The Dragon Cub| Game Of Thrones

WORRIES AND DOUBTS

Castamere 296/297 AC.

Joy.

With Jon away and her lessons being dull she was finding things at Casterly Rock boring, even Balerion wasn't able to improve her mood and so she was happy when her father came to visit. More so when he told her that he wanted her to come to Castamere with him when he returned. Later when she found out that Ashara and Cregan would be going too, she began to eagerly await leaving.

It had been just over a moon ago that she had found out that Lyarra's real name was Ashara and that she was Jon's aunt. Jon telling her that she, for now, had to hide who she was and that it was up to Joy to help her to not be discovered, telling her it was serious but also making a little game of it for her. For Joy it was easy enough to do so, she and her father had spoken and Ashara had talked to her too, so she knew how important it was that no one found out.

She was a little annoyed that her friends couldn't come with her, but her father explained that at Castamere Ashara could be herself more and if they brought her friends then she could not. When it was time to leave she said goodbye to all her friends and to her aunt and cousins. Loras, Satin, and Brienne came to wave her off and she waved back at them as they departed.

"Joy Race?" Cregan asked and she smiled, glad to have someone to have fun with on the trip.

"On three." she said and as soon as her father counted down she was off, beating him easily but losing to Dusk.

It took them a long time to get to Castamere and though she mostly rode on Apples, she did also take time to sit in the carriage with Ashara when she could. Finding that when she did Ashara would make lessons of the things they saw on their journey or tell her stories of Jon's family. She found she liked some of those stories, Jon had told her some also and she'd read some, but Ashara told her ones that even Jon didn't know.

At Castamere it was as it always was, here she was the Lady of Castamere and though some of the people who worked here would call her Joy, here most called her Lady Joy and she hated it. She knew she was to be the lady but even compared to Casterly Rock it was different, people bowing to her or asking her what she wanted, she missed Alessia who just did things and called her by her name.

"Papa, when I'm lady will I be able to have my own servants here?" she asked him as they walked around the keep to check on the work that had been.

"Have some of the servants disrespected you, princess, not done as they should?" her father asked.

"No Papa, it's just.." she sighed "I wish they were more like Alessia.".

"I don't understand?".

"Respectful but not afraid." she said and her father nodded.

"Ah, I'm sorry that's my fault. I'll talk to them and you and Ashara can begin to pick which ones you prefer." he said looking at her.

"Thank you papa." she said and he smiled down at her as they walked through the now nearly finished tower.

"I want you to be happy here Joy, when it's time for you to come and stay.".

"I will be papa." she said.

Between her, Ashara, Cregan, and the length of time she was staying this time she soon found herself with a group of servants who seemed to understand her better. None were as nice as Alessia but still, they had at least began to understand how she felt and more of them had started to become more friendly with her. Her lessons at Castamere were much different also, her father's Maester taught her about the mines and the village and how many people worked here, while Ashara continued her other lessons.