Jon leaned over the table and you could smell the alcohol when he breathed out before he started to speak. "If you could have been in any other family in Westeros, which one would you choose?" He took another sip of his wine and there was a teasing twinkle in his eyes.
"None..." The word escaped before you had been able to think about it. "I wouldn't want to live in another family." You shook your head and you leaned back in your chair. "Not even when that family had more gold or power than the Starks will ever have."
The Starks didn't need gold or power. The Starks had something no other house in Westeros would ever have. The Starks had a deep emotional bond, a special kind of love and a nice warmth that made everyone forget the cold in the north. The Starks had big hearts and kind smiles. They were always there for everyone who needed them and they never let down anyone who counted on them.
You had travelled a lot in Westeros, but you had never come across a family like the Starks.
Maybe the Lannisters were in their own twisted way loyal and faithful to each other, but they had never dared to look beyond the bond of blood. Not being a Lannister meant not being part of the family.
You stared at Jon across the table and at Theon who was offering Sansa another glass of wine with a smile on his face. You were the lost orphan, Jon was a bastard and Theon was technically being held hostage. The three of you were however as much part of the family as the others seemed to be.
Theon and Jon were close friends with Robb and Ned had made sure they would get the same lessons and would gain the same skills as the rightful heir of Winterfell. It wouldn't take long before Theon and Jon would take Rickon and Bran under theirs wings and would teach them what being a Stark meant.
Sansa and Arya had accepted you as their sister as if you had never been anything else. They had been teasing you, but they had also been trusting you with their worries and secrets, even the ones Catelyn was not allowed to know.
"There are few people whom I really love..." You smiled and you stared back at Jon while you twirled a strand of hair around your finger. "All those people are here in this room. All those people live here in Winterfell." You grabbed Jon's hands and squeezed them gently. "What about you?"
"I guess things could have been worse." Jon shrugged his shoulders and he took another sip from his wine, even though he had already had way too much of it. "I could have been a Baratheon bastard." He winked and you giggled.
"I'm sure there are more than enough Baratheon bastards who would love to trade places with you, yes." You shook your head and the smile on your face brightened.
"But I won't let them."