✓ | THINKING OF SNOW (J.SNOW)

~Chapter Sixteen~

Bonding

"Have you heard? The King is to be coming here! Can you believe it?" Livia gushed, her golden hair whipping around her porcelain features while she danced and span around Cynthia's room, excitedly. "Hardly," Cynthia muttered half to herself, while she fingered through the dresses Livia had hung in her wardrobe, in the hopes she might wear one in the presence of the King. "Have you seen my leather breaches?" She asked absentmindedly, searching through her clothes, sure she'd placed them on one of the shelves, yet when she came to look they were not there. "I hid them." Livia stated bluntly, flopping backwards onto Cynthia's bed. "Why in the Seven Hells would you do that?" Cynthia huffed irritably, shutting the wardrobe door slightly harder than was intended. "Because, mother will never forgive you if you don't look presentable for the Lannisters, and King Robert. You can have them back tomorrow." Growling under her breath, Cynthia looked begrudgingly back at the dresses, concealed in the oak confines of her wardrobe, and let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine, but nothing...frilly." Livia laughed at her, and watched while Cynthia examined each dress with a horrified look, which only grew more and more disgusted with every item of clothing she looked at.

"So..." Livia hummed, fiddling with Cynthia's quilt and trying her hardest to seem innocent. "You and Jon seem to be well acquainted."Cynthia dropped the dress she had been holding, and stared, wide eyed, at her sister. "What are you suggesting?" She folded her arms, waiting for the absurd accusations to erupt from her hot-headed sister's mouth. "All I am asking is if I should inform mother that it needs to be a double wedding." Livia spoke calmly, but after a second of staring at her sister, both Cynthia and Livia burst into fits of giggles, which they had not done for some time. "You have been spending an awful amount of time together recently, and you stood up for him - and to his mother no less; I only thought that would mean you had some sort of...Well, I don't know, feelings." Livia exclaimed, while her sister joined her on the many blankets littered atop Cynthia's bed. "If I were to say yes: you cannot, under any circumstances, say anything to anybody." Cynthia stated, but her sister was already celebrating before she'd finished the sentence. "And here I was thinking my sister would never find love." Livia gushed, smiling from ear to ear, something Cynthia had only ever seen her do in the presence of Robb. "What is that supposed to mean?" Cynthia frowned, still laughing though. "Well, you've always been so independent, I assumed you would never wish to be stuck to a man, telling you what to do." Livia explained quickly, in the hopes she would not have annoyed Cynthia by her previous words, "Do you? Love him, I mean."

Cynthia thought about it, probably for longer than she should have needed to, had the answer been yes. Undeniably there had always been some sort of...attraction to Jon, since first meeting him there had just been something that captivated her. But she doubted she'd ever call it love. She hardly knew anything about him, after all; but at the same time she felt as though she knew everything she needed to. Perhaps that was what love was, in some respects; not knowing all, but loving what you did know.

"Well?" Livia rose an eyebrow sceptically, clearly having noticed Cynthia's elongated pause. "Do you love Robb?" Cynthia retorted, quickly aware that in the time she had come to know Jon Snow, her sister had been experiencing the same thing with Jon's brother. "I don't know that I would call it love but..." Livia blushed. Cynthia could always tell what her sister was thinking, it was always plastered across her face in bright pink, usually. "There's something." Cynthia finished, watching as Livia's eyes glistened curiously for a moment. "It's the same with Jon, I suppose." 

The pair giggled together, for a moment, like the rest of the world didn't exist. In that split second of harmony, there were no Lannisters, or Starks, or Kings and Queens. There was simply two sisters, who had, before today, despised the thought of one another's company, but would now enjoy it more than anything else they could ever imagine. 

"Do you want to see something spectacular?" Livia piped up a second later, her smile wider than Cynthia could ever remember seeing. "Should I be concerned?" Cynthia questioned through her laughter, but it was too late; Livia gripped a hold of her hand and began dragging her down the corridor. "Where are we going?" Cynthia called through fleeting breaths, but her sister only answered in coded giggles, while they dashed out into the courtyard. The sun was beating down through murky clouds, and though winter was coming, it was still warm enough to go without layers upon layers of furs, when stepping outside. "Here." Livia whispered, while the pair came to an abrupt stop beside a shed, around to the back of Winterfell. "What are we-" "Shhh!" Livia batted her hand furiously in her sisters face, before pulling apart the cloth hanging in the doorway, so that the pair might see into the shed. 

Cynthia was confused for a second, before a voice spoke up loud and clear, laced with that accent, which made her melt inside whenever it reached her ears: "Why is your mother so dead set on us getting pretty for the King?" The voice of none other than Jon Snow. 

She looked closer, through the gap Livia had made, and soon learned why her sister was attempting to muffle her giggles, and why her face was painted a brighter shade of crimson than ever before. Light was flooding through the ceiling, casting shadows across the pale skin the two Iris girls could see clearly. Had it not been for Theon getting in the way, as always, Livia would have had a clear view of Robb - shirtless, just like his company. Jon, however, was stood in direct line of sight for Cynthia, and before she realised she was blatantly staring straight at him, her face was always heating up. "It's for the Queen, I bet," Theon spoke up, while he lent against a beam, and blocked half of the girls' views, "I hear she's asleep bit of mink."  "Hear the prince is a right royal prick." Robb's voice sounded from behind Theon, where he was sat by what of his legs Cynthia could see. Livia all but fainted just at his words, which almost made Cynthia reveal their hiding spot just from laughing at her. "Think of all those southerns girls he gets to stab with the right royal prick." Theon spoke up again, his words making the girls both want to be sick just at the sound of his voice. 

And then there he was. Stood beside Jon, all pale and masculine. Once again Cynthia was sure her sister would collapse, and again she considered that she would be caught just from her uncontrollable laughter at it. "Aw look at him." Livia whispered very quietly, watching Robb's tone body stand, and move towards Jon's - who's equally muscular physique had captured Cynthia's undivided attention. "Go on Tommy, sheer 'im good." Jon and Robb switched places, much to Cynthia's disappointment. Though Cynthia was now beginning to understand what Livia liked so much about Robb. Even his smile was dazzling in the dim light. "He's never met a girl he likes more than his own hair." Robb remarked, both him and Theon chuckling at the bastard, while he sat down with a thud. "That is, until now of course." Theon said, the smirk evident even in his voice. 

Cynthia's face began to burn. Livia turned back at her with a teasing smile, one which was mocking enough that she did not need to say a word. 

"Well come on, Snow. Tell us about 'er." Robb pressed, his smile evidently showing how intrigued he was into the pair. At this Livia giggled again, making it obvious her and Robb might have discussed their siblings affairs once or twice. "There isn't much to tell." Jon's words sunk  into the pit of Cynthia's stomach. They didn't sting, but at the same time she'd almost hoped he'd have said something else. "You saved her, does that not mean you've earned some sort of reward?" Theon teased, and Robb joined in the chorus of manly chuckles that followed. "You are vulgar." Jon replied, but by the sound of his voice he was laughing as well. 

"Livia! Cynthia! Where are you?" Their mother's shrill voice echoed from round the corner, and by the reactions they saw in all of the boys, they'd heard it too. "Quick." Cynthia muttered, and grabbed Livia's hand while she sprinted away, laughing. This had probably been the most fun she'd had in a long time, and what made it somewhat more surreal was that her and her sister had actually bonded, for the first time in what had felt like forever.