Flowers in the Snow (chapter 1)
Title: Flowers in the Snow
Author:
boondock_angle
Rating: R (eventually)
Word Count: 4,601
Pairings: Jon/OC
Summery: You can rise above your birth, but can never escape your fate
Mara Flowers, one of the king's many bastard but the only girl he ever claimed, has spent most of her life dreaming of things she could never have. To be treated as the King's daughter, to marry a good man, and to have the life she had always been told she deserved. It wasn't until she went north to Winterfell that she even had hope of changing her fate. Where she found her new destiny in a man called Snow.
Note: I want to thank my beta meridian_rose for her great help in getting this story off the ground. She has helped me so much with my writing and went above and beyond helping me do several edits. She is amazing and I don't think I would have ever done anything with this plot bunny if it wasn't for her <3
Flowers in the Snow
A/N: I don’t own any of the characters or the universe of Game of Thrones. This is a tv-verse story. I only take credit for my original characters and want to thank my amazing beta Merdian_Rose for helping me pull this together <3 ENJOY!
Chapter One
Mara
My little flower,
How are things at the place? Has Cersei been treating you fairly or is she still trying to pretend like you don’t exist and aren’t my brother’s child? Things will look up Mara, I promise you this. When I return from my trip to The Reach, which has been very boring and filled with nothing but the ramblings of old men, we will take a walk and come up with a plan for you to put Cersei Lannister in her place.
Bastard you may be Mara… but to be a bastard of the King give you more power than you can imagine. I tell you this constantly but alas you never seem to listen to me. Stubborn girl! But for some reason I am fond of you… it must be your good looks!
I hope my letter has left you in better sprits! Smile my little flower and the world will not look so dull all the time. I will see you with in a fortnight.
~ Renly
The dark hair girl chuckled as she read the letter from her uncle who was only a few years her senior. Mara Flowers, the bastard child of King Robert Baratheon, found comfort in her uncle’s cheeky banter that he always seemed to save solely for her. It made her feel special in a world where she would marry a little better than a blacksmith even though she was the eldest daughter of the King. Mara had been struggling to come to terms with her fate, she wanted life that she deserved. The one thing Mara had wished from the time she was a small girl, was to marry and marry well. Her step-mother Cersei Lannister made constant reference to the fact Mara would never make a noble match, and as she grew older Mara found this an increasingly painful thought.
Going over to a small desk and pulling out a sheet of parchment Mara began to scribble down a response.
My dear uncle,
Your letter did leave me in much better sprits, that, and that my good King Father was the one that brought it to me with news of great excitement which I believe I must share. For I will not see you when you return to Kings Landing. You ask why, I am sure. Father, my most honored (gag) stepmother and his true-born brats, and myself will be venturing forth with the usual group of stragglers. North…to Winterfell.
Yes…you did read that right. I am to go with the royal family to Winterfell…so I get to find out if the rumors about the mysterious Lord Snow are as true as you say. My heart is aflutter with excitement! If indeed Jon Snow is the bastard son of Lord Eddard Stark, then perhaps I am being brought with purpose? Wouldn’t that be exciting, though highly unlikely and far too romantic for me.
I suppose I dream too much. But I shall I will see you when we return and perhaps I will have tales of a love affair to tell as well.
I love you dearly,
Mara
After sending the letter out by messenger to ensue that the letter reached her uncle before he made any plans to rush home, she packed her things for the long trip to Winterfell. They were leaving tomorrow, just after mid day.
Mara had heard the trip along the King’s Road was long and it lived up to that reputation but there was no mention of the toll spending nearly a month in close quarters with the Queen and her father’s other child. At last note they were still a little more than three days ride from Winterfell and despite their immanent arrival and the trip’s end the urge to strangle her siblings became an almost constant thought. Renly had sent her a letter responding to her previous one with all his normal flair.
The night she received the letter he had set camp up outside a small farming village on the border of Lord Eddard’s land of the north. They would arrive at Winterfell in a matter of days. The nearly month long trip had consisted of having to listen to her half-brother and one day king, Joffrey, whine incessantly about the growing cold. The chill to the air did not bother Mara in the slightest. In fact she found it to be quite pleasant after spending most of her life on the warm coast of King’s Landing.
So the prospect of a new letter from Renly made a smile form on her pouty soft pink lips. Tearing open the letter, she began to read.
To my little north bound flower,
How has the trip been thus far? Are you dying to pull your hair out? I think getting away from King’s Landing will do you some good. Plus, you will see… Jon Snow is not some fictitious character I made up to give you comfort. He is real and lives amongst the Stark’s true-born children as I said.
If it was up to me - but this is your lowly Uncle Renly here and I have no say in anything - you know I would have married you off to Jon Snow long ago. He would be a good match for you but I doubt your father would want to go down the road of a Baratheon-, Stark union for such unions seem to end rather tragically. Though have no fear darling girl. If that is the purpose behind your father’s bringing you along then I am sure Lord Snow will be a wonderful match.
While I have to agree, that you should not get your hopes up, never count yourself out of anything. You are a Baratheon. You have power in this world; all you have to do is find it. If your father had named me heir over that half-brother of yours, I would be sure to give you the life you deserve.
I am sure I will hear from you before you return. When you meet Jon Snow, and form an opinion of him, write to me and let me know what you think of him.
Be safe and strong,
Renly
By the time they arrived at Winterfell it had been well over a month since they had set out and Mara was trying very hard to hide the great expectations of Jon Snow that she had developed after reading Renly’s letter over and over again on the remainder of their journey.
Peering out the windows of the carriage, she smiled brightly as they rode through the gates of Winterfell. Opposite her, the two younger Baratheon children were unawed while Cersei noticed her husbands bastard child’s reaction and she shook her head in disgust and made a clucking sound before she spoke. “Don’t get your hopes up you foolish girl. There will be no feasts and dances for you. You will be with the other bastard… far from the Stark's view.” Mara shot Cersei a look of disappointment over her should whilst trying to hide the need to smile.
Her step-mother had just unknowingly confirmed the whole reason for her coming. Her good King Father did want her to meet Jon Snow. He would be the first noble bastard besides herself that she had ever met. Perhaps this Jon Snow would understand how she felt.
Suddenly she let out a sigh of great joy. Cersei glared over at her, causing the smile that was growing on her lips to quickly fade. She always hates when I am happy.
The introductions between the families were formal, traditional, until her father ran off to visit a crypt to pay his respects to a person she had never heard him mention before. She stayed towards the back of the gathering while Cersei made small conversation before asking her family to be shown to their rooms to ready themselves for dinner.
Mara’s crisp blue eyes searched the Stark family for the infamous Jon Snow but she only saw one older boy amongst them, and she knew that he was Robb Stark. While looking in his direction she saw a young man about the same age as Robb lean forward and whisper something that caused Robb to smirk and Mara to instantly blush.
As they were shown to their quarters by the servants she saw the young man who whispered to Robb Stark again near the room Lady Stark had set aside for her. After waiting for the servant to leave Mara stuck her head out her door and saw the previously mentioned man waiting with Robb Stark at the end of the hall. It was like they were waiting for her, which was a ridiculous thought. She ducked back into her room, thinking better of herself.
Then there was a knock on the door and the sound of two young men arguing - no, not arguing Mara thought… bickering like brothers. She chuckled softly while quietly composing herself before she answered the door.
“Hello,” Mara said softly. Both of the dark haired, handsome, young men before her smiled.
“Hello…” Robb Stark started with a sly smile. To Mara, he looked like the type of young man who had no problem talking to the fairer sex. His companion, though just as handsome, seemed slightly more uncomfortable in her presence. “I am Robb Stark and I wanted to welcome you the castle, but alas I do not know your name. You were not introduced with the others that arrived from Kings Landing.”
Mara looked down for a moment before chuckling softly and looking back up at both young men. With no shame on her face she said, “I am Mara Flowers… bastard daughter of King Robert Baratheon.” As this, Robb looked over at his companion and smiled.
Finally the other man spoke, “I’m Jon Snow.” He does exist, was the first thought that ran through Mara’s mind. The second was that he was even more handsome than she had dreamed of. Hearing him speak sent a small shiver down her spine and her heart began to beat slightly faster beneath her breast.
“I am very pleased to meet you both.” Mara smiled softly and placed her hand on the door. “I would be very pleased to speak more at a later time, Lord Stark and Lord Snow, but I have been on the road for well over a month and I need to rest.” Mara spoke with all the grace of a true-born princess and she saw that Jon Snow had not taken his eyes off her since she spoken her name - just as she had been unable to take her eyes off him since he had spoken his.
Robb Stark could see the instant connection; it was eerie and vaguely confusing but he knew when he and his brother were given an exit and an opportunity to plan another meeting. “My Lady Flowers… perhaps if you are rested by the feast tonight you would like to sit next to me, so that we may continue acquainting ourselves.”
Mara sighed heavily for Cersei had made it quite clear that she was to have no place at the feasts. She smiled politely. “I am sorry, but my step-mother does not see it a bastard’s place to attend the feast. I will be left to my own devices for the night.”
Jon spoke up just as Robb was about to respond. “I’m not invited either; perhaps you and I can go for a walk or something else to your liking. I could show you around the grounds.”
Robb beamed at his brother’s bold move and Mara smiled as well.
“That is very kind of you, Lord Snow. I would enjoy that very much.” The three of them said their goodbyes and parted ways. Mara was so excited that she found parchment and quill immediately and set about writing Renly about the events that had just unfolded.
Once the brief note was finished, Mara folded the letter in on itself, and addressed it her uncle, she then set it aside and lay down to rest still in her traveling clothes. She slept perhaps two hours before she got up and changed into a simple black gown. She grabbed both her hooded black fur-lined cape and the letter before heading out of her chamber, and found Jon Snow walking towards her.
Mara smiled. “Good evening Lord Snow. Perhaps you can help me. I need to send this letter to my uncle; where would I go about doing so?” He stopped, and for the first time she saw him smile back at her. It was an expression that the young woman would have a hard time getting out of her mind.
“My pleasure, I was just coming to see if you wanted to take that walk I had mentioned earlier while there was still light? We could drop the letter off on the way if that would please you, Lady Flowers.” Mara reached out and touched his arm to stop him from continuing.
“My name is Mara. I was not given the name Flowers of my own free will and so I do not like to be called by it. Mara is more than fine with me.”
A smile crossed his lips and Mara smiled softly back. His dark eyes seemed to suddenly brighten as he began to speak. “Call me Jon by all means, I understand about being given names that you want no part with. I am no Lord, besides the fact. I know I will never have that life.” Jon and Mara began to walk down the hall and to a set of stairs that took them towards the back of the castle where they could slip out without being noticed by the guests.
“I know what you mean, I want to believe my Uncle Renly when he says that one day my lot in life will change, but it is hard to look past my birth when it comes to anything crucial.” Jon nodded. He placed a hand on the small of her back to guide her as she walked, lost in conversation. Mara didn’t even notice his lingering touch for she was too enthralled by his smooth voice.
“That is very true. What woman would want to marry a man who will be forever marked a bastard? Who would want their children to have that name?” Mara noticed the very solemn tone in his voice.
Looking up at Jon, Mara wanted to jump to correct him, but she knew that wouldn’t be proper; to say she would have been more than happy to be Lady Snow and stay here in Winterfell. He was handsome, kind, and she could already see how he understood her. There was little more to ask for, besides love, but she was sure that would come later.
Instead, she settled for a very general statement. “There surely is a woman, somewhere, that would love to be your wife. You have shown no ill temper towards me when most do.”
Mara knew how to hide her true meaning in her choice of words well. Renly had taught her that art soon after her arrival in Kings Landing and Lord Tyrion Lannister had helped her hone those skills.
“Not to change the subject, but have you heard if the man they call the Imp has shown his face yet?” Mara asked quickly, almost too quickly, she noted as an after thought.
Jon responded thoughtfully. “I don’t believe so. Last I knew, the Queen was quite upset that he could not be found.” Mara nodded. She knew that when Tyrion came around she would immediately know of it.
“Now, what were speaking about?” Mara asked with a laugh and the two of them set off down stairs to send the letter. Once they had finally reached their destination, all the while happily conversing, Mara sent off the letter, knowing that the second installment of her tales of Winterfell would greatly please her uncle when he read it.
Jon and Mara walked the grounds till well after night had fallen yet both of them had hardly noticed any time pass. For the first time in recent memory, Mara couldn’t find any reason not to smile. Resting for a bit near the stable, Mara, like some common farm girl, climbed on the edge of the fence and sat with her feet dangling down. Jon stood in front of her, just listening to her speak.
“For most of my life, well most of my life as it is thus far, I have lived with my Uncle Stannis. He cared for me, took pity on me really… if he hadn’t, according to my step-mother, I would have been raised in a brothel. Which is very well possible. My uncle is a good man.” Mara thought for a moment of the man who had taken her in when she was just a babe and smiled. “He is not nearly as fun though as my Uncle Renly.” She paused for a moment thinking she had heard a noise.
A large door slammed shut little way off in the distance which startled Mara and caused her to slip off the top of the fence. Jon caught her and as they shared a quiet, intimate, moment with her looking up at him from his arms, mouth parted to utter words of thanks, a familiar face came round the corner in the form of Tyrion Lannister.
“Please don’t stop on my account,” Tyrion said to his would be niece, who was still being held in the arms of Jon Snow. The picture of it brought a smile to the short statured man’s face. After a very awkward moment Mara and Jon stepped apart and Mara hurried to explain.
“I just slipped, my Lord Lannister,” she said calling him Lord Lannister. Tyrion just laughed at her.
“Who do you think you are fooling my girl? Have you learned nothing from my tales? I do not speak just to hear the sound of my own voice despite what you may think.”Tyrion jested, and Jon shifted nervously. “Well, you must be Stark’s bastard."
“You must be the Imp,” Jon responded coldly, but when Tyrion cracked a smile Jon’s face relaxed again and Mara let out a sigh of relief and smiled brightly looking between Jon and Tyrion.
“Jon Snow of Winterfell,” Mara said softly, motioning toward Jon while looking at Tyrion. “Tyrion Lannister of Casterly Rock. Introductions enough, I believe. Now forgive me for a moment, Jon.” Mara said this last part quickly, and slipped away to speak with Tyrion in hushed tones.
“Your sister is quite cross with you,” Mara warned and Tyrion silently took another swig from his container of spirits that was well on its way to being empty. “And is that going to help quell my step-mother’s rage or rather to incite it?”
Tyrion scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Do you really think it matters to me? Go back to the boy, you seemed to be having good time. We will talk tomorrow… I forget while I drink that you are my sister’s husband’s child.”
Mara let out a giggle and shook her head. Tyrion motioned for her to lean in closer. The raven haired girl obliged. “The boy fancies you darling, but don’t go do anything foolish like create more little bastards to run around the place - now that would really incite my sister’s rage.” Tyrion turned around and started to walk back from whence he came and Mara turned to look back at Jon who was still watching her intently.
Perhaps what Tyrion said was true, and Jon did fancy her. The idea made her blush, turning her snow white skin to the color of a late summer rose. “My apologies, I had to make sure he was warned about the Queen being cross at him…” Mara paused for a moment to push a few strands of stray black curls off her cheek. “Tyrion Lannister has been very kind to me.” Jon nodded understanding.
“Your life in Kings Landing isn’t so bad is it? You have your father’s favor, both of your uncles… and even the Queen’s own brother -” Jon started and Mara shook her head in disagreement.
“That may be true, but the Queen wields more power over what happens in Kings Landing than most would guess. The Lannisters think are the real Kings and Queens of the seven kingdoms; they are no better than the Targaryens. Incestuous, petty, moralless rich slobs…” Mara ranted before she was aware of the words coming from her lips and all the color drained from her face. Jon shot her another strange glance. Those were strong words to be strung together. “I have just put my foot in my mouth…”
There was a look of sheer horror on Mara’s pale face. All the color had vanished from her cheeks and she looked as though she was going to be ill. “Is it true?” he asked, reaching out and took her hand. Mara just nodded quickly and looked away. Jon let go of her hand and stepped to the side of here where she was so intently staring at a pile of hay. Mara glanced up at him for the briefest of moments before looking away again. Jon slid a finger under her chin and made her look at him as he spoke. “If you spoke no lies, then you have nothing to feel bad about.”
“But I do… I’m not meant to know any of it. But gossip is the key to power in King’s Landing. It is not who you know … it’s what you know.” Jon nodded and moved his hand to push a few strands of hair from her cheek. Mara unconsciously leaned her cheek against his rough hand. Looking up at him she realized something in that very moment; that her wishes about Jon Snow that she made while on the King’s Road had been proven true, and then some.
“I will never say a word to another soul,” Jon reassured her and a half smile started to form on Mara’s lips once more.
They walked for a short time after that before Jon showed her back towards her rooms. They were fairly silent, yet they walked closer to each other than they had before. Mara’s long skirts brushed against Jon’s fingertips and he resisted the urge to take her hand. When they reached Mara’s door they stopped for a moment. “Jon…” Mara started.
“Yes?”
“You said something earlier tonight that just came back to my mind.” Jon nodded and she continued. “You said you don’t know how a woman could want to marry a bastard. Does that mean you do not intend to marry?”
Mara could see that surprise on Jon’s face as she asked. He was silent for a few moments. Taking a deep breath he finally began to speak. “Well, perhaps; but I have never truly thought on it. I intend to take the Black.” Mara’s heart sank and there was no hiding the disappointment and sadness that filled her eyes.
Mara mustered a small smile as Jon made to speak. “Don’t Jon. Let's just leave it at that for the night.” She felt a great deal of guilt. She turned to enter her room, leaving him, and the hope that she perhaps had found someone she could have cared for and could have one day married, behind her in the hall.
“Mara, please! Listen for a moment. Just a moment is all I ask.” Mara stopped and turned back around to face him once more. “Things change… life is like the seasons and it’s ever changing. I don’t know what the future may hold any better than you.”
Mara sighed and put he put his hand on the door once again, this time pushing it open.
“But you do know what your future will hold if you join the Knights Watch, Jon? You will never marry; never have a family - both things I so desperately want. Your future and mine… do not match. Goodnight, Jon.” Mara walked through the door and Jon was now left alone with his thoughts of his future and his thoughts of Mara.
Once behind closed doors Mara’s icy eyes went to the parchment she had left out to write to Renly after her evening with Jon. She sat down at the table, tracing the edges of the parchment that she had once hoped to be a letter that would be filled with joy and hope before picking up the quill and dipping into the pot of ink she began to scribble a tear stained plea for guidance.
My brave knight,
I wish I had a happy letter to write. I don’t. I have been left all the more confused by Jon Snow and part of me wishes very much that I had not come. He is all that I had hoped he would be. He has a kind heart and a good spirit that when I am around him seems to engulf me. I have not smiled this much in a very long time;, my cheeks burn from laughter. Yet my hopes of some happy ending like in the stories are gone.
He is to join the Night’s Watch, which once held a great deal of honor but I wonder if Jon has heard the stories as I have, that there is little honor left in the brothers of the black. Yet I will not try and sway him. He had made his choice long before he laid eyes upon me, and what good is it now that he has?
Tell me, my dear uncle, why have the Seven been so cruel?Dangling a life in front of me that I have no chance at having. Giving me hope where I should have had none in the first place. I have been cursed since my wretched birth to always have happiness just out of my grasp. Like how you dangle a carrot in front of an ass to train it to pull a cart.
What is my great lesson in this unhappiness? What can it teach me that I have not already learned from a life time of sorrow?
I am lost. So very lost. I don’t feel like a young woman who has just celebrated her seventeenth name day, I feel like the child that was brought before the Queen those short six years ago.
I am in a place that is not my home. With people I am unsure of all around me. My hands shake so badly I can barely write and the tears have not stopped falling from my eyes since I closed the door leaving Jon on the other side of it.
I want to come home, Renly. I want to go to tourneys with you and cheer you on while you compete. Tend to my half-sister like I always have and go unnoticed by the court. I want the life I had before back. I want to rid the dream of Jon Snow from my head.
Write back soon, I need you - not my father - to tell me all will be well.
I will be waiting,
Mara