"Lord Roose was speaking to me about Robb's levy order."
Jon stopped as Ramsay approached. As though he had noticed something, he continued in an even tone, "Duke Robb has ordered every house in the North to send troops north to reinforce the Wall."
Ramsay nodded. The smile remained on his face, but the look in his eyes as he watched Jon had changed. He seemed to have just caught an interesting scent.
Ramsay lightly wiped the blood left on his blade with a finger and said casually, "Is House Stark already a loyal servant of the Iron Throne? Robb is so eager to prove his loyalty to this new king. Does he mean to use everyone in the North to win his favor?"
Jon said nothing.
Ramsay studied him for a few seconds, then lowered his voice. "Jon, have you ever wondered whether you'd still be here alone in House Bolton's Dreadfort if Robb weren't the Stark Duke? He's left you here for over half a year. Has he so much as asked after you?"
Jon looked at Ramsay's smiling face without answering immediately. He certainly could not tell him that he had been in secret contact with Robb all along. Besides, Ramsay might be deliberately trying to trick him into revealing something. He had seen Ramsay use such tactics before.
"Robb has his own plans," Jon said simply, sidestepping the real question.
But one hand hanging at his side had already edged toward his sword, while the knuckles of the other brushed the Direwolf badge pinned inside his cloak. His expression remained calm. He neither took the bait of Ramsay's provocation nor offered any unnecessary explanation.
Ramsay raised his eyebrows at that, the cruel smile at the corner of his mouth widening. He brushed a fleck of blood