Jon Snow

Jon supposed it must feel like something of a contradiction to the rest of the kingdom, but to him, it was entirely natural and a sound plan for ruling. Although the terms that officially re-united the Seven Kingdoms under Targaryen rule once more allowed the North to exist, for all intents and purposes, as a nation of its own, he and Queen Daenerys visited Winterfell far more often than Sunspear, Highgarden, or even Dragonstone. After all, despite the latter being the Targaryen's ancestral seat, Daenerys had grown up across the sea, and so of the two of them, it was Jon with a home in Westeros. And despite early misgivings, Lady Stark had grown to welcome Daenerys to the castle whenever a royal visit occurred.

That day, Jon had found himself with few official duties, and so for old times' sake, he'd indulged in a few of the tasks he used to handle around Winterfell, enjoying the rough work and rough talk of the smallfolk and servants who'd served his family before Ned Stark had left. The years between had taken some toll, though-- Jon couldn't remember when his bones had ached this much from effort that didn't include swinging a sword. Being told that Her Grace was still in a meeting with Lady Sansa, Jon headed under the keep to the baths below, fed by the natural hot springs of the land.

He sank into the steaming water, wincing at first before his aches began to seep out into the heat. Jon closed his eyes and leaned back, not especially caring at the moment if he would melt altogether soon.

Jon supposed that he understood why, despite having grown up with each other as siblings, his half-sister Sansa had never let him forget about that half, and had always seemed to be determined to remind him that he wasn't a "real" Stark, even if they shared the same father. Sansa took after her mother more strongly than any of the others-- in appearance, and in attitude, and Catelyn Stark had never warmed to her husband's illegitimate son she'd been forced to raise alongside her own children. That attitude rubbed off on the younger redhead, even though it never seemed to pass on to the other Stark kids, who all treated Jon exactly as a brother.

Eddard Stark, their father and head not only of the family, but of the powerful family business, found the friction there a source of constant frustration. It had been his insistence that Jon be raised as a Stark, and it was always his voice reminding the family of this. And yet, the friction continued, only seeming to grow more resentful as both Jon and Sansa got older.

Brooding in his room, Jon turned up the volume on his headphones as they blasted music into his head. Honestly, he didn't really dislike Sansa herself, but she seemed to hate his guts, and that never failed to goad him into reacting. Two days before, they'd gotten into such a spat at dinner that Eddard had finally put his foot down and grounded them both, leaving them behind in the house while the rest of the family spent a few days at their summer home. With the weather at Winterfell actually feeling warm and bright, it was the worst punishment ever to be stuck there while the rest of the Starks enjoyed the real sun and beaches in Dorne.

Yanking off his headphones and changing his clothes, Jon decided he could at least approximate the beach and head down to the pool. Arriving there, he groaned, discovering that Sansa had beat him to the punch and was already diving into the water.