey took an interest to Shae - not only because she was a good lay for someone who confessed she's never been with a man but also because her strategies were always razor sharp and her analogy was not wrong.

As he finished dressing himself he extended his hand to her, yanking her out of bed as her bare chest made contact from his dressings he looked at her with his sinister smirk

"And what do you suppose we do?" She stayed quiet as she felt his grip tighten around her waist which already carried enough hand prints. "Go on, if you're so smart what would you have us do to ensure Tywins loyalty?"

"It is very simple actually. "She spoke as she gently pushed him away from her "There's nothing that fucking family cares more than themselves and their reputation. You give them what they want."

"And that would be?" Ramsey dumbly retorted

"Joanna Lannister." Ramseys face lost colour as his face became stoic "Tywin does not want his granddaughters head on a spike, if he did she would have been killed by the Mountain when she was captured. He wants her to return and rule in his place. She told me this herself when she and Arya Stark escaped their imprisonment."

"Why should I trust this information?"

Shae scoffed as she brushed past him stand by her windowsill overlooking the foggy rain.

"I worked alongside Joanna. The girl spent hours ranting about her retched family. Joffrey is a maniacal king. He does not know how to rule therefore he will see anyone ruling the North as a threat. He will burn us down if it meant no more rebellions and his mother is no better. Tywin will force your fathers ruling if you return his most prized possession to him." Shae spoke with not a shred of remorse - so it appeared.

"What about his heirs?" To which Shae laughed

"Between the kingslayer with one hand, the mad mother and the cripple? He was no choice but to want her back. He'd never say it but he wants her to rule. You could see it in the way she speaks and fight. If it werent for the birth of her brother she would be seated on the Iron Throne. " Shae turned around to see a befuddled Ramsey take in every piece of information that was given to him

"She holds so much more power than you think. She's not just some pawn in this game. You don't have to like me but you can trust that when I speak of Joanna Stark nothing is untrue."

Joanna still had nightmares about the red wedding. Every night she would wake up screaming lungs out in agony of what happned. There were so many questions that needed answering but what was the point. For her own sanity she had to assume they were all dead. Catelyn, Robb even Isabella and Arya. She heard from the guards that Isabella managed to get Arya out of the Twins before they infiltrated the castle and she prayed to gods and realms that they escaped.

She heard the story about the woman in her dressing riding off into the forest heading further North away from the burning camp. The old her would have hoped Isabella managed to escape as well as Arya but too much has happned to make her believe in hope.

Hope was nothing but disappointment waiting to happen.

Joanna tried finding something that could make her happy. Anything but nothing worked. Not even the child she carried. With each sunrise she would wake up in hysteria that she lost her child. Their baby. The last living memory she had of Robb. In the back of her mind she played a game. Imagining the life they would have had if they werent born to the families they were.

She imagined she would be born from the south and travelled for north as she always wanted to be an explorer. Robb would be a farmer with Greywind keeping the animals on the farm in check.

She promised to stay only the week. But weeks became months and months became years. They'd have a wedding in the backyard where the sun peaked through the icy clouds. They would have children running around the fields as Greywind kept a protective eye over them while she was baking deserts for their neighbours as Robb was hunting dinner.

It was perfect and all she wanted for her child

But instead she'd have to live with the truth that her child was conceived in a war, father killed by betrayal and as they grew she was bonded by chains of a prison cell.

Joanna never imagined herself having a child but she did admire how Cersei carried herself during pregnancies. She was like a summer flower blossoming. She was radiant and elegant and her skin glowed during all four pregnancies. Her skin peached scented and her hair reaching her back. Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight and even her laugh was something to behold.

She was everything Joanna was not. Joanna looked brittled and tired. With bags under her eyes and skin tattered with scars. Her skin pale as snow and her lips chapped from the licking. Every day she would rub her stomach either sobbing or apologizing to her child for the way she was. It felt like already she was failing as their mother.

"You need to eat. It's not good for you to skip meals." Ayame spoke as she brushed the broken widows hair. She came in every day to hand her her food and stayed to in some hopeful attempt uplift Joanna.

"Does she know? Does she know about me?" Joanna cryptically asked referring to the child. Ayame sighed as she replied "No, as far as anyones concerned you lost them the night of. I feel its better that they don't as well."

"What's the point? I don't even see them being born. Every morning I wake up and think I've lost them."

"But you haven't. That has to mean something. You still have fight left in you and if not for yourself then do it for your children." Ayame encouraged as she finished braiding Joannas hair to the back. She stood up and placed the food in the princesss lap to which Joanna scowled

"What children?" Joanna groaned. Ayame tilted her head to the side. Joanna gasped as she noticed the snout in the window of the cell. Jumping from glee she approached the window as Greywind licked her hand

"Hey boy, did you miss me too much? She laughed as the direwolf licked the jam off her fingers Wait- how is he here? Please dont ki-"

"Don't worry. The guards are not on shift this time of the morning. If you haven't noticed but he only comes when no one is around. I saw him sneak by the kitchens a couple of days ago and he hides with a group of wolves on the outskirts of the forest close by."

"Thank you." Joanna respectfully bowed her head. Ayame had something else to say - Joanna could tell by her perplexed face "What is it? You look anxious?"

"He was here. Ramsey Bolton visited her in her chambers again. He left before the sun rose again." Ayame confessed. It was a well-kept secret that Shae had a suitor but because Ayame was put in charge of Joannas care she only slept during the day and stayed awake all night.

So of course noticed the Bolton bastard sneak through the secret passage ways of House Lin. There were tunnels underneath the castles built during the invasion of the Targaryens that Lord Lin would use to evacuate women and children out of the castles. They never see me but I know its him and she never leaves her chambers once he visits.

"Why?"

"She needs to heal. He leaves her with bruises that renders her to be bedridden. I was underneath their chambers this morning as I made my way to let your pet in when I heard them speak-"

"Speak? About what?" Joanna asked terrified that she would be placed in the bastards care I thought they were just sleeping together. She felt the panic arise in her body.

After the Red Wedding she feared them. Those who betrayed them. Shes made a list of who they all are: Roose, Tywin, Walder, Shae, Theon, and The Karstarks. She feared that they would impose more harm to her. More than they already have

"They want to send you off the South. They need Tywins word and declaration that House Stark no longer exists and that Roose Bolton is Warden of the North." Ayame answered the petrified princess.

"What do you mean House Stark no longer exists?" Joanna asked as Greywind him too stood closer to the barred windowsill. Though he was just an animal Greywind was very intelligent for a direwolf. He understood what was being said around him and ever since he was a pup he could predict the emotions of Joanna just by her body language.

"Catelyn was murdered, Robb betrayed, Sansa is kidnapped, Arya is missing, Theon vanished and Bran and Rickon were burned alive when they Greyjoys rebelled. Joanna I'm sorry to say but you and your child are last of the Starks."

Authors note:
I am so sorry that I such at updates