Golden Lioness [Game of Thrones] COMPLETED!

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"You never know when you'll need a bottle of wine."

- Tyrion

She stood next to Robb. Theon was on her other side and Rickon clung to Robb's leg while they watched the King's party leave. Joanna stood strong, her nose high, but not too high. She didn't want to try a smile, as she feared she might look like an idiot, especially to Theon, who wasn't above mocking her. On a normal occasion, Joanna knew she could take Theon's words, but right now she wasn't in the mood for banter. Not only had she just inspired a maniac to have a little boy killed, but she was watching her family leave her, alone in a dark and cold castle.

The moment the last bit of her home was out of sight and the gates of Winterfell shut, Joanna left the young men. The red hem of her dress swept at her feet as she hurried through the dirt of the courtyard, into the cobblestone guest house. She bound up the stairs, where she went to her room, shutting the door behind her. She knew Cersei would be disappointed that Joanna wasn't putting on a face and trying to appease her betrothed, instead, she was sulking around in her chamber like she used to do at Kingslanding.

Joanna only left her chambers when Theon came to collect her for dinner. She had been sitting on her bed, a large book in front of her when the knock came. The heavy wooden door did nothing to break the noise of Theon's rhythmic tapping, which was obviously supposed to be funny. Joanna sighed, placing the winter rose that Robb had given her in the page she had been reading, then shut the book and got to her feet to open the door.

"I knew it would be you," she said, a smirk playing at her lips, but not quite breaking through. Joanna wasn't in the mood to be bothered, but she enjoyed Theon's company more than most.

"And how did you know that, my lady?" He was already smiling, his eyes dancing, already bringing Joanna more joy than her books.

"Because only you would knock on a door so stupidly," she stepped back from the entrance to her room, physically inviting him in. Without looking back to see if he followed the unspoken invite, Joanna opened a small chest that sat next to her table. An onlooker would assume that the contents inside of the oak box would be writing utensils or books, but Joanna pulled out a bottle of Dornish wine. She turned to face Theon, now her smirk matched his, but sadly Theon was still at the doorway, albeit he was now leaning against the wooden frame. "You don't like wine?" The playfulness in Joanna's voice was still there, even if it was false. She was now suspicious.

"Robb wants you at dinner," Theon spoke plainly, but his grin never faded. His wild eyes danced on the bottle of wine that was still in Joanna's hand. She couldn't figure out Robb's motive as to why he would send Theon to collect her. Perhaps Brandon woke up and told them everything and Theon was here to take Joanna, prisoner. Joanna bet the callow boy would enjoy that, even if they were friends.

Joanna shrugged and walked to the door with the bottle of wine still in her hand, trying to ooze amusement, like the Greyjoy. The walk was short, however, Joanna couldn't help but feel as if she was going to be walked before a lord and forced onto her knees to beg for her life, as she had seen many men do with her lord father. But Robb is no lord, she reminded herself, even if he will be one day, he is no lord now. He is no lord, he is not my lord.

Theon waltzed into the Great Hall, pushing the large wooden doors open like he owned Winterfell and was the Lord of the castle. Joanna did not want to enter the Great Hall. She did not know what lay ahead, but she stepped inside anyway, wanting to look down at her slippered feet as she walked in. But instead, Joanna Lannister raised her head, her nose pointed slightly in the air. As she stepped past Theon, she looked down at him, as if her nose were an arrow and his face was the target.