The morning after, Eddmina rose early despite the exhaustion from the night before. She took her time getting ready, having no real plans for that day except for the promise she'd made to Margaery to try and get to know Willas, braiding her hair slowly as she considered her options. It was still early, early enough for her to assume the Tyrells would still be sleeping, giving her the morning to herself. She could go to the library, bother Maester Lewin until he found her some age old history book for her to study, or she could go and find the boys and show them up at archery. Part of her knew that those options weren't on the cards that day, at least not whilst the Tyrells were there and whilst she was supposed to be getting to know her future betrothed. So instead, as soon as she was ready, she went straight to the stables, planning on a ride.

Riding seemed like the perfect plan for the morning. When Winterfell was full of strangers, it seemed so perfect to go out and find familiarity in the North, out where the Tyrells hadn't made their mark. It also seemed like the perfect way to clear her head before she attempted to fufill her proposal to Margaery, considering how nervous she actually was to spend time with Willas. If she rode out to the Wolf's Wood, where only northerners went, she would feel like nothing had changed at all, like the world was still the same, like her life wasn't about to be utterly reformed. Or she could just go wherever she wanted, pick a direction and ride until she felt as if she was lost, the way she often did when she was upset and needed to clear her mind, therefore making it the perfect plan for that morning when her mind was swimming.

As she strode through the courtyard rather confidently, Eddmina couldn't help but notice the difference the southern visitors had made already. It hadn't been a large riding party, but the Tyrell's, a handful of servants, plus two wagons worth of supplies had definitely made their impact, considering how much busier it looked in the courtyard. Eddmina tried to pay it all no mind, focusing on her journey to the stables. In fact, as soon as she'd gotten to her horse, Flint, and had begun to saddle her up, she had almost entirely put the visitors out of her mind.

"Do you mind if I join you?" A voice called, and as Eddmina looked away from her horse, she saw Willas Tyrell, sat atop his own horse, a great mount the colour of a sunset, an apologetic smile on his face. He always wore that smile whenever he saw her, though there was no point of it, considering the mere sight of him made her stomach turn nervously. "Sorry to intrude, I just thought if I was going to see the North, I may as well be shown it by someone who knows it,"

"No, of course," she told him, looking away as she fixed her saddle, trying to hide the fact she was suddenly battling the feelings of butterflies. Where had that feeling come from? "I was planning on going out alone anyway,"

"Are none of your siblings up?" He asked curiously, admiring the way she pulled herself up into her saddle in such a carefree way it was actually beautiful, especially as she pushed her braid back over her shoulder, adjusting herself slightly as she stroked the neck of the horse gently.

"No," she said simply, not wanting to go into the details of her family and how Robb normally woke up early, and so did Jon, but that morning they had chosen to lay in, and the one other person she'd go to for company was Theon, and she was avoiding him at all costs.

"No mine aren't up either," he spoke, his tone light, and Eddmina wasn't entirely sure if she caught him rolling his eyes, if only for a split second. "Where were you planning on riding to?"

"I was just going to pick a direction and ride that way for a while until I got bored," Eddmina confesses with a small shrug, before glancing over to him almost worriedly, not sure whether or not that plan would suit him, or if she should begin fulfilling the role of his betrothed and let him choose where they went. "But if it's sight seeing you want, I could take you to the Wolfs Wood, or to Torrhen's square, or-"

"I quite like your original plan, my lady," Willas smiled, adjusting the reins in his hands before nodding his head over to the stable doors. "Care to lead the way out?"

Eddmina nodded, digging her heels into the her horse's side gently to get her to walk. Willas did the same to his own, and once they were both trotting side by side out into the courtyard and then out of the Winterfell gates, Eddmina noticed his saddle and how his bad leg fixed to it in a sort of brace, like the one she'd seen on his leg the day before. She'd heard stories about what had happened to his leg, but she still wasn't sure on the details, though she could imagine it wasn't something he particuarly wanted to talk about or for her to ask about, so she averted her gaze, instead focusing on the path in front of them. Her focus seemed to fail however, when she felt Willas' eyes on her, and it wasn't in her nature at all to not comment on something like that.

"I don't know what sort of roads they have in the south, my Lord, but it's recommended that you do look where you're going up here in the north," Eddmina said bluntly, her gaze never wavering from the path in front of her though out of the corner of her eye she saw an embarrassed smile cross the older man's face. "You don't always have to look at me like that either,"

"Like what?" he wondered, though Eddmina knew he understood exactly what he meant.

"Like you feel sorry for me," she responded simply, glancing over at him as she slowed her horse to a walk. He did the same, except she knew he wasn't looking at her for once, instead focusing on their bleak surroundings that was so different to what he was used to at home. "This situation isn't ideal, more so for me, and I know how difficult this visit and everything that will come after it is going to be, but can we just try and act as if we're friends?"

"We are friends, aren't we?" he glanced over at her with a smirk of some sort, one that was difficult for her to read though she was taken back by his words.

"I thought I was just a pawn in our families games," she shrugged casually, looking at the road ahead, taking in the nature knowing she would one day be so far away from it all. "My father would never admit to it but I know I'm a very good bargaining chip for an agreement that will help the north when the winter comes, and I know it works the other way around for your family too. My father is one of the King's greatest allies, and for your family to arrange a betrothal to Ned Stark's daughter shows the crown that they're loyal despite previous associations with the Targaryens,"

Eddmina had spent the many weeks since learning of the Tyrell visit thinking as to why she was being considered for the betrothal. The children of Northern lords usually married the children of other northern lords, the exception obviously being her father and mother as they joined the north and the riverlands. She knew this agreement with the Tyrells was mostly coordinated by the King and his hand, but it was of great convenience, especially for the Tyrells. She wasn't going to tell Willas that she'd figured it all out, but a marriage to a Stark would give those Southerners some sort of power in the North that they had never had before.

"Has anyone ever told you how clever you are?" he complimented as he let out a small, surprised laugh, knowing she was right.

"My Septa reckoned I was too smart for my station," Eddmina told him with a small smirk as if she was proud, though he could tell she was also rather annoyed. "Meaning she believed that rather than beating her in a game of wits I should just sit still and look pretty like my sister. Her exact words were 'you're not your brothers, no one is going to ask for your opinion',"

"I'd like to hear your opinion," Willas told her genuinely, making her turn away from the road, a look of surprise evident on her face as she frowned over at him.

She'd not been expecting him to say something like that. She'd always thought her future husband would be just like the septa, preferring her silence over her opinion. It was how she was taught, that any good wife would just follow her husband blindly and take his word over any of her own thoughts and ideals. Her mother was a very strong woman, but she knew that when it came down to it, she would follow her husband without a second thought, even if she initially disagreed.

That wasn't Eddmina's way. She'd always found it hard to keep her opinions to herself, especially if she found the matter at hand rather crucial. She'd been taught to expect a husband who didn't want a wife with that state of mind, and it had been the hardest part for her to deal with knowing that she may have to compromise who she really was for the good of her family, but yet Willas seemed to defy everything she'd been taught in those six little words. Those words seemed so simple and insignificant to him and in normal circumstances they would be insignificant to Eddmina too, considering her brothers were often asking for her opinion, but in that moment, as her possible betrothed said them to her, she couldn't help but feel as though a weight was being lifted off her shoulders.

Eddmina had accepted the fact that she would only ever marry for political gain and that love would more than likely be off the cards. It had been something she'd come to terms with long ago, but the part she'd struggled with was how she would have to give up a part of her, a part that irritated her septa to no end but was something she liked about herself. With Willas, however, it didn't seem that way anymore.

"You seem confused, Lady Stark, but you're a clever girl," he said with a gentle smile, his words not at all patronising but rather sympathetic. "Why would I want a wife who would just smile and nod at everything I say? I would learn nothing from a marriage like that,"

"So you think we'll actually get married?" Eddmina turned back to the road, raising her eyebrow slightly. "What do you think you would learn from our marriage?"

"A new perspective, perhaps," Willas shrugged. "We're from very diffetrent backgrounds, you and I, and when I become lord of Highgarden I want a good lady at my side who can guide me and help me see how to rule for the good of the people. I'd want a clever wife for something like that, someone who's not afraid to question others or myself, even, and I realised that you had no fear in speaking out when you said yesterday that I would have turned you down given the chance,"

That was when the two of them reached a small clearing in the woods. There was a slight frost on the grassy floor, though that was just due to the morning coldness since it hadn't snowed for weeks. Whilst Willas was too busy taking in the sights of the environment around him, still not quite used to seeing everything look so frozen rather than the lush, green nature that surrounded Highgarden, Eddmina pulled her horse to a stop and swung herself down from her saddle. Willas caught sight of her, making his own horse stop, although he daren't get down, not quite trusting how sturdy the ground was for his bad leg, as well as the fact that he'd not brought his cane.

It was times like that which really made Willas curse his bad leg to all the seven hells. There he was, talking to Eddmina on horseback with everything going smoothly, but yet now he couldn't act like a normal lord. A normal lord would help his lady down from her own saddle, take her arm and lead her for a walk. A normal lord should be able to dance with his lady, make her feel safe and protected, make her feel loved. Willas couldn't help but worry that his bad leg would stop him from doing any of that. Dancing was not an option, that was for sure, but as for the other things, they were probably impossible too as they were usually feelings that came after great guestures of chivalry, gestures that he may not be able to fufill.

His bad leg had hindered him enough. It had put an early end to his career as a knight of the tourneys only a month after he was named Ser Willas, a title no one now used. His bad leg had meant he'd struggled with life ever since, especially when it came to his father's insistence for him to marry. Willas had always known he'd have to marry to secure his future as the lord of Highgarden, but after his accident he'd decided he would put off the inevitable for as long as possible. He had to endure the embarrassment enough, the snide remarks he heard others make about his limp, the laughs he tried to ignore about his cane, and as much as his family insisted that nothing much had changed and that he was still from a good family with a good name and a bright future ahead of him where the future of a dynasty would rely on him, everything had changed. It was fine him having to put up with the aftermath of the accident, he could cope with it all, but to put those pressures onto someone else, onto his wife... It just didn't seem fair.

That's why he'd turned down the other suggested betrothals, because how could he force that embarrassment onto a lady? He'd not had much choice coming to Winterfell, only really agreeing to the visit because to reject this offer was to go against the crown and could have severe recprocussions on his family. Before travelling to Winterfell though, he always thought his main priority was making sure he felt prepared for his future role as Lord of the Reach, and marriage just wasn't something he spent much time thinking of because why would he unneccessarily focus on something that worried him?

But now he was in the North and he'd met Lady Eddmina, it was all he could think about. The prospect of marriage, once bleak, finally interested him, but he couldn't even express that to her. How could he, without making a fool of himself? He'd seen his brother make grand gestures of affection upon his betrothal, but they were all gestures that took two fully functioning legs. Willas couldn't imitate any of those gestures, and it had bothered him ever since the trip to winterfell had been proposed, so much so that he actually tried to voice his concern to Leonette.

"You're not Garlan," his brothers wife had told him with a small laugh. "Don't think that all ladies like gallant knights, some think of them as fools. Some ladies would rather have a man be honest and speak their feelings through words and not deeds,"

Her advice had been for naught though, considering he had no idea what to say to Eddmina to make her realise that their marriage wouldn't be too bad for either of them, that maybe they'd even grow to love each other one day the way some betrothed marriages did. However it soon became clear that he didn't need to say anything really, as he watched Eddmina head over to a small bush over on the edge of the clearing, bending down as she picked something off the plant. She began to wander back over to him and her horse, though perhaps wander wasn't the right word to describe her considering every move she made was with purpose, even lifting herself back up onto her mount. As soon as she was up in her saddle once more, she looked over at him and held out her hand. In it was what she had bent down to pick, a single winter rose flower, free of any thorns, and she was holding it out for him to take.

"Roses are the sigil of your house," she explained, watching as he took the flower from her gently, looking at it with care. "I read that High Garden is far too warm to grow Winter Roses, so I thought it was only right to give you one now you're here in the North,"

"Thank you," he told her with a small smile, lost for words at her gesture as he tucked the flower onto his shirt lapel, on display for everyone to see. Realising it was his moment to put Leonette's advice into practice, he took a deep breath before continuing, "I never answered your last question, about whether or not I think we'd get married. It'll be our families that decide, but I can only hope they make the right decision. I understand that the prospect of marriage is hard, especially to someone that you hardly know, someone older and from so far away, but if they make that decision for us, I will always try to make you feel happy and safe and loved, because it's what you deserve,"

Eddmina looked at him, her head cocked slightly to one side, her stoic expression impossible to read, before she eventually cracked a flicker of a smile. The smile was a relief, since his impression of her so far was that she was rather serious. He found her difficult to read, keeping her thoughts and emotions close to herself, but with that smile he could only hope he was making some progress in getting to know her.

"We should go back to Winterfell," she suggested, though her firm tone removes any option for him to object, not that he wanted to. "I never had chance to get breakfast this morning, would you like to join me?"

"I would love to," he smiled again, though perhaps for the first time it was a genuine smile, not an apologetic one.

The two rode back in comfortable silence, their minds on each other, both of them contemplating the possibility of their betrothal and how, maybe it wouldn't be as bad as they originally thought it could be.

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