"Gods, I have missed this," Eddmina sighed with a smile as she laid her head down onto Willas' chest, pulling the blanket around the two of them to fight the chill of the night air. "If we ran away this could be our lives all the time."

"I'd rather it wasn't, it is far too cold here for my liking," Willas chuckled softly, fiddling with the end of her braid while his other hand rested on her waist, drawing her closer for warmth.

He was right, as usual, though Eddmina didn't want to admit it. When they used to go stargazing in Highgarden, it was only when the sky went completely black that they felt the slightest of chills, and even then a blanket had never been a necessity like it was in Riverrun. Still though, Eddmina was northern, and Willas wasn't going to let a slight chill stop him from one of his hobbies, especially when the chill meant he got to hold her so close.

They'd taken any opportunity for such activities ever since he'd arrived in Riverrun a week before, and though they had to fit their time together around the busy schedule of the war, they somehow always made it work. It had meant missing family suppers, but not having dinner with people who had annoyed her in favour of spending evenings walking the grounds arm in arm, or curled up by the fire in a library, or stargazing under a blanket with a picnic was an easy decision for Eddmina to make. Willas, after hearing about everything that had happened while he'd been gone, was also more than happy to support her in that decision.

"We need to win this war," he'd told her after she'd finished recalling every last detail of the past few months to him. "But not at the cost of ourselves. If Robb allows himself the pleasure and company of a woman he is unable to marry, you should be able to allow yourself a break."

With that, the two of them agreed to establish boundaries. They were polite and helpful wherever possible, Eddmina continued to run training drills and council meetings, Willas restarted his efforts into researching and plotting, but the moment the sun set, they put down their quills and Eddmina removed her crown, and they became themselves again. It was refreshing and liberating, if not a little jarring at first, not just for themselves. The first few nights Edmure tried inviting her to supper so they could discuss the last few battles only to be left stunned when Eddmina politely declined, while Robb was still in the habit of thinking he could call upon her at all hours. Eddmina had wished she could've seen his face the night he knocked upon her door to ask her to look over the maps with him only to be met with Willas, shirtless and sporting tousled hair, who told him his sister was 'in bed'. After so long of giving her whole self to the cause and to everyone else around her, Eddmina felt a little uncertain, but there was a freedom that came with being selfish for the first time in her life.

It was only in the dead of night when the nightmares came that she felt guilty for stepping back. It was only when she saw her father's death over and over again, and saw her sister being hurt and her brothers alone and scared that she remembered exactly why she had dedicated so much of herself to the war. She often woke up shaking, but she woke in Willas' arms, who held her close and listened as she talked through the dreams, and when she was done speaking he would kiss her and tell her stories of his youth to try and distract her until she could go back to sleep. With him at her side, life felt more manageable, and it was only after being forced to consider being without him that she really appreciated everything hid did for her. She knew no matter the situation, she couldn't waste any time with him anymore, every second counting.

"Will you sing for me?" He asked her after a comfortable silence. Eddmina didn't respond for a moment, making him squeeze her waist encouragingly. "Please? You never sing anymore."

"I do, I sing all the time," she pointed out.

"For Uther, yes, but not for me, not for yourself," he explained. "I miss hearing you sing."

Eddmina thought of Sansa for a moment, and all the times her little sister would beg her to perform pretty love songs. She wondered how many singers Sansa had seen in King's Landing, how many bards had performed for her beautiful sister who's skills far outweighed her own. Sansa might've been a captive, but Eddmina wondered if her sister still managed to find enjoyment in some parts of southern life. It was the sort of life she had dreamed of for so long, after all. Somehow, that thought was worse than missing her.

She began to sing the tale of Danny Flint then, purely to distract her mind, desperate to quiet the scary unknown with familiar song she knew inside out. It was a horrible tragedy, the story of Danny Flint, but compared to the recent events of her life, Eddmina felt as though she could have her own song. Not that she wanted one, nothing made her more self-conscious than the thought of some bard thinking of her as a tragic heroine, or a martyr. She didn't want a song, she wanted her family, she wanted safety.

It helped thst while she sang Willas' hands were stroking her waist, and upon deciding her position on him wasn't suitable, he remanouvered her so she was laid at his side, so that his lips could reach her neck. He pushed a thousand delicate kisses to her skin, so light they tickled, and it was a wonder she managed to finish the song through her desire to laugh. It was only when she was at the very end and one of his kisses was sharper that she stopped with a gasp of amusement.

"Will!" She laughed, hitting his chest gently. He was not deterred. "Willas Tyrell, you're going to leave a mark!"

"That was the idea, darling," he remarked lightly, though his voice was deep with desire. She smirked, but was still laughing. She'd forgotten how good it was to laugh, and for him to make her laugh.

"What will my mother think?" She tested with a raised eyebrow. Willas rolled his eyes, sighing as he lowered his lips to her skin once more, drifting from her neck to her collarbones.

"She will think that you're a married woman who's husband loves her," Willas dismissed her joking concern quickly.

Even with her halfhearted worry about what people would think should they see the lovebites he'd gifted her, she let herself get lost in him. She wasn't sure quite when be ended up on top of her, or when the top of her dress became unlaced so his lips would have more space to roam, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was him, as she knotted her fingers in his curls, keeping him close, and because it made him happy, she sang. She wasn't sure what she was singing, some stupid southern love song one of his many younger cousins had taught him, but it didn't matter. Her voice made him happy, and he made her happy.

"Willas," she called, breathless in love. He glanced up at her, and she saw how dark his eyes had become. She felt a stirring deep in her stomach, and one of her hands left his hair to hold his jaw. "Willas, I love you."

He didn't say it back, at least not in words. Instead he told her with his whole being, and that guaranteed his affection far more than words ever could. Suddenly the chill didn't bother either of them, the blanket more for privacy than warmth, and Eddmina didn't even care when he hitched her skirts up. She shivered, but that was more because of how he was touching her and not at all because of the cool night breeze. It was not their first encounter since his return, nor would it be their last, but it was their first in such an open space and not the seclusion of their bedchamber. No one was around, and they were covered by the blanket and the darkness of the night, and they knew their only spectators were the stars.

There was a time they had once been shy with each other. They existed purely through formality and duty, and hid behind manners and expectation. That time was long gone. Eddmina was sure that Willas knew her better than she knew herself, or he at least knew her well enough to know how to make her happy, to make her cave under his touch, to make her gasp out his name with a thousand 'I love you's'.

She wanted to stay like that forever, with Willas, under the stars, holding and touching each other as if they were the only two people left in the world. It was the only place in the world she wanted to be, wrapped up in his arms, but that was until she felt a droplet hit her arm, and then her forehead, and her sighs of pleasure quickly turned into soft laughter.

"Willas, it's raining," she said, recovering from the breathless state he had her in to point out the weather, though he seemed unbothered. "Will, the rain-"

"Do you think the weather will stop me loving my wife?" He asked, though he quickly dissolved into quiet laughter too when he felt raindrops begin to fall upon him, the few droplets quickly turning from a drizzle into a full downpour. "Perhaps it will."

He was reluctant to move, and Eddmina instantly missed him when he shifted off her, though the rain was a good distraction as she sat up, leaning over to kiss him quickly before she got to her feet, holding her hands out to him. She helped him up, and then gathered their belongings together, not bothering to fold the blankets but instead screwing them into soaked balls and shoving them under her arm. She glanced to Willas, only to feel her insides squirm when she saw his sodden hair, his curls more unruly than usual thanks to the wetness. She wanted to kiss him again, even if she could hardly see him through the rain, but he was holding his hand out for her, grinning.

"Mina, come on!" he beckoned with a laugh.

"I love you," she told him with a baffled, beaming smile. She was't sure what it was about seeing him stood there in the rain, holding his hand out for her that made her need to declare her affection yet again, but it felt necessary.

"You can tell me when we are warm and dry!" he insisted, though she saw his cheeks had gone a little reddened, and he was smiling back at her.

She took his hand, and they headed back into the keep as quickly as they could, laughing breathlessly. The whole situation seemed absurd, one minute to be making love under the stars, the next fleeing from torrential rainfall that had come from nowhere. They'd never faced anything like it in Highgarden when they used to stargaze there, and Willas in all his knowledge of the natural world had not even predicted such a turn in weather, but it hardly mattered as they re-entered the keep through the little side door they had discovered only a few days before.

They were both soaked by the time they were inside, puddles forming around them on the flagstone flooring as if they were rainclouds themselves, and Eddmina instantly shivered as she glanced down in dread, seeing how the rain had ruined her dress. Her hair too, in its usual braid, had become one soaken, heavy rope, and she ran her hands down it, wringing it out much to Willas' amusement. He followed her lead, shaking his head like a dog to dry off his curls, though when that didn't work he ran his hands through it quickly. They caught each other's eye, and after a moment of silent smirks, they burst into laughter once more. Eddmina dropped the blankets she was holding and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"You will catch a chill," he pointed out when he managed to pull his lips from hers.

"So will you," she remarked with a raised eyebrow.

Even with the turn of the weather, she couldn't remember feeling so light for so long, so happy, so carefree, so... loved. She let Willas lead her back to their rooms, leaving a trail of damp footprints behind them. She was shivering, Riverrun being far colder than Winterfell thanks to the lack of hot springs, but she couldn't stop smiling. She could feel Willas was trying not to shake too, much less used to poor weather than she was as she remembered he'd only seen snow a handful of times and rain was infrequent in the Reach, but he too seemed unbothered as he ran his thumb over her knuckles as they walked.

In the privacy of their chambers, they stripped each other of their wet clothes, using freshly laundered towels to dry each other off, though neither could stop laughing, and once they were dry, they couldn't stop kissing each other yet again. They moved in a blur of passion, and found themselves on the bed, with Willas sat upright with his back against the solid oak headboard, while Eddmina was sat upon his lap, her legs straddling him. His hands were on her waist, drawing her as close as possible, and hers were holding his face, her thumbs stroking over his cheeks.

That was when the two of them heard noise from the adjoining chamber, the one they had settled Uther into. Still with her hands on his face, Eddmina pulled away from Willas with a frown, listening out, and when she heard a cry she didn't hesitate to get up.

"Do you want me to-" Willas began, moving to get up as well, but Eddmina had already wrapped a robe around herself and was shaking her head.

"No, it's fine," she said with a smile.

With that she disappeared, and though he was a little sad at the thought of their endeavours being cut short, Willas was too busy feeling amazed at his wife. He remembered how wary she had been when they first married about children, yet she had become such a selfless, loving parent. He loved Uther with his whole being, but he knew Eddmina would do anything for the boy. Every time he saw her with their son, he fell deeper in love with her.

While she was gone he changed into his night clothes and settled himself under the covers of their bed with a book, though he was barely five pages in when the door opened. Suddenly there was a direwolf pouncing onto him, and though Honour's appearance made him jump, Willas laughed as she licked his cheek before curling up at his feet. Eddmina was laughing too, though her voice was softer, quieter, as she came back towards the bed, and when Willas looked up from his book he saw she was holding Uther, his head buried into her chest tiredly. Willas immediately set his book aside, smiling at the sight of them both.

"He wouldn't go back to sleep," Eddmina explained as she sat on her side of the bed, gently handing him over to Willas the minute he opened his arms up for him.

"Well that's no problem, come here and sit with me, my lad," Willas grinned, settling Uther to sit on his lap, stroking his hair. It was still as dark as it had been when he was born, as dark as Eddmina's, but as it had grown it had started to become curly, just like his. Willas glanced away, meeting his wife's gaze as she watched them both. "Have you gotten used to it all yet?"

"Used to what?" she frowned.

"Having him, being a mother," he explained, not looking at her in favour of studying Uther. He'd said it seriously, but cracked a smile when Uther reached up to his face, his tiny hands grabbing at the beard Willas had unintentionally grown. "I haven't gotten used to being a father. It seemed like something that was a long time coming, I always knew it would happen, but then it happened so fast and with everything else we've had to face... I don't know if I ever wrapped my mind around it all."

"I know what you mean," Eddmina nodded, adjusting her position so she was closer to the two of them, wrapping her arm around Willas' shoulders. "I love him and I would do anything for him, but I don't think I will ever get used to being a mother, or the guilt that comes with it."

Eddmina knew how much easier the war would be if she didn't have Uther. If he wasn't there, then she wouldn't have to balance her time as much, and her time working on the war effort wouldn't be tainted by the longing to get back to her son. She knew what she was doing was for his benefit, and for the most part she was fine to make that sacrifice because it was for the greater good. In the end, it was for him, to give him a safer world to live in, a world where the wrongs that had been done to their family were avenged.

Even so, if she didn't have Uther, Eddmina wondered if she would have as many nightmares about losing. If she didn't have him, if they lost the war and she died, she wouldn't care. She had fought as well as she could, played the game for as long as she was able until they had been caught, and if she died that would merely be the end of her. She would die knowing she'd tried her best. Except, with Uther, if they lost it would mean death for him too before he'd ever really had chance to live. Whatever she did during the war would impact him, and the thought of making a mistake and the Lannisters catching up to them terrified her, purely because she didn't know what would happen to her son.

She couldn't lose the war. Losing the war would mean losing Uther, and that was unthinkable. She'd already lost so much, she couldn't face losing him.

As if knowing where her thoughts had gone, Willas reached out and took hold of her face, his hand gently cradling her cheek. She pulled her gaze from Uther to meet his eye to see he was looking at her kindly, a look of adoration and admiration in his eye.

"You are doing so well," he told her sincerely, with a small smile.

"So are you," she said, desperate to move the attention away from her. "You're an excellent father."

"I would be nothing without you," he remarked, his thumb running over her cheek. "Either of you. I love you."

***

Eddmina had to wear her hair down the next day to hide the marks Willas had left on her neck. It was highly impractical for archery, but what was worse was how she felt heat rise in her cheeks every time she remembered how the marks came to be.

In fact, that morning after their rainy encounter, Eddmina found it very difficult to keep her mind on the training drills she was supposed to be running in favour of thinking about Willas. The man in question was off in the stables assisting with preparing suitable equipment for the cavalry horses, utilising another one of his many strengths, and while she was proud that he could help she wished he was there to watch her shoot. The first time he'd watched her shoot a bullseye had been in Highgarden during one of her and Loras' competitions, and after seeing her best his little brother Willas had whisked her off into the deserted armoury and kissed her senseless. Even just remembering it made her smirk, making her feel like a fool as she directed the men in their drills.

'Let them stare,' she thought, allowing herself a moment of pride. 'Let them think I'm lovesick and happy. So I am. I am still the best person here to teach archery regardless.'

When the drills were done for the day she wanted to head straight to the stables, hoping to whisk Willas away for a ride around the grounds before they had supper, but her plans quickly changed the moment Robb appeared while she was packing away the equipment. Aside from meetings they had hardly spoken, and Eddmina had missed him. He'd wronged her over and over, yet he was still her twin, still an extension of her soul. She would never get used to thinking of him as someone who would call her stupid, or think her a fool, but he had done. Even so, not speaking to him hurt more than his other betrayals, so she found a smile came naturally upon seeing him.

"Your grace," she greeted, the title becoming a reflex.

"Princess," he returned, a teasing glint in his eye. It reminded her of the boy he had been before the war, and the girl she had been too. She didn't realise quite how much she missed both people until she saw the way he looked then. "Will you call a council meeting for me? In the usual tent, usual people, in an hour?"

"Of course," she said, hoping he didn't notice her disappointment. He clearly did, as he hit her arm gently.

"I'm sorry, I know you have things you'd much rather do, as do I," he tried to empathise, though all it did was remind her of how he'd gone behind her back with Talisa. She bit back another grimace. "It will be over soon, I'm sure of it. Especially after this."

He didn't explain anything further, but she knew to trust him. Even after everything, she still trusted him. Perhaps it was against her better judgement, but she knew she would always trust him. He was Robb, after all.

That was how she found herself spending yet another afternoon stood in the war tent studying the map, surrounded by men at least twice her age. She wasn't the only woman, as her mother was there, stood at Robb's side, and though she offered Eddmina a smile she struggled to return it; She'd apologised profusely for abandoning Willas in the Stormlands, but Eddmina was still unable to forget. Other than her it was the usual crowd of bannermen, some of them joined by their heirs, as well as Willas and Garlan, who stood either side of her as always.

"Move your hair, unless you want them all knowing what you got up to last night," Garlan whispered in her ear, and when she looked at him with wide-eyes he was smirking. She quickly repositioned her hair to hide the marks better, and as she did she caught Willas elbowing Garlan sharply in the side.

The meeting went as it usually did, the bannermen starting with calls of 'king in the north' and 'Stark', but they quickly got to business. Robb asked Willas to run through the events of the visit to the Stormlands, which was met with a few murmurs of disapproval once he'd finished recalling of Edric Baratheon's proposed alliance.

"If anyone has anything to say I suggest you speak properly and not mutter," Eddmina called once Willas had finished speaking and the bannermen didn't quiet their doubts. Upon hearing her though, they fell silent.

"Why should we take the word of two southern lords who have no interest in the North?" Lord Glover eventually spoke up. "One of these lords has already forgotten a vow to the Starks, the other is so young he barely knows how to walk let alone march to war."

"You all thought me a boy when we first started with this war," Robb pointed out, his gaze hard and his face serious. "Should Edric Baratheon stay true to his word then our cause would be grateful for his support. We're still yet to hear from the Greyjoys, and we never received word from the Lannisters regarding the peace terms we sent."

"Send them the Kingslayer's head, I'm sure you'll hear back from them then," Lord Karstark practically growled, though his words were met with murmurs of agreement from the a few of the other northerners. "It was cowardice in the first place to send such terms to those golden haired shits."

"It was honourable, we offered them an easy way out of the conflict and by ignoring us we have the moral upper hand," Eddmina explained, as she had done many, many times, to Lord Karstark in particular. She understood his anger, she understood his desire for revenge, but it didn't help their cause. "We can now act as we wish, as we told them we would, and it is no one's fault but their own. Your grace, would you care to tell us what our next moves will be?"

Robb nodded to her, respectful and grateful, though his face remained as solemn as it always was as he detailed his plans. Most of the bannermen already knew bits and pieces considering Robb had consulted everyone he trusted to figure out the best course of action, something that Eddmina thought was important. Robb was King, but he was also still young, their ten-and-ninth nameday a month away. He was young, and though he'd won every battle, his experience still didn't compare to the men who surrounded them. It was the sort of thing their father would do, knowing when to consult those around him to not only help morale but to understand what the best thing to do would be. Despite everything he'd done to her, Eddmina couldn't help but admire him.

Tywin Lannister had based himself at Harrenhal, while Gregor Clegane was running riot throughout the Riverlands. That left the west open and vulnerable. With the North and the Riverlands combined, there was enough of a force to take on both. Robb was to lead a force to storm several Westerlands keeps, while he asked Roose Bolton to lead a siege against Harrenhal. He was not the choice Eddmina would have gone for, but she understood he had experience, even if he did unnerve her. By attacking both at once, it would not give them chance to flee, and if they did try to escape the attacks, they would only run right into the full force of the Riverlands army. If it worked, they could have the Lannister army on their knees, and without them it would only be a matter of time before they could march to King's Landing and demand their terms to be met.

'Only a matter of time before Robb can take Joffrey's head, before we kill every Lannister and every last person who stood by and watched father and the Stark men die,' Eddmina thought, hating how satisfied the thought made her. 'Only a matter of time before we get Sansa and Arya back, and Will and I can take Uther home and get back to our lives.'

The end was in sight. If their plan worked, the war would swing so far in their favour, nothing would be able to stop them. Eddmina knew better than to get carried away, but she couldn't help but believe so positively. She'd worked so hard, after all, it seemed inevitable to want to reap the rewards of their toil.

"We make our move in a few day's time," Robb concluded, after he'd finished dividing up duties. "We will meet again tomorrow night."

He'd told everyone what he wanted from them. Garlan was to ride with him, as always, as was Dacey Mormont, the Umbers and the Karstarks. The Tullys were to continue to protect the Riverlands, making sure they faced no further damage from the Lannisters. Lord Bolton and a few of the other banners were to lead the attack on Harrenhal. Robb had given everyone specific, important jobs, yet she had gone unmentioned. She wasn't sure why, nor was she sure why she felt so unseen, but she kept her gaze fixed on the map in front of her and tried not to feel invisible.

He hadn't given Eddmina an instruction, so after he had dismissed them all, she waited behind, even when Willas nudged her arm gently to suggest they both go. She'd shaken her head and gestured back to the map, and though she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek to tell him she would follow as soon as she was able, she knew he wished she left with him. Instead he went with Garlan, and the only people left in the tent were her mother and her brother.

"I need to know what I'm doing during all of this," she stated, getting straight to the point. Robb frowned at her, while her mother glanced between the two of them. "You've told everyone else what you need, what do you need me to do?"

"I need you to keep things running here," he told her simply, as if it was obvious. "Uncle Edmure and Uncle Brynden will be busy ensuring we don't face any sort of sieges or attacks, you'll be needed to maintain the keep. I'll not be able to write but I'll make sure you get news whenever you can, so keep a record of what's happening, and keep planning."

That was a surprise to no one except Eddmina. He'd said it as if it was so obvious, as if she was foolish to even need to ask, but it blindsided her. She wasn't sure what she expected, but perhaps a role where she felt more useful, less side-lined, less like she was being left behind. It was the exact sort of thing they had both instructed Bran before they left Winterfell, and she wondered if how she felt was how their little brother felt; dejected, useless, unwanted.

"You..." she began, but it was her turn to frown. She took a moment, gathering her thoughts, then let out a short breath before she met his eyes properly. "You want me to manage Riverrun?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I thought you would understand that's what's needed. I thought you'd be pleased."

"I understand it's needed but you're basically making me redundant," she explained carefully, unsure why she felt like her arms were tingling, why her gut was tightening. "I'm your Hand, I'm meant to advise you."

"You're also my sister," he reminded her, caring yet impatient. "I need you safe."

"Your older sister," her eyes narrowed a little. "Robb, I'm not asking to come with you, or to lead a siege, but surely there is something more useful I can do. I do not even know Riverrun that well."

"I do, I will show you," their mother spoke up, offering Eddmina a smile, the one she usually used with their sisters when she was trying to get them to stop arguing without worsening the conflict.

"Exactly, give mother that job," Eddmina stated, never looking away from her brother, save only to see Lady Stark trying not to roll her eyes. "Have I not done enough to prove myself worthy of more than running a keep?"

"Edda, I thought you would be pleased with this," Robb sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "I thought, given how you've been acting this last week, you'd be glad for some stability, for staying behind here. Just two months ago you were complaining you don't get enough time to spend with Uther, now you'll be able to do that."

"What do you mean by 'how I've been acting this week'?" she asked, trying to ignore him using her confessing to feeling like a bad mother to try and convince her to see the situation as a good thing. When Robb stayed silent, Eddmina looked to their mother instead. "Do you know?"

"You haven't exactly been... present, this past week, Eddmina," she explained hesitantly, looking between both children. The way she spoke, it was obvious that she did not want to say the words, but just as obvious that it was the source of many conversations between her and Robb, perhaps even others; the thought made Eddmina's face grow hot. "As glad as we are that you're taking the time to be with your husband, you've not been as focused. You've not been yourself."

That took her back a little, but what was worse was the way Robb was nodding, offering her a look that suggested their mother had said exactly what he had been thinking. Eddmina didn't know which one to look at, not wanting to be with either of them, knowing neither of them understood. There was a burning deep inside of her, one that she knew she needed to keep in-check. If she let the burning consume her, if she let anger take over, she would lose.

"Or, perhaps I've been more myself than I have been for a long time, so long that you barely remember," Eddmina replied coldly, folding her hands together in front of her neatly, standing up straighter. "I barely remember who I was before all of this, I know you think the same of yourselves, but I... We've all had our part to play, but I have played mine with very little complaint and very great sacrifice. I would appreciate if you did not belittle me for enjoying just a little time to try and find myself again."

"I know, Edd, I'm grateful, we all are, but..." Robb began, trailing off as he struggled to find the words. It was almost as if it was harder for him to speak the truth because it was her, because they usually understood everything about each other to the point they didn't need to speak. This time was different. "You can't let him get in the way of what we're doing."

Something broke in her then. Eddmina wasn't sure why, she wasn't sure why his words were her last straw, but her gaze hardened. She swept her hair behind her back, exposing her neck and Willas' marks. If they were going to punish her for having a loving husband, she wasn't going to hide, nor was she going to tolerate the wrongs previously served to her any longer.

"Say his name," she said, her jaw clenched. "If you're going to use 'him' to insult me, then say his name. Or are you both too scared? I am not scared to say Talisa's name."

Eddmina knew she should regret letting her anger steer her in that direction, but the sight of Robb's eyes widening and the colour draining from his face was almost satisfying. What was better was seeing the look of oblivious confusion on their mother's face as she looked at Robb, realising her son had a secret, realising that her daughter had been sitting on said secret.

"What is she talking about? Who... Talisa, that's the healer, isn't it?" Lady Stark spoke, looking at Eddmina as she realised Robb was not going to say anything, not as he began to glare furiously at his sister.

"You're better off asking the King, he knows her far better than I, which is saying something considering how we met her," Eddmina couldn't help the bitter smirk that grew on her face.

She felt cruel, she felt mean, then she remembered him calling her 'stupid'. She remembered the time she spent in the Twins, negotiating with the crude Lord Frey, the man who repetitively called her 'ugly' and 'wench'. She remembered every time a man had laughed at her or made her feel lesser purely because of her anatomy. Suddenly it didn't seem to matter so much that she'd hit Robb where it hurt and embarrassed him in front of their mother. It felt rather like payback, even if she knew she'd betrayed her brother in exposing his secret.

It was not how she intended to let him know that she knew he'd continued his affair with Talisa after she'd told him not to. She had a plan as to how she was going to deal with the whole situation, and even though she could have put it in place weeks before, she'd hesitated. She wasn't sure why, but she put it down to protective sibling instinct. As much as she knew Talisa could hurt their cause if they Freys found out about her, she knew the woman made her brother happy, and she was reluctant to hurt him. Hurting Robb was something Eddmina never wanted to do.

Yet she had done, and he was looking at her as if she was a stranger.

"Eddmina," he said, his clenched jaw matching hers, as well as the determined glare in his gaze. "How do you know?"

"I'm the Hand of the King, it's my duty to know everything," she explained simply. "Just as it was my duty to marry Willas. Father told me to, he told me our house needed me to, so I did what I was told. When this war started, it was my duty to help you how ever I could, to ride south with you despite the fact I'd given birth only a month or so before. It has been my duty to help you run your war effort, to work tirelessly, to sacrifice my son's childhood, and I have done it. Now you tell me that a few evenings a week spent with the husband I was told to marry is detrimental to everything I've been told was my duty.

"It is only fair if we're talking about my evenings that we talk about yours. Where is Talisa tonight? Is she working, is she preparing medical supplies for the trek west, because I'm sure you'll be taking her with you, or is she already inside the keep, in your chambers just as she has been most nights since we arrived in Riverrun?"

It looked as though the burning Eddmina had felt was coursing through Robb too, and she was surprised he hadn't hit her. They'd had a few fist fights as children, mostly playfights turned too rough, but she knew how to hold her own, and he knew that too. They knew each other too well, acting as two halves of one whole being. That usually worked to their advantage, but that night in the war tent, it was their downfall.

"You're speaking to a King," he reminded her coldly, looking at her the way he looked at Lord Umber the night he suggested riding home rather than follow orders.

"I'm speaking to my younger brother," she corrected.

Robb took a moment. He glanced down to the map before looking at her again. He looked at her as though she was no one, not his twin, not his sibling, not his advisor. He looked at her as if she was his enemy, and for a moment she didn't blame him. She'd exposed his secret to their mother, embarrassed him, and then lectured him. She deserved his anger, but even thinking that would not prepare her for what was to come.

"Perhaps I want to fall in love with someone properly, rather than being trapped with someone forced to be with me until we convince ourselves we love each other just because we have no choice and it's convenient," Robb remarked, glaring at her. Eddmina felt the words sting for a moment, and though she considered that she deserved it, she didn't let it show. "Maybe I'm not a coward and I'm not so desperate for approval that I'll just let people run my life for me."

"Is that what you think of me?" Eddmina couldn't help but laugh, her voice sour and irate.

"That's what I know," he said. "I might be going against some vow made on my behalf, but at least I am not constantly trying to make myself out to be more important than I am just so I don't feel like such a disappointment."

"You don't understand what you're talking about," she said, her voice raising involuntarily out of instinct. Both of them knew they were both going too far, further than they'd ever gone. "You never would understand, golden child, chosen one, king in the north."

"Because you're so clever and superior that you just understand the world better? That was what you always wanted everyone to think, what you wanted the girls to think, and Bran and Rickon, always acting like a saviour to Jon, and not to mention what you did to Theon-" Robb listed, and Eddmina felt her face ache she was clenching her jaw so tight.

"Don't," she warned, both of them knowing mentioning Theon in front of their mother was too far.

"Everyone's always controlled your life, so what, you decide you can try to control everyone around you just to feel like you're not as pitful as you really are?" he asked, his eyebrows raised, but Eddmina managed another bitter laugh.

"What is pitiful is how you are happy to throw away this whole war just because of one woman," she raised her voice at last, gesturing down to the map, to their wolf statues marking their advantageous position. "Mock me for being clever, call me controlling, but I am not stupid enough to get myself and everyone around me killed for something as foolish as love!"

"Calling me a fool, at least I didn't go crying to father every time someone made me feel unwanted or inadequate, are you aware that you're just using Willas in the exact same way?" he snapped, speaking without thinking, and immediately looked as though he regretted it.

Eddmina wanted to hit him. Using their father and Willas against her... She wanted to hurt him. Perhaps Lady Stark knew that, because that was when she slammed her hands down onto the table in front of them.

"Both of you," Lady Stark snapped, silencing them. She looked troubled at them arguing so coldly with each other. She was used to dealing with Sansa and Arya screaming at each other, not Robb and Eddmina dealing each other such fatal, hard-hitting blows. "This is unnecessary, you both need to-"

"Are you going to take his side?" Eddmina interrupted, turning her new-found determination to her mother. "It would not surprise me, you always do."

"No," Lady Stark said firmly, staring at her daughter as if telling her to calm down, even though Eddmina was acting restrained an almost dignified. She looked at Robb, placing her hand on his arm. "What ever is going on between you and this woman, I do not want to know, but it cannot continue. You are to marry Lord Walder's daughter. I am sorry, I wish it was different, I wish neither of you had to have arranged marriages and could follow your hearts, but if you set aside your woman and take a Frey to wife, you might find her nice enough. You might come to love her, even, but you must marry her, you must stay true to your word. As for the pair of you, you cannot act like this with each other, you must not. You both need each other, you always have. What would your father think to seeing you both act this way?"

Bringing up their father was an easy enough way to get them to reconsider, but while it made Robb clench his jaw and look down at the map ashamedly, it made Eddmina want to scream. Was what Robb said true? Eddmina had always trusted her father, always known he was someone she could turn to, had that trust made her seem pathetic, like a weak little child desperate for approval? It didn't help that the one person she wanted to talk to about the matter was her father.

Aside from Willas, Eddmina had always known three men she could trust; Jon, Robb, her father. Jon was far away and she would probably never see him again, so it did not matter what he thought. Robb was her other half, but clearly her self-hatred had infected him too unknowingly. Everything she had ever thought about herself he had used against her to belittle her, and so the twin she had always been able to trust was as good as gone. As for her father... only his memories existed, but they now felt tainted with the thought that he had considered her a pitiful fool. All the time they had spent together, especially their evenings together in the godswood, she had sat and spoke to him and trusted him with her whole heart, because he was her father and she knew he loved her. In a matter of minutes, Robb had shattered it all, ruined the memories, and she was left wondering if the good, kind, honourable man she had adored had secretly thought her an idiot.

It was hard enough knowing she had always struggled to live up to the expectations of one parent, but considering that she had failed them both made Eddmina want to hide in a dark place and never return. It made her want to go home, but for the first time, home was not Winterfell, home was Highgarden.

She wanted to storm out and find the Tyrells, demand that they take her back to the Reach with them, the war be damned, but she didn't have chance as one of their guards entered. The awkward expression on his face suggested that he'd overheard the whole conversation, but he still declared that Roose Bolton was wanting an audience with them urgently. Robb was not the sort of King to turn a bannerman away, even in one of their worst moments as a family, so he nodded, taking a seat at the head of the table. Eddmina hated herself for it, but she moved another chair to sit at his side. Even if she could not bare to look at him, she had to keep up appearances. Their mother looked at them both sadly, seeing how close they were to a breaking point, before resuming her position behind them.

Lord Bolton entered the tent seriously, and though he was always serious there was something different about him, something almost solemn. Willas followed him into the tent, wearing a deep frown of his own, and Eddmina knew she should've felt relieved to see him, but after everything Robb had said she only felt embarrassed, not able to meet her husband's eye. Usually he would notice that something was wrong with her, but he was distracted by whatever had Lord Bolton looking so heavy, and he merely moved to stand at her side without a word. When he placed his hand on her shoulder, she didn't move, didn't reach up to touch him or eve acknowledge he was there. All she wanted to do was leave and go to bed, but she knew something was happening, something was wrong, and she truly did not have the willpower for any of it.

"Your graces," Lord Bolton greeted respectfully, bowing his head to them both, but Eddmina was only looking at the roll of parchment he held. "I'm afraid I bring grave news."

He didn't speak, he merely held the parchment out to Robb, who took it with a frown. Despite not wanting to be any closer to him, Eddmina leant across and read over his shoulder, though she immediately regretted it, recoiling back in her seat in shock, feeling her entire body run cold. Her head spun, making it feel as though her entire world was falling apart. She was certain it would hurt less than being stabbed, reading the letter Lord Bolton had presented them with. Eddmina had been sure that nothing would ever hurt her more than what her brother had said to her only moments before, but reading that letter made their argument feel like a walk in a meadow.

Eddmina felt Willas squeeze her shoulder, knowing he was hoping to convey the sympathies he couldn't express in front of others. She felt it, but it was like he wasn't there. Everything around her seemed to stop and disappear. She wasn't even sure if she was still breathing, but when her chest ached and her throat tightened, she knew she was still, somehow, alive. Alive and suffering.

"This cannot be true," Robb spoke, his voice sounding almost small, all the bitterness and cruelty gone.

Eddmina had to remind herself of everything he'd said to her to stop the sympathy she felt for him, knowing he felt the exact pain she did. Even with the reminder, she struggled, because compared to what they had read, his words were nothing.

"Robb, Eddmina," their mother said unwaveringly, still unknowing to the situation. "One of you tell me what is going on."

Eddmina couldn't speak. She wasn't sure if it was because she was unable to or simply refused to, refusing to give the situation her words as if saying it would make it true. Robb, however, was reading the letter again, and out of the corner of her eye, Eddmina saw fury burning within him. She saw his eyes dart about the parchment, while her own gaze fixed on the floor of the tent, incapable of looking anywhere else.

"Lady Stark, I'm afraid we have received ravens from across the north informing us that Winterfell has fallen capture to a force of Iron Islanders," Willas explained calmly, and Eddmina was glad he was the one to say it, because the words would only be made more horrible if they came from Lord Bolton. Even so, they made her stomach turn, made her want to scream. All she could manage to do was sit there and stare at the floor, expressionless. "Ravens from Barrowtown, White Harbour, and the Dreadfort all report that this force was led by Theon Greyjoy, and he is currently holding Prince Bran and Prince Rickon as captives."

He squeezed Eddmina's shoulder again, though she barely felt it. Instead all she could feel was the itching sensation that had spread across her skin at the mention of Theon's name. The man who had touched her, held her, kissed her. The man she had invited into her bed chamber, sat upon his lap, let him know intimate parts of herself and her thoughts. The man who held her little brother's captive and seized her ancestral home. The man who betrayed everything their family had ever done for him. Eddmina considered throwing up, but decided it would not be as productive as ripping her skin off, tearing away any part of herself that Theon may have touched or looked at. She did neither, she merely sat there. She barely noticed her brother slam his fists onto the table, or how her mother attempted to hide the sob she let escape.

"Why?" Robb asked, his anger undisguisable, as well as his heartbreak. "Why would Theon-"

"Because the Greyjoys are treasonous monsters," Lord Bolton concluded, glancing at the Stark twins with unwavering seriousness.

"We have also had word that Ser Rodrik assel is dead," Willas spoke again, his voice much kinder than Lord Bolton, and he gripped Eddmina's shoulder tightly. His hand was the only thing that stopped her from slumping over, though she winced, and heard her mother let out a shaky breath.

Ser Rodrik had taught the boys of Winterfell just as much as their father what it meant to be a man. He taught them how to fight, how to swing a sword, and he had been a trusted frined and protector to the Starks. He was a constant figure in all of their lives, and the thought of him dead, the thought of him dying most likely protecting Bran and Rickon... Eddmina shut her eyes for a moment, but it did nothing to hide her from the horror.

"Did he do it?" Eddmina asked before she could stop herself, she felt everyone look at her, but she couldn't bare to look at them. "Did Theon kill him?"

"He did," Lord Bolton confirmed, looking at her with as much sympathy as he could muster; it disgusted her.

"The man who passes the sentence should always swing the sword," she remarked, managing a bitter laugh. Everyone stared at her, as if wondering what was wrong with her, but it was the shock, the trauma of having her world ripped apart warping her mind.

"I told you never trust a Greyjoy! I told the both of you!" Lady Stark exclaimed in absolute devastation. Usually Eddmina would have hated her mother talking to her like that, but she allowed it, feeling nothing, feeling as though she deserved it.

"I will go North at once," Robb decided, rising to his feet.

The way he held himself reminded her of the way he had been when they learnt of their father's supposed treason, the memory seeming so long ago. They had been such children then, such innocent young people. They had changed their lives in a mere morning, irrevesibly ruining the peace that they knew and loved. Eddmina had supported him, but so had Theon. Theon had always encouraged him towards war. Perhaps it had always been his plan. Send Robb to war, then manipulate the tide of conflict so he could steal his birthright.

No. No, it couldn't have been his plan, because if it was always his plan to betray them and steal their home, why would he have kissed her? He surely never loved her, but he wouldn't have engaged with her in such a way if he planned to dishonour her house. Eddmina remembered the way he laughed when she would hunt him down in the empty armoury, the way his hands felt on her waist as he would lift her up onto the workbench as she would wrap her arms around his neck before pushing her lips to his. She remembered hiding marks he would give her just like the ones Willas had created, keeping them a secret to keep him a secret. Perhaps giving her such marks was just his way of taking possession over her, never doing it because he cared or he wanted to make her happy, but because he wanted to ruin her. Perhaps she was just a part of his plan too; ruin her, then ruin the North.

She had never understood what love meant when she was with him. She had never thought love to be real, or at least not something real for her. She had thought that love was a fairytale, while she was destined for misery and boredom. Theon offered her an escape, and only after loving Willas with her whole soul did she realise that perhaps she did feel a little love for Theon without even realising. She had loved him and never known. She had loved him, and he had made a mockery of her. He probably knew she had loved him too, and yet he still stole her home and threatened her little brothers.

If something broke in her upon Robb's words, then she truly lost herself with Theon.

"There is still a war to win, your grace," Lord Bolton tried to interviene, but Robb had stormed over to him, and it didn't matter that Robb was half his age, he almost looked concerned.

"How can I call myself King if I cannot hold my own castle?" he shouted, his voice shaking with fury. "How can I ask men to fight for me if-"

"You are a King," Roose Bolton nodded, interuting him respectfully as he attempted to control the situation. "That means you do not have to do everything yourself."

"No, isn't that what I am here for?" Eddmina spoke up, standing despite not trusting her balance. She held herself tall, holding her hands in front of her neatly. "I will ride north. Send me with a few good men that you can afford to spare, and I will speak to Theon."

"You'll speak to him?" Robb spoke, though he didn't turn away from Lord Bolton, barely even glancing at her. "There will be no speaking, he will die for this."

"Yes, and I will kill him myself," Eddmina concluded. "I'll bring you his head and send the rest of him back to the Iron Islands."

Robb managed to glance at her then, and for a moment their previous aggressions were almost forgotten. He looked at her as a broken man, and she looked at him as a fracturing woman. She almost wanted to fall into his arms, or to take hold of his hand and run far away as they did as children. She wanted to hold him tight and never let him go, hug him close until the world fixed itself for them. They had no time for such emotions though, not with their family legacy at stake, not with Bran and Rickon's lives on the line.

"Eddmina, you cannot, it's far too dangerous," Lady Stark said, stepping closer to her, wrapping her hands around her daughter's arm protectively. Eddmina pulled away from her. "Please, Edda."

"Did my father raise me to be a coward, or did he teach me to look after my family?" she said coldly, before looking back at Robb. "I'll go saddle my horse, I will leave within the hour."

"Eddmina, you will not," a stern voice called, and it took her a moment to realise it was Willas who had spoken.

In surprise, she dropped her steel exterior to look at him, and he was stood exactly where she had left him, just behind her seat. His gaze was hard and serious, and she knew he'd never looked at her like that before, nor had he taken that tone with her before. If she hadn't been so angry, perhaps she would have noticed that he sounded almost heartbroken, putting on a front of the commanding husband to hide his feelings.

"You won't tell me what to do," she dismissed him quickly, without thought, almost angry that he would try and stop her, not to mention question her in front of one of the bannermen.

"I will, especially now when you're not thinking," he kept his voice calm, but his words were tight, his jaw clenched. "You will get yourself killed if you run in there. Don't put yourself in harm's way unnecessarily."

"Bran and Rickon's lives are not unnecessary," she rounded on him in shocked anger. "Do you think I'm incapable-"

"No, I think you obviously care a great deal, but I will not allow that care to rule you," he crossed to her, and though he reached to take hold of her shoulder she stepped away from him. "Do you really think the Iron Islanders won't kill you on sight? Theon has already betrayed your family, what makes you think he'd spare you?"

Eddmina felt her face fall, her eyebrows creasing together as she studied her husband's face. He seemed serious and unyielding, and he'd never been like that before. He'd always taken her side, always supported her. If she was thinking logically she might have understood that he was trying to protect her, and she might have noticed that he was utterly heartbroken at the thought of her still believing Theon might have enough remaining feelings for her to backtrack on his invasion. Instead she interpreted it all as a lack of faith in her, yet another person thinking she was not strong enough to defend her own family, and thought he was merely asserting husbandly control on her.

"Theon wouldn't, he couldn't, he..." she began to excuse him, remembering every kind, loving thing he'd said, but the thought of him killing their trusted friend and holding her brothers made her words die, and what she'd already said was enough to make Willas' jaw tighten, his mouth twitching downwards unhappily.

"Don't gamble your life on the chance that he will act sentimental towards you because of before," he lowered his voice as if trying to stop others hearing, but Eddmina knew they were all watching keenly. He sounded desperate, and reached out to take her hand. "Please, Mina."

For a moment she considered he had a point, but it was fleeting as she thought of her brothers. Bran was a child, left to rule in his older brother's stead. He had been scared the last time she'd seen him, but desperate to be brave. She imagined him yielding Winterfell purely to save the lives of those around him, a decision no ten year old should have to make. Rickon too, sweet little Rickon who had felt like everyone had abandoned him. Rickon had loved Theon, seeing him as a bonus brother. He used to jump up onto his back to play around and be carried, and Theon used to roll his eyes as if it annoyed him, but she had always seen his secret smile. Those little boys had loved him, had trusted him, and yet he betrayed them. Thinking of her brothers' fear made her own self-disgust twist into loathing, wondering how she could ever let a man who'd hurt her brothers touch her.

She looked at Willas, and knew no amount of love for him could take away that anger, or the desire for revenge.

"I do not need your permission," she told him firmly, with a slight glare.

They had disagreed before, they had argued before, but this was the first time their bond was truly threatened. Eddmina could tell he was on the verge of losing his temper, but she could also tell how hurt he was. Somehow, she didn't care, too caught up in her own pain, too ruled by her grief and anger. All she wanted was for someone to support her, that someone usually being Willas, but if he refused to see her side and her need to protect her home, then she would do it alone. She already felt as though she'd lost Robb, what was another person?

"Fine, go and get yourself  killed if that is what you want," he sighed angrily, looking at her with disappointment.

Eddmina watched as he stormed out of the tent, and had it not been for the others surrounding her she might have screamed in frustration. If she hadn't needed to remain cold, she might have cried. She wasn't sure what hurt more, knowing she had upset Willas, or knowing that a man she had once loved held her little brothers' lives in his hands. It didn't just hurt that she had upset him, it burned that he didn't take her side, that he didn't understand how desperately she needed to go and protect her brothers, how their lives depended on her. If it was a toss up between her life and theirs, that sacrifice seemed pretty worthwhile to her, especially after everything Robb had said, especially after Theon's betrayal, especially knowing that Willas didn't support her. Without Robb and Willas at her side, everything seemed rather futile.

"Princess, your bravery is admirable, but I would instead like to suggest that I send word to my bastard at the Dreadfort," Roose Bolton broke the silence. He was stood between the Stark twins, glancing between them both, knowing that even if Robb wore the crown it was as much her decision as to what happened. "You cannot risk making a grand show of reclaiming Winterfell, not while the Lannisters are on the run. Theon holds the keep with a skeleton crew, my bastard can rally a few hundred men and have them all dealt with. He would see it as an honour to be of service. Let me write to him, and he can reclaim Winterfell in your name, both of your names. He will ensure the young princes remain unharmed, I assure you and he will bring you Theon Greyjoy's head."

Robb looked to Eddmina, noting the way her lip kept twitching into a glare, as if she was desperately trying not to cry. He'd seen her pull that face at least a thousand times, and though he knew what it meant, to anyone who didn't know her half as well as he did, it would merely look as though she was angry. He noted how her hands kept forming into fists, another nervous tic of hers, and how her shoulders kept tensing. He knew exactly what it was, her need to protect and look after the younger ones. She had always been so loving to the younger Starks, so caring and fiercely defensive of any of them, constantly vigilant for anything that might harm them. That instinct had only gotten stronger since becoming a mother, and Robb had realised that she had only taken to motherhood with such ease only because she had acted as a third parent to the younger Starks for so long that looking after children came to her naturally. Her love for them all was her greatest strength, and her greatest downfall. Her love for them would surely get her killed.

Eddmina looked at Robb and saw how he kept clenching his jaw, and how his eyes couldn't quite focus as if he couldn't see through his anger. Sometimes he was like that, and it reminded her of how their father used to talk about the 'wolf's blood' of house Stark. When they were younger she had been more prone to embracing it, though Robb was the calmer of the two, the more level-headed. Every so often though, it made an appearance in Robb, an it was then that Eddmina knew her brother was a force to be reckoned with. Even so, even through the anger, she saw a hurt, scared, grieving young man, and wanted nothing more to wrap him up in her arms, to grab him and run far away. How complicated it was, to be completely and utterly devoted to someone who had just broken her heart. How sickening it was, to know someone so well to be able to see their every thought and emotion, and have your own pain magnified through them.

It didn't matter that they were at odds, that he had just berated her and shaken her very world view. She was still his sister, and Eddmina saw him nod ever so slightly. For a fraction of a second she saw the boy he had once been, the boy who'd glared at the Tyrells the first time he saw them because he thought they were going to steal her away and hurt her. It didn't matter what he had said, it didn't matter that he knew she would happily lay her life down for Bran and Rickon if it meant getting vengeance against Theon. She could see his loyality, his love, and his need to protect what little he had left.

"You're to stay here and guard the Riverlands in my name," he told her, his voice cold and commanding, because he was still a king, and she was still his subject. He shifted his focus onto Lord Bolton once more so that he didn't have to see Eddmina's disappointment. "Tell your son that Bran and Rickon's safety is paramount, and that Theon is to be brought to me alive. I'll take his head myself."

Lord Bolton nodded lowly, and did not need to be told to go. He took his leave, walking with a sense of urgency that Eddmina had gotten used to seeing over the course of the war. Eddmina waited for him to go before she felt herself fall back into the chair she had previously sat in. She was far too tired to care about staying on-guard in front of her mother and Robb, and though she hated displaying weakness in front of anyone, she let out few shaky breaths. She closed her eyes, desperate to hide from the world, desperate to hide from herself and how badly she wanted everything to be over. Except, when she closed her eyes, she saw her little brothers, and she saw Theon. She saw his smile, his teasing smirk, and she saw the way he looked whenever he kissed her.

Gods, she hated herself. She had trusted him, she had loved him, she had let him touch her, and now he had taken her home from her. She felt sick.

She knew her mother was saying something, she could hear Robb's voice, but she didn't care to listen to either of them. She wasn't sure if it was a matter of wanting to hear, or if she was just physically incapable, because not only did she see Theon, she couldn't stop hearing Willas' last words to her, ringing around her head like a cruel chant. Had she lost him? Had he really given up all hope for her?

"Eddmina," Robb spoke sternly, and she felt his hand hit her arm, forcing her to focus on him once more. He risked looking concerned, though it was overshadowed by his anger, and the bitter smile he somehow found the strength for. "Mother was asking you a question."

Eddmina tore her eyes from her twin to look at their mother then, blinking a few times to force her eyes to focus. She wished she hadn't when she saw the anxious distraught her mother was wearing. Lady Stark wasn't crying, but Eddmina knew her mother well enough to tell when she was putting on a front of strength. She was watching her daughter with concern, but curiosity was there too. Eddmina glanced between the two of them, wondering exactly what they had been talking about while she hadn't been listening.

"What was he talking about?" Lady Stark asked, repeating her question that had previously gone unheard, her voice strained and shaken as she was holding back tears. Eddmina was still trying to force herself to breathe, so barely understood what her mother was talking about. "What did Willas mean about Theon? About him being sentimental?"

If she was thinking straight, Eddmina might have been able to cook up a lie quickly and get the attention away from her. The memories of Theon were making her want to be sick, while the thought of talking about the times they have shared was enough to make her want to hide far away and never return. She had always been scared of her parents finding out about her secret relationship, had always cowered from the dishonour that the discovery would bring to her and her family. She had been scared to see her father's disappointment, and her mother's disgust, yet the only person's disgust Eddmina cared about was her own. She hated herself so much for ever trusting Theon that much she didn't care about how her mother would react, nor did she care about what her father would have thought. Self-preservation would have made her want to lie just to protect her reputation, but she was too tired, and her self-hatred made her feel reckless. She had nothing to lose anymore.

As she considered telling her mother, she began to laugh. Her amusement didn't last long, not as the laughter quickly started to sound like sobs. Refusing to let them see her tears, she forced herself to be quiet.

"Caught out at last?" Robb joked cruelly, and Eddmina felt her face burn red as she fought her tears, staring up at the ceiling. "Go on then, Edd, tell our mother about what you did with the man who's holding our little brothers hostage."

"Eddmina, what is he talking about?" Lady Stark yelled, storming across to her and leaning down, gripping her arms so tight that she knew there would be marks.

"Theon Greyjoy was the first boy I ever loved, he was my first kiss and he was no stranger to my bedchamber," Eddmina explained coldly, though the itching sensation returned, making her want to rip her skin off simply because that man had touched her. "All we ever did was kiss, I remained a maiden until my wedding night, Willas can vouch for that, but Theon knew me long before Willas ever did."

Eddmina was almost thrown back in her seat her mother let go of her so quickly, looking at her with an expression of absolute betrayal and disgust. It had been expected, so it didn't hurt half as much as Lady Stark had intended. Eddmina remembered telling Willas and how understanding he had been with her, how caring and gentle he was. She doubted he would act that way with her anymore.

"Are you going to call me a slut, or a whore?" Eddmina asked, looking at her mother before she looked at her brother. "I know you always wanted to."

"You knew?" Her mother rounded on Robb, betrayed again, hurt that her favourite child would dare keep secrets, let alone such a scandalous one.

"Of course I knew, so did Jon, we weren't blind," Robb shrugged, and Eddmina fought anger when she saw her mother's disgust at the mention of Jon Snow.

"When?" Lady Statk asked in disbelief. "Did... Did your father know?"

"If he did he never said anything," Eddmina told her, angry that her father was being brought into it. "Perhaps if he did know he kept quiet because he could see I clearly needed him at the time."

"You... you needed him?" Lady Stark demanded, shocked. Eddmina felt numb, knowing she had expected her reaction.

"Yes, I don't know if you ever noticed how miserable I could be before the Tyrells came for me," Eddmina rose to her feet as she stood up for herself. Theon was a mistake, one she hated herself for, but she would defend herself regardless, knowing the girl she had been had no idea of the mistakes she was making. "We started seeing each other just after my ten-and-fourth nameday. He made me feel wanted, like someone could actually be capable of loving me and needing me outside of some contract that I would be forced into to benefit my family. I made him feel wanted too, I think."

"And yet he betrayed us," Robb breathed out, glancing to Eddmina with disgust. Despite their previous conversation, she knew it wasn't just directed to her.

"You called him brother," Eddmina reminded him, just to get the focus off her for a moment. "You trusted him too, you let him go. You're just as much of a fool as I am."

"I am, but I'll get vengeance for that when I kill him, you'll have to live with what you did with him forever," Robb pointed out.

She knew he was just beng cruel to cope with the pain, but it still made Eddmina wince. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, she wanted to run right into Willas' arms and let him hide her away from everything. Yet, she knew her reaction to the situation had driven Willas from her too. She had no choice but to do as she always did; shove her emotions down, freeze her heart, and carry on with diplomacy. War and ruling had been a rather good distraction from everything that she had previously faced, and so she stood up a little taller, straightening her posture as she bit back any pain or any remarks of revenge, and left the tent without another word.

Once she was outside, she saw her own guards waiting for her. There were two, one of them a northerner, the other wearing the Tyrell rose. She nodded at them both, and began to walk fron the tent back to the keep. She let her thoughts stew for a moment, considering her options before her mind settled on the only way forward. She knew what she had to do, knew it had to be done, though it would only seem as though she was doing it out of revenge. Robb had hurt her, so it would only make sense that she would make her decision out of the need to hurt him back. That wasn't the case at all, all she cared about was ending the war and protecting the little family she had left. She didn't care if what she did hurt him. She might've cared once, but Eddmina found herself struggling to care about anything once more.

"Would you please find Lady Talisa and ask her to meet me in my private study?" She asked the guard to her left, the northern guard.

He nodded.

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Word count: 12852

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