"You are avoiding him."

"No, I'm not." Thea replied nonchalantly, not looking up from the book she was reading attentively in the chair by the fireplace.

Across the room, Lily clicked her tongue in discontentment. "Yes, you are and it is all because of her." After seeing her mother's strong gaze, Thea thought it was best not to try to deny it again. It was true, yes, the young woman had been avoiding him for some time and yes, maybe that was related to the Stark woman's distrust of her...

It seemed that all the words that had been exchanged between them had been forgotten by the time Lady Stark saw three of her children returning to the castle with Amalthea, coming from the Godswood. Robb had said something that had made the young woman smile, and Catelyn's face had twisted into a suspicious expression, lips pressed into a straight line and eyes narrowed.

Rickon had come down from Robb's back where he was perched like a monkey, and ran towards his mother talking quickly trying to be faster than Bran in describing in detail what they were doing and the story about dragons that Amalthea had told them.

Catelyn listened absently, always with her eyes on the oldest son and the young woman with black hair, and had been quick to reprimand the two youngest boys for having been away so long, and to send them away. When Amalthea decided to accompany them, the matriarch feigned a smile as she murmured some words to Robb, who looked at her in confusion, unaware of the suspicions that crossed her mind.

Remembering that was enough to make Thea huff in scorn. She had seen men of enormous beauty: her Fred, Cedric, Sirius in his youth with all his aristocratic features, and for Merlin's sake, even she couldn't deny that Draco Malfoy was a very handsome boy... And yes, Catelyn's son was handsome, but did that really give her the right to imagine that any girl in the world would immediately fall in love with him and do anything to get their claws in him? Did it really give her the right to be suspicious of Thea just because her son had been kind to her to make her feel a little more welcomed? Unlike her, that despicable Theon or even Lord Stark himself, because however welcoming he might be, he hadn't made any attempt to try to know her.

Amalthea was in Westeros to find a home, not to fall for any man she came across. So, in order to try to avoid any conflicts, the witch thought it would be better to start trying to avoid any contact with Robb, something that he did not take long to notice and wonder as to the reasons why. Wherever he was, she did her best not to be. If she saw him in a castle corridor, she did her best to get past him as quickly as she could with an exchange of kind and courteous words, even when it seemed like he wanted to say more.

There was a time when she thought she was being paranoid and absurd about her own behavior, but the sudden appearance of that maid, Erin, (the one who showed her a cold and severe attitude when she came to call her to drink tea with Catelyn) that interrupted them, and who had been quick to report that Lady Stark wanted to speak to her son, showed her the opposite. Lady Stark had eyes everywhere.

"Are you really going to let that woman let you stop doing what you want?"

"I'm at her house for now, I have to try to avoid conflicts."

"That doesn't mean you can't make friends."

"It does when she has illusory ideas that I want something more than friendship with her son and can cause me more troubles than I need."

"You can be the most stubborn person I have ever seen, and I am married to your father!"

This caused Thea to finally look up from the words in the book, and smile in Lily's direction. "That's funny, he says the same about you."

Lily's emerald green eyes narrowed into slits: "Oh, really?" And her translucent body disappeared for a few seconds, only to return accompanied by James, who was shrieking screaming as his right ear was twisted by his wife.

"Oh, Lily dear, stop please! I'm sorry."

Lily snorted, displeased, but finally let go. James cleared his throat, straightened his crooked glasses and pouted at his laughing daughter. "You little traitor!"

-----

Kreacher arrived a few days later, on a gray and damp afternoon, indicating that it would rain later that day. He had been spotted by Bran, who was once again on top of one of the many roofs he had decided to climb, but who had been quick to notify his family and Amalthea of the older man's return.

Lord Eddard was busy that day, and the children were in their classes (Arya tried to escape, but a piercing look from her mother was enough to send her back to Septa Mordane's classes, though not without casting Thea pleading eyes) thus leaving only Robb, Lady Catelyn and Amalthea who were quick to advance to the courtyard awaiting his arrival. The conversation between them was minimal but the sound of the curious servants and men-at-arms who did their daily tasks around them, filled those moments of tense silence.

It seemed like it had taken forever for Kreacher to finally get through the gates, with the wheels moving slowly with the weight on the cart and the horses' feet hitting the muddy ground sending mud everywhere. When he finally came to a stop in front of her, Kreacher jumped to the ground, a small smile on his face, making the mud splash on his boots and the hem of Amalthea's velvet dress, which she didn't seem to mind. His almost-bald head glistened with sweat, and Slytherin's locket was, as usual, around his neck.

"My Lady." He greeted her, followed by a hasty greeting to the present members of the Stark family. "Everything is here, as promised."

"Kadeem..." Knowing that she was being closely watched by everyone in the courtyard, Thea returned the greeting as she approached him, a happy, soft smile on her face. The difference in height was notable; Thea used to think that she was short but Kreacher--Kadeem--was even shorter than her, barely taller than Bran, and she was sure that he would only get smaller with age. If nothing else, his small size would have drawn stares, even if it weren't for the cargo he'd brought. "There were no problems, I hope?"

"None, it was a trip without interference," Kadeem reported with a small bow.

Of course it was, Thea thought amusedly, smiling internally.

"Good." She leaned over and looked at the back of the cart, which was covered with a brown cloth to avoid greedy eyes. Kreacher was quick to uncover it, revealing the large number of wooden chests richly decorated with her initials in a beautiful and elegant gold calligraphy, all meticulously arranged to fit in the small space. Where Kreacher could, he had also inserted rolls and rolls of rich fabrics in the free spaces: silk, satin, and velvets all in beautiful colors that were immensely soft to the touch and flowed like water from a spring, carefully sandwiched by more canvas cloth to protect them. "Oh, twelve? More than I remembered." The innocent look of bemusement, like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, nearly cracked the former house elf's serious demeanor.

Kadeem nodded and his wrinkles deepened when a conspiratorial smile formed on his thin lips. "Yes, my Lady, and they are quite heavy."

Thea very carefully did not snort in amusement at that, and instead nodded in understanding before inspecting him. "You must be tired..." he wasn't, but he pretended that he was. "We just need to take this to my chambers and you can rest after a hot meal," she turned to look at Lady Stark, "if it is not too much to ask?" Lady Catelyn nodded in agreement and called in some men to help them unload the cart.

"Here, let me help you, Lady Thea. " Robb said, striding to Amalthea's side in large and fast steps.

"Robb..." Catelyn tried to stop him with a hint of disapproval in her ice-cold voice.

"What?" He questioned confused. Thea pretended disinterest in their interaction while she kept herself busy opening one of the long boxes. He leaned over to look inside, "Oh, Theon would kill to get his hands on such a bow." It was a beautiful recurve bow, made of golden yew with elegant runic script engraved along the length and the grip wrapped in chocolate brown leather.

Thea glanced at him with a small smile, "It is beautiful, isn't it?"

Lady Catelyn frowned, her blue eyes seemed to pierce them both, but she stopped herself from saying anything more when she felt other people's eyes on her.

Three servants and men at arms came to help unload the cart, grunting slightly at the heaviness of the chests as they lifted them down. Thea was talking to Kreacher, questioning him more deeply about his trip when she heard a loud noise that interrupted the conversation and drew everyone's attention to the huge trunk that had been ponderously shoved to the edge of the cart, but had tipped off the ledge and fallen, its contents spilled out on the ground. Hundreds of gold coins gleamed in the daylight, large and beautiful, but now stained with mud. A few pieces of jewelry had fallen out as well, the smaller wooden boxes they'd been packed in for safekeeping having come unlatched in the tumble. Emerald necklaces and ruby pendants glimmered among the gold, and even a pair of delicate pearl earrings shone softly from their place atop their velvet cushion--though thankfully they had not fallen free to become lost or damaged in the sea of coins.

There was a curse and a shocked gasp somewhere, and one of the men carrying another of the chests fumbled with what he had in hand and nearly dropped it on the floor as well. He looked at the coins scattered in absolute shock before blushing and went back to his work, though obviously distracted.

The servant that had dropped the gold had become deathly pale, wide-eyed and shivering in fear. He seemed to want to cry when he saw the amount of money in front of him scattered in the mud, but Amalthea just smiled and assured him that it wasn't his fault when he tried to stutter out an apology. When she bent down and unhurriedly helped him put the contents back inside the now righted chest, she heard a sharp intake of breath.

When she finished and returned to her former place next to Kadeem, she saw that Lady Stark was looking at her with a studiously blank face, but her eyes shone with something that seemed intensely interested. It was funny how the older woman had been raised in southern courtly ways and taught not to show what she really felt, but Thea was able to read her easily. She couldn't help but smile mentally at that, smug at the proof that had just been shoved into the Tully trout's face.

Yes, I am who I say I am, Thea thought, playing with the skin of her tattooed palm.

Later, in the safety of her room, Amalthea was quick to go through the contents of the chests. Kreacher had put in everything he thought an aristocratic lady should have with her: gold, jewelry, dresses and other finely made garments, rich fabrics, books, and even some weapons. A small dagger with a sharp blade and a diamond on the pommel made her think of Arya, the poor, wild, misunderstood wolf girl, and she made a sudden decision to pick out some specific items for the members of the Stark family as a thank you for their hospitality. Some of the bolts of fabric would do for Sansa and Lady Catelyn, while one of her fountain pens and a thick sheaf of paper would do well for Lord Stark, seeing as such things would be seen as luxury goods and be worth a small fortune. She would have to finish going through everything Kadeem had brought back and hand them over at a more opportune time.

With a satisfied sigh, playing with a clinking handful of gold coins in her hand, Thea smiled slightly. Gold wasn't everything. It would take more than mere wealth to restore Moat Cailin, make it a worthy home, but this... It was a start.

The next few days were spent in much the same way, meeting the few members of the Starks who bothered to get to know her too, making plans with Kreacher and reading everything she could get her hands on. In fact, many of those days were spent inside the library in the maester's tower, behind closed doors to ensure that no one saw her use of magic, and duplicating each of the books there. She thought it was a good idea to have a personal copy of all of Winterfell's books, as she did not know when or if she would have a chance later to read them (the fact that she had them in her bag and could read in the safety of her room too was an asset).

And it was in the library where she was now, finishing copying the last of the books. The tip of her wand glowed with magic, a book exactly like the original appeared on the table in front of her, and after flipping through it and seeing that everything was right, she stuffed the copy in her bag and saw the real one disappear and reappear on the shelf where it belonged.

"It's done." She said, leaning back in her chair tired and feeling the beginning of a headache. She massaged her forehead, trying to remove the pain with her fingers, and even though she didn't want to, she let them fly towards the lightning-shaped scar that had been with her since childhood, feeling the skin marked on her fingerprints.

"Now what, Mistress?" Kreacher questioned her, interrupting her movements.

"Now..." She started, with a vicious smile forming on her lips and a flame of determination igniting in her green eyes. "Now it's time for us to pay a visit to what will be my new home."

----

"You want to go to Moat Cailin?" The serious man that seated opposite to Amalthea questioned, as he read some of the scrolls on the long table and signed several others, looking up every few seconds to look the younger woman in the eye.

"In fact I do, Lord Stark." She confirmed it, even if it felt like she had done it five times in the past ten minutes.

Eddard sighed, finally put down the scrolls he was working on and gave full attention to the woman who was watching him with resolute eyes. "My Lady, Moat Cailin is..." He seemed to be looking for the right words that would not cause offense. "Moat Cailin is-"

"A pile of rocks, a pile of ruins, a place that is accumulating dust and that is inhabited only by animals and ghosts, I know that!" Thea interrupted and then sighed in a way that showed a certain weariness. "But it is my home, Lord Stark. It is where my family lived, where my ancestor was happy during all his years in Westeros and it belongs to me. I have to see how it is, and see what it will take to rebuild it. I have to estimate how long the work will take, look for the men needed to do it and calculate how much money I will have to spend."

"To tell you the truth, I don't know if reconstruction will even be possible... only three towers remain standing, if it does the cost will be enormous." Lord Stark finally confided.

The right corner of her lips lifted in an almost amused smile. "It will be possible, believe me and money will not be a problem."

There was a brief pause before Lord Stark let out a heavy sigh. "Alright, when do you plan to leave?"

"As soon as possible, I just wanted to let you know since I'm living under your roof right now." She feigned a laugh, and smiled politely, receiving nothing more than a nod from the Stark man. She felt like snorting inelegantly and rolling her eyes at his coldness towards her. Both husband and wife made no effort to get to know her, and when they did - as was the case with Catelyn - the coldness returned quickly. Thea was so tired of all the diplomacy games, but she had a role to play.

"I am glad you did it so I have time to arrange an escort to accompany you."

"I do not want to inconvenience you." Amalthea's response was immediate. More than I am already, she thought to herself.

Eddard made a gesture with his hand, as if he were blocking her words, which almost made her smile when she saw such an atypical act of the always serious Lord. "It's not a bother, I will inform Jory to gather some men and get them ready to leave in..." He paused for a moment as he thought, and rummaged through the scrolls for something. When he found a specific one, he read something and spoke again: "... two days, if you like. Unfortunately, I don't think I will be able to accompany you, but I can tell my son to go in my place. Perhaps Jon and Theon too."

This was not something Thea expected, nor wanted to be honest with herself. Of course, as soon as the man said he wouldn't be able to go, the possibility of Robb going as his replacement crossed her mind, but even so she hoped that Lord Stark wouldn't really make that decision. It would be immensely embarrassing, especially as she spent the last few days avoiding the poor boy.

"My Lord, I do not wish in any way to disturb Lord Robb's routine and education, for sure he must be very busy with his duties as your heir." She said playing with her fingers in feigned shyness, trying to get him to change his mind.

"It does not disturb at all, it will do my son good to see more of the north as the future Lord of Winterfell, Moat Cailin is a good place to start."

Thea felt the corners of her lips drop slightly but was quick to turn them back up with a polite smile. "If you are sure, my lord."

"Is there a problem, Lady Amalthea?" The man asked with sincere concern. "Did Theon bother you again?"

Thea thought about telling him that there was a problem, that his lady wife was delusional, seeing things where there was none and that she watched every step Thea took... but the young woman chose not to. Instead, she replied, "Of course not, Lord Stark, everything is alright. Don't you worry."

The man seemed to assess her for a while, his brow furrowed in concentration as he sought sincerity in her green eyes. When he was finally satisfied with whatever he found, he linked his fingers together with his hands over the scrolls he read earlier, and continued. "Very well. I will provide everything necessary for your trip, then."

And with an exchange of polite smiles, that conversation ended. Later, Amalthea Potter was walking through the inner courtyard on the way to the Great Hall when she was ambushed by Arya and Bran, both tired from running and with their clothes slightly spattered with mud.

"Let me go with you." Arya immediately begged as soon as she saw her, making Thea raise an eyebrow.

Bran was quick to follow. "Can I go too?"

"Shouldn't you be in lessons?" She asked, continuing on her way with the two children slightly ahead of her walking backwards.

"No." The two responded immediately.

"Of course not." Thea smiled, not convinced at all.

"Can we go with you to Moat Cailin?"

"How do you even know about that? I talked to your father just an hour ago."

"Jon told me." It was the only answer Arya gave her, before she started begging again.

Amalthea stopped and watched as the two children stopped in front of her, each with a sadder look than the other, almost close to doing something like a pout. As much as she wished they could go too, she knew there was someone who would never agree. "If your parents allow it."

Arya crossed her arms furiously, stamping her foot on the ground and making pieces of mud fly over her brother's boots, who gave her a disgruntled look and shook his foot in a failed attempt to remove the dirt. "As if mother would ever let us."

The young witch sighed, rubbing Bran's hair when she saw how dismayed he was. "I am sorry I truly am but if your parents don't allow it, I can not take you with me."

They seemed to think for a while before Arya shook her head, pushed Bran who almost fell (only managing to keep his balance thanks to Thea), then smirked and started running towards the fortress. "I will convince father."

"If father sees that you are not in your lessons he-" Bran broke off seeing the older woman's amused look with the confirmation that they should, in fact, be in their daily lessons. "I mean- Wait for me, Arya!"

The girl's loud laughs echoed across the courtyard.

"Then hurry up, squirrel." Bran started running after her when she stopped and spoke to Thea again. "Oh, and Robb asked to tell you to meet him at the stables. Something about a horse, I don't remember but he is waiting there with Theon."

Great, Amalthea thought, losing her smile the moment the two children disappeared from her sight. The two that she wanted to avoid, for different reasons. Knowing that she could not avoid the inevitable, and even a little curious as to what those two wanted, Thea turned on her heels and headed for the place where Robb and Theon were waiting for her.

It didn't take long for her to see the two boys talking to an older man who must have been the head stableman. The stable was a long, rectangular building, made of wood and dark stone, with a large pen where a small white foal and his mother grazed. As soon as they noticed her, they apologized to the horseman and addressed her.

"My lady..." Robb started to say as soon as he saw her. His red hair that looked like flames in the afternoon sun almost blinded her, but she ignored it and greeted them both.

"Lord Robb, Lord Theon, Arya told me that you wanted to see me."

Theon smirked and gestured towards the stable door, indicating her to move on and giving Robb no chance to answer. "Come see." He said mysteriously, making the Heir of Winterfell sigh frustratedly.

"What is it?"

"My father informed me of our journey, and as we know that neither you nor Lord Kadeem have a horse of your own, my father suggested letting you choose one of ours."

Oh... Thea thought. That was unexpected but not entirely surprising. Both she and Kreacher had already made plans to buy mounts in Winter Town, but it seemed that Lord Stark had anticipated it.

"That is really very thoughtful, I am very grateful."

Robb smiled, but frowned when Thea just returned it with a small smile from her own. "It's not a problem, they are all available and you can choose the one that you want, your advisor's as well."

"I will let him do it himself."

They entered the stable and were quickly hit by the sounds of the animals, the heat, and the smell of hay and horse droppings. Thea wrinkled her nose at the scent but smiled amusedly when Theon laughed. Six horses occasionally neighed inside, three on each side.

"My mother will probably send some of her maids to accompany us, and we thought that a wheelhouse would be better for you ladies to travel in comfort but we wanted to give you the option to choose." Robb informed.

"If we take a wheelhouse, will it delay our trip a lot?" Thea asked, trying not to be offended by the fact that she - being a woman - needed to travel comfortably...

"Yes."

"Then I will go on horseback." She decided.

"And you know how to ride a horse, right?" Interrupted Theon, smirking.

No, she thought, but I know how to ride a flying broom that can reach over 100km of speed and a hippogriff that is practically a horse with wings... A normal horse shouldn't be that difficult.

"Yes I know."

"Well, then choose the one you want."

Making the choice was the most difficult. All the horses there were beautiful and strong, of different shades and personalities, if the stableman's little comments had anything to say about it ("Oh, Thunder... This one is brute but a loyal beast." He said when Thea assessed a brown stallion or "Snowflake is not a very strong name but this boy is adored by children and very gentle." when talking about a white horse).

"And this one?" Thea asked curiously, stopping.

"Oh, this is beautiful, isn't it? It is relatively new, but very kind and helpful. It is also fast, perhaps the fastest of all that we have here. " The man informed.

And it really was. With brown fur on almost all the body, except for the feet and the face that was white, the mare was strong and was quick to blow air with its huge nostrils in Thea's hand when she started to caress it. "Good girl..." The young witch said affectionately, patting her long chocolate brown neck and receiving a small whinny in return. "What is her name?"

"Masquerade."

"Masquerade..." Amalthea tested the name while still petting the animal while the others watched her. Suddenly Masquerade pulled her huge head close to hers, and nibbled on the ends of her black hair like hay, pulling a surprised laugh from the woman. "Oh, this is the one!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, how much do I owe you?"

Robb and the horseman exchanged a look, but Robb refused any attempt at payment. The rest of the afternoon was spent with Thea getting acquainted with her new mare, with Robb and Theon teaching her how to saddle her own horse after she said she didn't want to be dependent on anyone (even if it wasn't too lady-like), and avoiding anything on Robb's part that might seem too close to anyone who laid eyes on them that afternoon.

----

Two days later, they were already on the road. The first day after their departure from Winterfell was the most difficult, without a doubt. Her body was sore from being on top of the horse for hours, her back hurt and her muscles were tense. It was painful, yes, but nothing she hadn't experienced before, nothing like the days when she, Ron and Hermione were on the run looking for horcruxes.

Despite the good company around her and the many stories that Jory Cassel (the captain of the guards) had to tell, there was a certain tension each time the young witch looked at the three youngest boys... Jon kept himself quiet and solemn, and when he spoke it was in a low voice in his strong northern accent. Theon joked from time to time, making a raunchy jibe or two that were in no way appropriate around Amalthea and the three maids ( in the service of Lady Catelyn - that is, her eyes and ears on that trip) that accompanied her, but he was mostly calm and didn't try to cause any problems.

Robb, however, glared at her with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance each time she started to look away, but Thea was able to capture his enraged countenance and red face when it happened for the tenth time. She knew it wouldn't be long before he burst and demanded to know what happened ...

And she was right, because at the end of the fifth day after setting up the camp and lighting a fire with small conversations between their due tasks, Robb had approached her and Kreacher, who were talking softly while sitting on a fallen log in front of the fire. He came with ears almost as red as her hair and blue eyes that looked like ice.

"Lady Amalthea..." He said immediately as soon as he approached them, interrupting what Kreacher had been saying. "Can you come with me for a moment? I need to speak with you."

"Can't wait a little, Lord Robb?" Amalthea tried to avoid the conversation that was sure to follow.

"No, my lady, it can not." His tone was so cold that it made old Kreacher's eyes narrow into slits of displeasure.

His whole face showed that there was no room for an alternative option. With a defeated sigh, Thea waved and Robb walked away, knowing that she would follow.

"Who does this muggle think he is, demanding my Lady's attention and time?" Kreacher murmured softly to himself, receiving an angry warning look from the young witch who was walking away from him. "Oh, Mistress Walburga would never allow that, Mistress Amalthea shouldn't have either."

They did not go very far knowing that a few curious ones kept their eyes on them, but they stayed far enough away to not be heard by the rest who settled around the fire. Neither said anything for a good few minutes, not because there was nothing to say but because neither knew how to articulate the necessary words.

Not wanting to be the one who would begin what would probably be an embarrassing conversation, Thea remained silent before her eyes fixed on his, and waited...

"Did I do something wrong?" Robb finally questioned, with red cheeks and more sad than sullen - as he had been previously.

"No." Amalthea was sincere.

"Did I offend you in any way?" He pressed.

The answer was the same. "No."

Robb pressed his lips together, turning them in a straight line as he looked at her almost fiercely. "Then I confess that I don't understand why you've been avoiding me so persistently. Whenever you see me, you leave. When I speak to you, you are vague in your response but you speak warmly to everyone else. When I am close to you, you withdraw and do not look me in the eye, and to be honest I am even surprised that you are finally doing it at this moment..." The man-boy said everything quickly, his chest heaving. "If I have not offended you or done anything wrong, I do not understand what is the problem here, my Lady."

"Lord Robb-"

"Robb." He interrupted.

"Lord Robb.." Thea insisted calmly, playing with her fingers as she stared at him, thinking about how to express her thoughts. "I am sorry-"

"I confess that at first I didn't think it was anything serious..." The Heir of Winterfell continued not letting her speak, making her raise a black eyebrow. "I thought you could be just tired, or just having a bad day because I know it happens to everyone... but when the same thing kept happening over and over again I couldn't ignore it anymore."

"It is because of your lady mother." Thea interrupted, trying to put an end to the confused words that came out of his mouth at breakneck speed.

The effect was immediate. Robb froze, opened his crystal blue eyes wide and frowned in an astonished way. He seemed to want to speak again, but the only thing he managed to do for a moment was open, close and open his mouth again, until at last he seemed to find a simple word: "What?"

"A few days ago Lady Catelyn invited me to drink tea with her, and inbetween small talk she mentioned you. She seems to be under the illusion that, for some reason unknown to me... how should I say this? She seems to think there is a possibility that something exists between us."

"What?" Robb asked again, his face red as a tomato.

"I tried to convince her that there is nothing more than kindness and friendship between the two of us, which is quite true, and at the time she seemed to understand, but since the day we returned from the Godswood with Bran and Rickon, she has been looking at me suspiciously, even coldly, as if she suspects me of planning some foul deed. I understand her position, I do, as I am a stranger in her house living with the children she loves so much, but I know that she has assigned maids to keep an eye on me, especially when we are close to each other... So, to try to avoid any possible conflict or unfounded fear on the part of Lady Stark, I thought the best option was to avoid contact with you. I was wrong, I know and I beg your pardon, but at the moment it was the best option I saw to not have to reveal the truth and cause any kind of awkwardness between the two of us."

But as much as she didn't want to, there was certainly a certain awkwardness between them now. The air was tense with a hint of embarrassment, and the sounds of their escort of ten men, three maids and Jon, Theon and Kadeem were the only thing heard, since at that moment neither of them knew what else to say.

After a long, long time Robb spoke, ashamed but serious in his tone: "I am sorry for any embarrassment my mother may have caused you."

"As I said, in part I understand her... but understanding does not mean that I think it is correct the way she made me go through so much suspicion, and in part humiliation, when she observed my every step as if she thought I was a thief or a murderer in her home. Even here she has eyes on me, on both of us."

"What do you mean?"

Thea's response was a minimal nod in the direction of the camp. Robb turned slightly trying to understand, and through the now dark night he was able to observe the curious and attentive eyes of the three maids who, even serving dinner and talking to each other, never seemed to take their attention from them. Robb's red eyebrows rose suddenly in an expression of astonishment and understanding, and he was quick to move a foot or two away trying to create more space between them to avoid any possibility of strange ideas.

"I see. I'll have a word with my mother when we get back to Winterfell."

"You don't have to do that, Lord Robb." The young witch was quick to certify.

"Yes, I do, my lady. It is not fair of my mother to have treated you this way when there is nothing more between us than respect."

"I thank you then." I just don't know if it will do more harm than good, she thought. "And again I apologize for my immature behavior towards you, I should have been sincere at the beginning but I didn't want to cause any kind of tension."

Robb nodded and smiled: "I understand your reasons, my lady, there is nothing to forgive. I ask you just one thing..."

"What is it?"

"Call me Robb."

"I don't know if it would be a good idea..."

Seeing that Amalthea was looking at her three spies, Robb insisted: "If you are not comfortable, don't do it, but if you would like, you can call me Robb when we are alone or close to people you trust."

"We will have to see." Thea said playfully.

With a nod and an exchange of smiles, the two returned to the others as if they had never left. They sat down, ate with small conversations here and there - although the three maids, Lyessa, Erena and Erin seemed to want to interrogate her but without knowing exactly how to do it. And when dawn found them both Thea and Robb were definitely more relieved the tension had dissipated.

There was still, of course, a certain embarrassment mostly on the part of Winterfell's heir but nothing that they could not cope with.

By the end of the first week, Amalthea's body had become accustomed to the routine again and she felt that she would be able to travel all over Westeros on a horse without stopping, if possible.

On that day, they rode for a few hours after sunrise feeling the cool breeze of the wind, and talking to each other when a loud sound interrupted them and made all heads turn to the back of the group, where Jon was moving away abruptly from Theon with a reddish face and furrowed brows. Theon however laughed out loud, shouting something to the other to hear: "Easy Snow, it was just a joke."

Amalthea felt her own eyebrows furrow, and when Jon was close to her she called out, "Lord Jon, please walk with me."

This caused the boy to turn his neck towards her so quickly that Amalthea was amazed that he had not broken it. Jon looked at her, then at Robb and the rest of their companions watching him, and again at her before waving and approaching, until his horse was almost leaning against Masquerade so that they could both speak without being heard.

"Is everything all right?" She asked quietly.

"Yes it is, my Lady."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's nothing, just Theon being Theon."

Only Theon being an idiot as always, was what his words really meant.

"Tell me about you." Thea asked.

Jon glanced at her, straightening slightly on top of the horse, showing that he was at least minimally uncomfortable. That was not the woman's intention, but from what she had already noticed any kind of attention caused discomfort to the curly-haired boy.

"What do you want to know, my Lady?"

Thea hummed as she thought, and patted her mare's strong neck. "How is your life? What do you like to do? I do not know, whatever you want to tell me I accept. "

"I-" Jon hesitated for a moment, without a definite answer. "I do not know."

"Jon..." Thea suddenly stopped. She caused Masquerade to slow down her trot by motioning for Jon to copy her and letting the others overtake them, feeling the warmth of their interested gaze on them. Finally, when they were at the end of the group she continued: "I want to know more about you."

"Why?"

"Because I like to think that we could be friends."

"But... but I'm a bastard, Lady Peverell."

"And what's wrong with that? I really don't understand. Yes I know I'm a Lady, and I also know that it might not be wise to say this out loud because I know that it would be frowned upon by many, but I really could care less about their opinion and the fact that you are a bastard. Is that really important to others? What should matter is the type of person you are and you are good Jon, and for me that is what really matters."

Even if he wanted to - which Thea knew he wouldn't because he was easy to read - Jon wouldn't be able to hide the shock he felt at that moment, it was very apparent in his face: eyebrows raised high, mouth slightly open, rosy cheeks and bulging eyes. Thea kept a gentle smile on her lips but tried to show seriousness in her eyes, and after a few moments of silence between the two, Jon said, "No one sees it like you, I am the stain on Lord Stark's honor."

"Did you ask to be born?" She asked quickly.

"No."

"So if you did not ask to be born and if you were not responsible for your creation, why do you have to bear the consequences of the actions of others? I told you once and I say it again, from where I come a child is not looked at differently for being a child born out of marriage and you shouldn't be either."

Jon quickly turned his red-hot face in the opposite direction where Thea was, perhaps trying to hide what he felt at that moment. "I am very lucky to have the life I have, I know that I am luckier than many other bastards in the world." His voice shook slightly as if he wanted to cry, but he controlled himself and looked at the path ahead blankly. "When the time comes, I will join the Night's Watch and there I will live an honorable life on the Wall.It is more than I could ever wish for."

Jon frowned and his eyes went slightly dull and empty. Then he shook his head causing some of his black curls to fall on his face, and looked her in the eye for a mere second in search of something before quickly looking away. This caused Thea to tighten the leather reins she held, until her fingers went white. He is afraid, he has lived in fear all his life, the young witch thought angry with this world and with these closed-minded people.

"Are you happy?" She asked in a small voice, knowing it was a very bold question, a question she shouldn't have asked someone she had known for just a few weeks but still she was unable to avoid it.

Jon's head snapped up in confusion and surprise. His face was almost deathly pale, his lips almost colorless but his gray eyes shone like liquid silver.

He didn't give her an answer, but she also didn't need one as she already knew what it was. How could she not? How could she not know when she saw his sad look when looking at his siblings who, however much they loved him, did not understand... How could she not know when she saw how he was treated for being a bastard. As he was hated, and demoted, and humiliated by everyone - especially Lady Catelyn - for being a child born out of wedlock, and the biggest stain on Ned Stark's honor and his wife's biggest shame?

He was not happy, not entirely, and Thea knew it because she recognized the broken look he had, knew the smiles too small that he gave, the search for something that was not there. How could she not recognize this when this sadness lived with her for most of her life, almost all of her childhood and now her almost adult life? Thea knew what it was like to be unwanted, to be hated just because she existed, the humiliation of being demoted and stepped on like a stray dog. She knew what it was like to want a real home and a home full of love. Jon had it in his father and brothers, and she had it in Sirius and Remus, in Hermione, the Weasleys and everyone else... But there was a love she wouldn't have again - the love of her parents and the love of Fred -, and knowing that would never make the pain and sadness go away, at least not entirely... And she knew that the love of Lord Stark and his children was not enough to erase the pain that Jon felt.

She shook her head full of black hair, interrupting her thoughts at the moment, and giving way to others that she started to express aloud: "Jon, if you-"

But whatever she was going to say was lost, for at that moment Theon approached them with a smirk on his thin lips and Amalthea knew that peace was almost over. Jon knew it too, having given her an exasperated smile and was quick to join Theon and then Robb, trying to keep the heir Greyjoy and whatever his jokes were from the young witch's ears.

Amalthea Potter was left alone, reflecting on everything that had been discussed between her and Jon, with a tight heart and a bitter feeling in her mouth when thinking about the sadness and demotion that the bastard Winterfell suffered every day... Fortunately - or unfortunately - she was quickly removed from these angry thoughts with the approach of Lyessa, Erena and Erin, which made her sigh somewhat frustrated and prepare for the interrogation. She had no problem with Lyessa and Erena, they were both young and lively (Lyessa more than the other, since she was almost never silent when given the opportunity) and as much as they were there in a certain way to spy on her at the behest of Lady Stark, Thea could see herself becoming fond of them. It was Erin, the surly and arrogant Erin, with whom she could not stand.

As soon as Erin opened her mouth to make a petty comment about Jon, that the witch was quick to end, Thea knew it was going to be a long trip...

-----

The next few days were spent normally: waking up, eating, spending hours on horseback, taking one or two breaks to rest, and a few more hours of walking until they decided it was time to set up camp and rest once more. The closer they got to the south, the hotter the air became, if that was possible since they were still in the north. It was cold, yes, but like a normal day in England or Scotland... Cold, but not unbearable and that allowed them to abandon the warm layers of coats.

The opportunity to bathe was infrequent, except for one or two inns miles away from each other, or an occasional lagoon - but even so it wasn't often... Some of their people didn't look very well, some long beards, some greasy hair and some (those who didn't want to bathe when they could) with a not very pleasant smell. It was in those moments that Thea was immensely grateful for the magic and cleaning spells.

They woke to find the morning of the twenty-first day gray, slightly wetter, and with clouds of condensation so thick around them that it was difficult to see what was around them. Jory Cassel had tried to say that they were not far away but the mood of the group was low, so that morning after eating and hitting the road they had little to say, only waiting for the weather to improve.

A few hours later the dirt road, that had become a muddy path a few days ago, became almost swampy.

And there in the distance, through the fog, finally the three towers...

Guys please don't kill me, I promise that next chapter will be already at Moat Cailin uwu. I'm working on it right now, I hope it won't take me too long to finish. As always, I want to thank you all for your support never in a million years - when this story was only a thought in my head - I imagined that people would read it. Now, looking back I kinda wish I hadn't posted it immediately, without having a good amount of pre-written chapters in order not to feel the pressure of having to finish one quickly and so I you guys shouldn't be waiting for so long, but now it's done and I'm trying to give the best of me. Thank you very much to all of you who read abd that always review and wait for the new chapters, I really appreciate that!

Also someone commented that the words I chose to be Amalthea's motto were too long, and I agreed. After thinking and with the help of the wonderful RuebyRose (go read her stories on ff.net, she is great) I decided to change it: chapter 6 was edited and where it used to say that the words were "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" now says "Life, Death and Sacrifice" as they are the new motto of the Peverell family in Westeros!

I have a discord server dedicated to this story, so let me know if you would like to join!