Golden Lioness [Game of Thrones] COMPLETED!

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

"Do not be stupid." 

- Jaime

Nobody came to collect Joanna and escort her to meet  Catelyn Stark.  The Stark matron simply did not seem to have time for Joanna.  Nor had the older woman taken Joanna's advice, not that Joanna was surprised, and Catelyn remained by her son's side. Joanna also did not speak with Robb. She saw him now and then and her heart ached, missing his company. When she saw the waves in his eyes crashing all Joanna wanted to do was embrace him, perhaps make a joke or two. But Robb had transformed from "Robb the Lord" to "Robb the Commander", and he did not have time for her.  Of course, for him to spend time with prisoners would not look good.

So Joanna kept busy.  It was wartime, after all, and there were always things to be done. For Joanna, it was counting. She and Aron would walk through the rows of tents over and over, Joanna counting how many men she saw, how many boys, how many horses, swords, bows, shields; everything. Joanna was prepared to send a raven to her father.  Now all she needed to do was find paper and quill. 

"Joanna," Aron called to her, bringing her back to the scene in front of her. Aron was currently showing her his armour and his sword. 

"Yes?" She replied. 

"You wanted to see my armour," Aron rubbed the back of his neck. 

"It's lovely." It was not, Joanna thought. It was plain, something she would see the guard of the city watch in Kingslading wearing. "You'll look valiant on the battlefield," she laid her hand on his arm and a blush rose in his cheeks. While the boy tried to hide his fluster, Joanna took a quick glance around his tent. There was a properly made bed with the furs laid out carefully, a chest, and the table where his armour was sprawled out. Joanna noticed something by her feet, it was another chest. "Would you like to go for a walk?" Joanna suggested, and Aron tried to hide the way his face twisted with the torture of another walk through the camp. "I would love to see the countryside, " she continued. His face calmed. 

"I feared you were going to suggest another walk in the camp, but the countryside sounds lovely." Joanna smiled endearingly and watched him with careful eyes as he moved the armour back to the mount at the end of his bed. Quickly, as Aron was placing the breastplate on the mount, Joanna kneeled down, opening the small wooden chest slowly, hoping it would not creak. She knew of Aron's meticulousness and believed that he would be trying to hang the breastplate for some time. During that time Joanna rifled through his things before coming across some parchment with some ink and a quill. Carefully, she slipped the items into her long sleeves. 

"What are you doing?" Aron asked Joanna who was still kneeling. 

"Just fixing my boot," she lied effortlessly, then rose to her feet.  

"Would you like to walk now?" Aron asked, and she nodded, taking a last look at his room before they left. They wandered through the camp, looking out at the twin castles of the Freys' in the distance. Joanna was not paying attention and the next thing she knew she was falling toward the ground with a humph. 

"Lannister whore!" The snickers and jabs came from the men who had tripped her. Joanna laid still for a moment taking in the fact that her lovely red dress was ruined with mud before placing her hands in front of her to push up. As she did something shifted in her sleeves and the paper and quill come tumbling out, rolling on the ground as silence fell over the men. 

"Gonna write to your father?" There was malice in the man's voice.  The other men grabbed her by the shoulders roughly and marched her off. Through her mud-stained lashes, Joanna saw Aron standing near the paper and quill, looking hurt as he realized she had stolen from him.