It had been a wolf dream that night, thankfully. Eddmina was sure that after the emotions of the evening she wouldn't have coped with a nightmare. Even so, dreaming that she was running through the woodlands was exhausting, and by the time she felt herself waking in the early morning she couldn't help but wish for more hours of darkness. It helped that she woke in Willas' arms, his embrace providing a warm sanctuary from her own mind, especially as he placed a trail of light kisses against her forehead, making her sigh in contentment.

"Good morning, my dearest," he told her softly, his voice barely louder than a rough whisper as his fingers carefully brushed the hair out of her face. "And happy nameday."

She had nearly forgotten, having far too much on her mind what with helping run Winterfell, hr pregnancy, the drama of the Tyrells' arrival the night before to even think of her own nameday. it didn't help that she didn't feel any different. She felt old enough as it was, it didn't really matter that she now had the title of being ten-and-nine to justify her maturity. Still, she smiled in gratitude, placing her hand on top of Willas', intertwining their fingers. She felt his other hand move to cradle her stomach just in time to feel their child kick, making him laugh softly in amazement.

"It's alright for you, you don't get it constantly," she reminded him, rolling her eyes as she sat up in bed.

"What you said last night, about your grandmothers and how you're worried about your family hstory repeating itself-" he began with a frown of concern but she cut him off as she shook her head, refusing to allow him to ask the question. "Mina, please, if you're scared-"

"I'm not, and I never said I was worried either," she told him, squeezing his hand. "I'd rather not talk about this."

"No, alright, but you know you can, don't you?" he ensured, and when she nodded he smiled, leaning in to kiss her lips gently. "I think I need to go find my family, I said some things in my anger last night that I still stand by but definitely said in the wrong frame of mind and I fear that if don't apologise they'll forever resent me for it."

"Go then, I want to find Robb anyway," she agreed with a nod, remembering just how tense the study had been the night before, so much silent animosity it had been suffocating.

They got ready together, Eddmina helping Willas with the buckles of his leg brace while Willas helped Eddmina lace up her boots and fasten the ties of her dress as she struggled to fit into a light blue cotton number that matched her eyes and made her hair look lighter. Each morning she felt as though her body had changed, but that morning in particular, her stomach looking larger than usual, and much lower too. She put it out of her mind as she braided her hair back, all the while feeling Willas' eyes on her.

"I don't know if I tell you enough how beautiful you are," he marvelled, making her roll her eyes amusedly.

"You tell me far too often, considering," she joked, knowing she was no great beauty.

Her mother was beautiful, even more so in her younger days from what her father said, and Sansa had inherited that for certain. Arya too was beautiful in her own way, and everyone always said how beautiful their aunt Lyanna had been, a true wonder of the North. Compared to them all, Eddmina didn't feel like anything special or remarkable, nothing to inspire poetry or the pretty songs her sister loved. Yet Willas had a way of making her feel as though all of the songs were worthless, like she was the most important thing in the world, and it wasn't something she would ever get used to.

She felt his hand on the small of her back as she finished her braid, flicking it over her shoulder as she looked over to him with a smile. He was watching her face carefully as if looking for something, which made her frown until she realised he was still bothered by the night before and was looking for signs that she too was still upset.

"Will," she sighed, linking her arm through his as she gestured for the door. Honour, who was laid by the foot of the bed, hopped to her feet, wagging her tail. "I'm fine."

"Would you tell me if you weren't?" he asked, a faint line appearing between his eyebrows.

"Not if I thought it would make you worry," she answered honestly, though that made him sigh. "That doesn't mean I don't love you or don't trust you."

"You're my wife and the mother of my child, I'd be rather ashamed of myself if I hadn't earned your trust by now," he considered, leading their way out of the chamber, Honour shoving her way so she could walk in the middle of them. "I won't force you to talk about anything that you aren't comfortable with, but you can talk, any time you want, and I'll always try my damnedest to help."

"And I return the sentiment," she said simply with a smile as they walked down the corridor, one of her hands resting in the crook of his arm while her other was wrapped around her stomach, her bump feeling tighter and more cramped than usual. She put it down to a poor night's sleep. "The feast isn't till sundown, but don't spend all day arguing with your father."

"Oh don't worry, I'd like to spend at least some time with my wife on her nameday," he promised with a smirk of amusement.

They parted ways in the courtyard, with Willas kissing her cheek and her knuckles before he trekked off to find his parents, and so Eddmina headed to the great hall in the hopes that breakfast had been served. Like most mornings she was craving something salty, possibly bacon, but she was so hungry she would settle for anything. The smell of food hit her as soon as she crossed through the door, as well as the sound of a rather rowdy breakfast party, and she could see sat at the table her three brothers. Once that table had been full, six Stark children, both parents, Jon and Theon, and it hurt to see the empty seats, hurt to not see Arya and Sansa throwing glares to each other, hurt to not hear her parents quietly discussing things below their breath that they didn't want their children to hear. Moments like that acted as cold reminders for how much she missed them all, how wrong it felt to have them all separate, and it made her long for the day they'd be reunited. Possibly in Highgarden she could host them all. If the Tyrells were insistent on having their bannermen in the castle to see Willas' heir she would make them host the Starks too. It was only fair.

"Good morning," Eddmina called, though nearly went unheard over her brothers' laughter. It was nice to hear them all in high spirits for once, not a sound she'd heard since the night before Bran's fall. She took her seat next to Robb before offering him a sarcastic grin. "Happy nameday, brother."

"Happy nameday, sister," he returned the favour with a laugh. "Really it should be me saying it first, you were born first after all."

"Ah, I've not known peace since those blissful few minutes of being an only child," she teased, rolling her eyes as she helped herself to the platter of bacon on the table before them all.

There were letters on the table in two neat piles, as well as two parcels wrapped in brown cloth, and as soon as the twins were done eating they began to make their way through the correspondence. One thing Eddmina loved was that she and Robb had their own letters, their family taking care to note both their namedays and not group them together as one. The first was letter from Sansa where she wished her a happy nameday and wrote all about how much she couldn't wait to visit Highgarden. Then there was a letter from Arya, who also wished her a happy nameday and also couldn't wait to visit Highgarden, though not for the beauty of it but so that she could show her eldest sister all of her sword fighting skills. The letter from Uncle Edmure was brief yet kind, with well wishes and an invitation for her and Willas to call in and stay at Riverrun on their way back south. As usual there was no letter from Aunt Lysa, not even a simple note of acknowledgement, but Eddmina didn't care. In fact, she cared more about the lack of letters from Uncle Benjen, considering he never, ever missed their namedays. There was no mention of him in Jon's letters either.

"He'll be ranging north," Robb said before Eddmina could even voice her worries; not that she would have, not while their younger brothers were there. "He'll write when he returns, I know it."

She didn't say anything in response, not knowing what to say, wanting desperately to share her brother's optimism. She distracted herself by reading a letter from her father. He didn't write of anything happening in the south, keeping the correspondence solely focused on wishing her a happy nameday, and she wondered if Robb's was different, if he was trusted with any details of life in the Red Keep. Of course he wouldn't though, their father wasn't like that. Wherever possible he treated them like equals, meaning they were both kept in the dark. He had at least promised to visit her the moment she returned to the south, and that was enough to distract her from the omitted details. At least their father had written, as there was nothing from their mother. It almost made Eddmina panic, considering how long Lady Stark had been gone, with no word from her, but she refused to think too much of it. Perhaps she was too preoccupied travelling home that she couldn't write. Perhaps like Uncle Benjen she was in a position that made correspondence difficult.

They decided to open the parcels next. Even with their absences both of them knew that the gifts were from their parents, as no one else tended to bother with presents. For Robb, it was a shining steel dagger, housed in a thick leather holster with a wolf engraved in the hilt. It was beautiful, clearly Mikken's finest work. No wonder he hadn't yet finished working on the knife Eddmina had commissioned if he'd been grafting away on such a dagger. Eddmina unwrapped her own parcel and discovered a dainty silver necklace, the chain thin yet sturdy, the locket medallion no larger than both of her thumb nails combined. In the centre of the locket was an engraved portrait of a wolf, one that matched the wolf on Robb's dagger hilt. It was like they were different halves of a pair, and she didn't hesitate to fasten it around her neck.

"I didn't think they'd get you jewellery," Robb commented, watching as his sister adjusted the chain, making sure the locket sat neatly. "You don't tend to wear it."

"I wear my rings," she reminded him, lifting her left hand. "Besides, it's so light I can barely feel it."

"No, can you remember that big thing the Queen wore, huge gold pendant with the massive lion?" He joked. "Just in case anyone forgets what house she's from."

"Thankfully mother and father have better taste," she muttered amusedly. "You should see some of the stuff I got as wedding presents. Not that I'm not grateful, obviously, but it looked as though one necklace had raided a gold mine it was so huge. I think I would have gotten neck-ache if I wore it."

"Maybe that was mother and father's plan," Robb suggested. "You're expected to wear jewellery, so instead of you having to wear something that's not very you, they get you something to your taste. That way you get to fit in with your new lifestyle while still being you."

"Rather smart of them both," she smiled slightly despite rolling her eyes at Robb's assessment. "What will we do today? I can't go on our annual ride, nor can I sneak into the wine cellars."

"The latter was always Jon's idea," Robb reminded her, and before he had the chance to add any other comment the doors to the hall opened, Robb looking at the newcomers over Eddmina's shoulder. "Besides, I think your new sisters might have plans for you."

Eddmina turned in her seat to see Margaery and Leonette waiting in the doorway. They were beckoning her over, and just as she turned back to her brothers to ask if it was alright to go with them, Robb was gesturing for her to go with them.

"Are you-" she began.

"Of course I'm sure, Edd, go," he nodded with a small laugh.

Heaving herself up from her seat, she flashed her brothers one final smile before crossing the hall. She had her hands placed on her stomach, still feeling as exhausted as she had done when she woke that morning, though when she was close enough she instead linked her arms through the Tyrells', offering them both a grateful smile as they offered their regards to the occasion. They seemed so joyful towards her it was a stark contrast to how she felt the night before, and she couldn't help but think that they were maybe compensating for everything that had happened.

"You seem happier about my nameday than I am," she couldn't help but remark, making the two of them laugh.

"Of course, surely you know from your wedding that we Tyrells love any sort of occasion," Margaery reminded her, no bitterness in her tone towards her, despite Eddmina's expectation. It was Margaery though, why ever did Eddmina expect her to be spiteful to her? "If we were in Highgarden I'm sure you'd be treated to huge celebrations that would rival royalty."

"Yet we're not in Highgarden, Marge," Leonette reminded her, an edge to her tone as if she felt Eddmina tense at the mention of royalty; the other Tyrells still did not know about the Starks' suspicions regarding the Lannisters. "It's actually refreshing to be away. I don't think I could handle the event planning and the disagreements that come with it, especially not after Garlan's last nameday."

"You don't know about that, do you, Edda?" Margaery gasped slightly, turning to look at the newest member of their family with an exasperated smile. "Father and Grandmother wanted a huge celebration for Garlan, they both thought that the Reach was due an event, so they decided they wanted to hold a tourney. Of course I'm sure you can imagine how it all went down. Willas wasn't overly thrilled but he didn't say anything, preferring an easy life where grandmother is happy, but Garlan hit the roof."

"'How dare you use my nameday as an excuse to put on something like this, in my own home, after all we went through'," Leonette imitated, her impersonation of her husband rather spot on, though Eddmina frowned. Leonette noticed and squeezed her arm with a small smile of amusement. "Oh, you didn't really think that the Tyrells were some perfect family who simply held hands and got along perfectly everyday of their lives? There's been worse arguments happen than the one that occurred last night."

"It still wasn't one of our finer moments," Margaery cringed. "That's why we're here, because as much as we love you and want to spend time with you, my mother actually sent us to get you. She said she just wished to catch up with you but I'm certain she intends on apologising for the men's behaviour."

They led her through the keep to the rooms that the Tyrells kept, chatting all the way and not noticing Eddmina's silence. She was far too busy thinking to even realise they were talking, thinking about everything that had happened the night before and everything that was about to happen. She hated to think about the family arguing, even if she wasn't always the root of turmoil, and then on top of all of that she had to go face-to-face with her goodmother, who the night before wanted her to leave Honour behind. Lady Alerie might have been on their side last night for most things, but Eddmina couldn't think past her wolf and the security she provided, and how she would feel like she was leaving behind a part of her if she ever went anywhere without Honour.

It didn't help that she had never really spent much time alone with Lady Alerie. Besides the kindness she had shown her she didn't know much about her character, or how she would approach the situation they were in. There had been no conclusion to the disagreement last night, what if this meeting was merely her instructing Eddmina to pack up her things and prepare to leave? Eddmina felt her chest and stomach tighten slightly as the baby kicked, as if sensing how stressed she felt over everything, and she attempted to rub the ache away without taking her arm out of the link it was in with Leonette's, though of course her goodsister noticed.

"Are you well?" Leonette asked concernedly, and Eddmina nodded immediately. "There's nothing to worry about."

The words felt foolish. There was everything to worry about. There was of course the constant memories of the attempt on her life, the night that left her with a heavy fear of not just death but childbirth, the two things seeming more connected the longer she was pregnant. Alongside that, there was the crushing absence of the rest of her family, the thought of them all being so far from where they belonged on her nameday making her want to cry. There was the ever-present worry for her father and sisters' living down in the capital, as well as her mother's apparent disappearance. To add the night before's disagreement on top of it all, as well as the prospect of having to sit down with her goodmother and have a civil discussion regarding it all, Eddmina couldn't even begin to think how all of that could be something not to worry about.

She missed when things were simple, when things felt safe. She couldn't say that though, so she merely nodded again, staying silent. There was no point speaking when the only result would be to feel senseless. She was determined to appear stronger than she felt.

They were at the chamber door before Eddmina felt ready, and with reassurances and farewells the younger Tyrell women left her in the sole company of Lady Alerie, who welcomed her into the room. It was one of the bigger guest chambers, one that had been previously inhabited by Queen Cersei, with bedroom quarters and a sitting room with a large window that allowed a full view of Winterfell if the weather allowed for it. By the window there were two arm chairs, a table between them set out with a pot of herbal tea who's smell reminded Eddmina of lunches in Highgarden, and a plate piled high with cakes.

Alerie beckoned her to sit, and Eddmina was glad to take the weight off her feet. She expected a handmaiden to come in to help them with the tea, but instead Alerie surprised her by serving them herself, offering a cup to her.

"I was going to suggest we go on a walk, I'd very much like to see the glass garden that Winterfell is famed for, but then I thought that wouldn't be wise at all given your condition," Alerie explained, gesturing for Eddmina to help herself to the cakes, and she could have cried upon seeing they were lemon. "Now tell me, dear, truly, how are you?"

"I'm..." Eddmina began, pausing before finally settling on, "tired."

"That is more than understandable," she smiled, and there was something entirely unpatronizing about her sympathetic kindness. "I can't imagine any of this has been easy. I found being with child difficult each time, especially the first with our Willas, yet I did not have as many burdens as you have had. Leo told me you've barely stopped. She said you've been running Winterfell with your brother in your parents' absence, and you've been caring for your little brothers too. To use her words directly, you've been rather astonishing."

"Leonette is too kind," Eddmina dismissed her remark quickly, though as she glanced up from her tea cup, she noticed the concern on Lady Alerie's face; it was inescapable. "You're right, it's not been easy. It's... it's actually been rather difficult. I never expected it to be straightforward, nothing ever is, but I didn't think I'd feel like this, and I didn't expect to cause such disorder."

"If by disorder you mean that shambles of a meeting last night and those awful letters I pleaded my husband and goodmother not to send, then you must know none of that is on you, and I can only apologise," she sighed, shaking her head and seeming genuinely sincere. "I'm sure Willas would have told you, his accident left a few of our bannermen in disapproval towards him. There were plenty who wanted us to hide him away and replace him with his brother, but we refused, how could we not? They just didn't see what we knew, they didn't know him as the scholar or the born leader, they merely saw his twisted leg."

"He's a good man," Eddmina told her, seeing Alerie's eyes darken, the memories flashing in her mind. "I care for him a great deal, and he has been very kind to me."

"Good, if he'd mistreated you in any way I wouldn't have been very kind to him," she chuckled slightly, her laugh reminding Eddmina of Willas. "That's why the wedding was so grand, because at one point we thought there never was going to be a wedding. I was probably too soft on him, I was just glad my son was alive, but Mace and Olenna needed him to be the heir, they needed him to show strength and prove everyone wrong. I think they are still in that mindset towards him so often that they sometimes entirely fail to see the joys in his life if it cannot be used to gain him power, and while we know our Willas to be kind, he has enough of a stubborn temper to be riled up by such treatment."

Eddmina nodded, unsure of what to say, though it explained a lot and Lady Alerie had a way of explaining it all that made her see both sides, not just Willas' bias that she experienced majority of the time. Lady Alerie knew the situation and the dynamic of the Tyrells far better than Eddmina could ever hope to in the same way that none of the Tyrells would ever be able to understand everything between each of the Starks. Families were families, and no matter what image they conveyed there would always be something under the surface, something less than appealing. She could hardly hold it against any of them, not when her own family had their fair share of troubles.

She felt tempted to tell Lady Alerie that, but she didn't want to bring her family up. If she did, it would be hard to avoid the topic of her mother's absence, what had cause her to leave, and the suspicions they held towards the Lannisters. She didn't want to discuss any of that, it would only cause more trouble. Instead she merely nodded again, looking down at her hands resting in her lap.

"We will stay here in Winterfell until your Maester says its safe," Alerie reassured her, interpreting her silence as worry. "We'll hear no more from anyone who thinks otherwise, even if that is my delightful goodmother."

"I always thought I didn't fit in down south and none of you really liked me much, so this whole situation was just another reason to not like me," Eddmina spoke, surprising herself as she didn't even know she had been thinking that, but then it made sense. "I'm just some pawn to prove loyalty to the King, so why should my wish to stay north matter at all?"

"Perhaps it started that way, arranging your marriage out of politics, but it's more than that now," she leant over and took one of Eddmina's hands kindly. "If anyone still views this marriage politically and uses that as an excuse to make you unhappy, they're blind and foolish. You make my son happier than he's ever been, and that is all that matters to me."

Eddmina felt her face grow hot and so to distract herself she took a sip of the herbal tea. She didn't know where to look. She was used to Willas being so sweet to her, and used to the kindness of her family and the younger Tyrells, but for Alerie to treat her as such... If she was in a better mood and not constantly overwhelmed by pregnancy emotions, she might've been able to react better, but instead she was fighting off tears again.

"The tea is nice," she said in hopes to change the subject and get any attention away from herself.

"It is, isn't it? It's one of my favourites, I actually first grew a liking to it when I was with child, it's meant to be relaxing and help any aches," she told her, and suddenly Eddmina wished she'd been pregnant in Highgarden so that she could've had Alerie by her side the whole time. "I'm sure your mother would have recommended such things to you."

"My mother actually wasn't much help," Eddmina surprised herself again. She never usually talked out against lady Stark but this time she couldn't help it, angry that she had been abandoned for one of the trickiest times of her life, yet here was Alerie, more help in a few hours than her mother had ever been. "I found out when I was four months, on the same day Bran fell. A month later she left. She wasn't in the right mindset to be giving advice when she was here and when she was well again she was gone."

"It's not my place, and stop me if you wish, but why did she choose to go visit her sister now?" Alerie frowned, and Eddmina bit her lip in bitter amusement, not just at the lie but at her goodmother's obvious annoyance. "I think of you and Leonette as my daughters, but if my Margaery was in your condition I wouldn't dream of leaving her side unless she asked me to. Could she not have invited your aunt to stay here?"

"Definitely not, Aunt Lysa doesn't like me very much, she wouldn't see it as a worthy excuse," Eddmina shrugged, noting the sad surprise on Alerie's face. "It's fine. I don't mind. My mother hasn't seen her sister for a long time, well over ten years actually. Anyway, she promised to be home before I'm due... though the longer she's away the less I trust that promise."

"My dear, you're not good at pretending to not be frustrated," Alerie told her with a small, sad laugh. Eddmina managed a laugh too, knowing she wasn't the best at pretending when it came to her feelings. "I'm not your mother, and I know I could never be a substitute, but I would happily be by your side, if you'll have me?"

Eddmina sighed, feeling like a boulder had been lifted from her chest, an immeasurable pressure that she hadn't even noticed. She tried not to seem to eager to save her own mother some sort of respect, but her own mother wasn't in Winterfell, her own mother hadn't even written with nameday regards. With relief, Eddmina nodded, feeling a smile creep up onto her face.

***

For the feast she Eddmina dressed herself in deep green velvet, embellished with golden wolves running around the edges of the sleeves, a cloak around her shoulders to hide how loose Willas had laced her corset. She wore the locket from her parents around her neck, while on her wrist she wore the Tyrell's gift; a thin silver band engraved with wolves and roses. Lady Alerie had given it to her after telling her how she had written to her father to ask for his advice to get a sense of her preferred style, so to Eddmina it felt extra special. Except when she showed it to Willas that evening while they were getting ready and he cursed under his breath.

"What?" she frowned as he crossed the room back to their desk, rummaging in one of the drawers.

"Nothing, I just wish my mother had consulted me before she visited the silversmiths," he explained with an exasperated laugh, returning to stand in front of her, a small wooden box in his hand. "This isn't half as beautiful, but I wanted to get you something simple, something more comfortable that's your style."

"Will, I told you not to get me anything," she reminded him with a sigh, feeling her cheeks grow hot as he held the box out to her.

"I listen to everything you say, but that, I took no note of," he joked as she rolled her eyes, taking the box from him.

Inside was a braided leather bracelet, made up of several strands of leather all knotted together to form the band. She took it out carefully, holding it up to inspect the pattern embossed into it. Each strand of leather had a different symbol, one of them being the roses of Highgarden, the other the wolves of Winterfell, and the third patterned with alternating snowflakes and posies. As beautiful as the bracelet from the Tyrells had been, Eddmina loved this one more, not just because it was more to her style but because of who had given it to her. It was simple yet reflected who she was, and as she handed it to Willas with her wrist outstretched she noticed the small imprinted letters 'E+W'.

"Do you like it?" he asked almost doubtfully as he worked on the fastening, and as she nodded he added, "Good. It took me a while but if you like it then it's worth it."

"You made it?" she asked with a small laugh of disbelief. He nodded, and as soon as he dropped her wrist she pulled him into a embrace. "I love it. I love you."

His hand went to her waist, whilst hers went to his face, drawing him close so that she could place her lips to his. Their kiss deepened, her hand roaming up so her fingers could knot into his curls while he held the small of her back, butterflies roaring inside of her desperately. Sometimes she still felt nervous around him, as if she was kissing him for the first time, and that occasion was no different, feeling as though her passion for him was something she'd only just been introduced to. Perhaps one day the desire and excitement she felt would fade, or at least dim down a little, but she couldn't imagine it anytime soon. In reality they'd not been married long, they were still young, but they had so many responsibilities placed upon their shoulders. That made their time together even more precious, the small moments feeling special. They were moments she wanted to live in forever, providing an escape from everything else.

"I don't want to go to the feast," she breathed as his lips broke from hers. She heard him chuckled lowly, knowing her aversion to feasts.

"Your brother will be waiting, it's his nameday after all," Willas reminded her.

"It's my nameday too," she scowled jokingly before kissing his cheek repeatedly, slowly trailing her lips to his. "Please? Let's just say I'm tired?"

"And are you tired?" he asked, raising a single eyebrow. "Let's go, we don't have to stay long. An hour, two hours perhaps."

She rolled her eyes, willing him to give in and let them both skip the celebrations, but there was no way he would and she knew that, so with a dramatic sigh that made him laugh the two of them made their way out of their chambers and towards the great hall. They could hear music from a distance, the sound of lutes and harps, and as they stepped through the doors the smell of the food hit them. Eddmina felt her stomach grumble so loudly even Willas heard it, and she knew she'd made the right decision to not just sit in her room stubbornly despite still not feeling particularly social.

There was one long bench for the family, while the rest of the hall was occupied by tables full of the guards and staff, as per the tradition their father established, knowing how important it was to involve everyone within the castle. As per another tradition Eddmina took her seat next to Robb, her little brothers either side of them in the spots that were usually where their parents sat. It hurt a little, especially when she noted that sat across from her wasn't Sansa and Arya but Leonette and Margaery, because no matter how much she loved the Tyrell girls, they weren't her little sisters.

Even so, she felt herself relax a little, any tensions between her and Willas and the rest of his family gone. Even with the absences and her desperate wish for her family to all be together again, she almost felt as though she was having fun, joining in with conversation and laughing along with jokes, even cracking a few herself. Willas was sat a few seats down from her to allow her to be with her brothers, though he kept looking down to her and grinning, winking when he knew no one was looking at them. She kept thinking about their kiss, her mind replaying the sweetness of their embrace and how badly she wanted to stay there with just him. They only had a few weeks left of life being just the two of them after all, and she wanted to make the most of it, so as another round of food was brought out, she attempted to make eye contact with him, hoping to slip away.

However, before she had the chance to get Willas' attention the maester was standing by their bench right across from Eddmina and Robb, looking at them both directly. The look on his face was deathly serious, so she immediately set down her cutlery, looking him in the eye and attempting to figure out what was happening. Robb hadn't noticed though, too concerned with laughing at something Theon had called to him from down the table. She elbowed him, the gesture alone letting him know that something serious was happening if she'd been sharp with him, and if he'd drank anything at all he sobered immediately when he caught the maester's gaze.

"Lord Robb, Lady Edda, May I ask you to just come with me? There's been an urgent note for the two of you," the maester asked, and she noted the uneasy look in his eyes, and how he glanced to the Tyrell's in apprehension.

Whatever was in that note, he clearly didn't think it suitable for them to read it in public, and Eddmina quickly realised it must be about their mother and her suspicions. Robb came to the same conclusion as he rose from his chair before helping his sister to her feet, glancing at her with disguised worry. She could feel everyone's eyes on them, the room seeming deathly silent despite the music continuing on as if nothing had happened. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Willas and Garlan exchanging a knowing look. She noticed how Garlan moved to take Leonette's had under the table while Willas shot a quick look to the rest of his family before he turned his attention to Eddmina. He was stoic, and as if feeling the eyes of his family he smiled, acting as if nothing was amiss. She loved him for that, and quickly followed his lead even though her chest felt tense and her stomach tightened.

"Would you like me to come with you?" Willas mouthed to her, and she shook her head subtly.

They'd made a vow to always be together. Wherever one went, the other would follow, yet this was something she had to do without him. As hard as it was, she said her quick goodbyes and followed after the maester, Robb at her side. As if he was nervous he linked his arm through hers, and she sighed gratefully, not realising how she had been shaking until he made contact.

The walk to Luwin's study had never seemed longer, taking more than a lifetime as countless awful possibilities raced through her mind. If it was an urgent note it had to be serious, and it had to be bad news, otherwise he wouldn't have pulled them away from everyone else. Was it their father? Their sisters? Was it Jon, or Uncle Benjen? Possibly even their grandfather in Riverrun, he'd been ill for sometime, though that didn't really seem like news worthy of dragging them away from everyone else for considering they hardly knew the man. For a moment she considered her mother, but that was a whole other rabbit hole of possibilities, most of them revolving around treason. By the time they had reached the office and were sat down she could feel her heart racing and no amount of deep breaths could calm her. Robb squeezed her arm, always better at controlling his nerves, but it was little comfort to her.

"What's happened?" Robb asked as soon as they were seated, Luwin sitting across from them holding the letter.

"Has someone died?" Eddmina choked out.

Maester Luwin did not speak, he merely held the letter out. At first he held it in front of them both, but subtly moved his wrist so it was directed at Robb. That was a bad sign, as if he'd realised that whatever was in there would boil her temper up unhelpfully. She sat back a little, watching as her brother took the note, his eyes scanning over the words. For a moment his frown lessened, and she thanked the gods that no one had died, but then his brow creased further, his lips parting ever so slightly in wordless shock. Robb paled in the candlelight, sitting up straighter as he re-read it, looking far older than their new age as if the note had bestowed some new duty onto him.

She made to ask him what it was but, as if he knew, he held the paper out to her. She took it, her hand unshaken as if seeing her brother's seriousness had made her nerves disappear. Whatever it was, she had to be an adult about it, she had to be brave and controlled, and such a woman didn't quake at mere thoughts.

'Robb and Edd'.

It was their mother's writing, yet not as neat as usual. Instead it was rushed and shaken, as if she had written quickly and without a proper surface.

'On my way back north from King's Landing I came across an inn, in which I ran into Tyrion Lannister. A source in the capital had confirmed my suspicions and pinpointed him as our suspect, so I took my opportunity. I am now holding him captive and am on my way, escorted by knights of my father's banner houses, to the Eyrie to hold a trial and if necessary, serve the King's Justice. I hope to be home with you soon. Look after each other, and look after your little brothers. With all my love, your mother.'

"It's funny she sends her love when she sentences us all to death," Eddmina muttered without thought, heaving herself up from her chair and crossing to the fireplace, tossing the note into the flames.

She wasn't sure why. It didn't matter if anyone found it, it wasn't as though it contained secrets. Nothing about her actions were secret. She'd taken Lord Tyrion captive in front of multiple witnesses. He wasn't just a common man, he was the son of one of the most powerful lords in all the seven kingdoms. He was someone who'd have impact, he was someone who taking captive of him would surely result in the wrath and revenge of a house much richer and more violent than their own. Their mother hadn't thought of that, or at least Eddmina hoped she hadn't. She didn't know if she could feel any more scared or angry, but surely knowing that her mother knew the overwhelming risk and still went ahead would tip her over the edge.

"He tried to kill Bran," Robb attempted to reason. "He pushed him, he sent the assassins."

That was a sickening thought. Tyrion was the only one of the southerners she'd felt moderately comfortable around, the only one she didn't mind Willas making a friendship with. If he'd been friendly to both of them and then tried to kill her little brother, if he'd shown kindness and then sent a man with a knife after her... Eddmina felt sick.

Still, it didn't matter what he'd done, even if she still suffered the nightmares. No. Tyrion was a Lannister, and everyone knew what Lannisters could do when they were wronged. Everyone knew the words to 'the Rains of Castamere', everyone knew of their wealth and military strength, and everyone knew how merciless Lannisters could be, especially when they'd been wronged. Tywin Lannister was one of the most revered war generals of their time, even if they didn't like the Lannisters there was no denying that fact, and there was no denying that wronging the Lannisters would result in feeling the full force of their wrath.

A horrible, terrifying thought entered her head almost instantly. If she was scared for herself, when she was miles and miles away from the south and the Lannisters, if she thought they were all in danger despte being in the safety of Winterfell, then what would happen to her father, and to her little sisters? They weren't just in the south, but they were living with several Lannisters who would surely want revenge for the humiliation of her mother's actions. She remembered her father telling her how dangerous the capital was, and she remembered warning her sisters to be careful. What if that had been the last time she would ever see them? What if Lady Stark's rash decision had put them at risk while they were already directly in the Lion's paw?

She felt sick again, feeling as though she couldn't breath. Her vision fogged over as if she was going to cry but no tears came, instead it was like a furious haze had taken over her. Part of her wanted to be annoyed that the whole thing meant that Lady Stark had broken her promise, she wouldn't be home for a long time, possibly even after the Tyrells had made her return to Highgarden, but she couldn't even think of that, not when her mind was all-consumed with worries for her father, Sansa, and Arya. She'd put them all at risk, and knowing the Lannisters' ruthlessness, she'd killed them all, destined them to war and misery.

"There's no need to panic over it, not quite yet," the maester attempted to reassure them, but it was too late for words like that.

"And when do you think we should begin to panic?" Eddmina crossed her arms, feeling as though a cold sweat had spread all over her, her head spinning as her chest and stomach tightened. "When we hear that our sisters and father have been taken prisoner? When our mother has been killed on the road by a force of Lannisters? Or when there's an army holding Winterfell siege wanting all of out heads?"

"Edd..." Robb began, attempting to take her arm and reassure her, but she pulled away from him quickly. "We need to keep a clear head. Maester Luwin is right, panicking gets us nowhere. Do we know if father knows?"

"No, though I presume he will soon enough," Luwin answered, and Eddmina chewed the inside of her lip, trying not to imagine an inevitable confrontation between their beloved father and the Lannisters living in the Red Keep. "I thought you deserved to know tonight, but there's nothing to be done. I'm sure we will know more in the coming days. As for right now, we should go back to the feast, back to our guests."

Eddmina thought about going back to the hall and sitting back down among her husband's family who knew of nothing amiss. She thought about sitting there trying to enjoy the rest of her nameday while knowing something awful was surely happening to the rest of her family, her family so far away she couldn't help nor know exactly what was going on. She shook her head, her throat burning as though she wanted to be sick, feeling a deep pressure in her lower stomach as the baby responded to her nerves by kicking her sharply. She tried to rub the pain away with her hand but it was no use. She needed to go for a walk to clear her mind, hoping that the cold night air would help he feel as though she could breathe again.

"Edd, where are you going?" Robb called as she crossed the room, only stopping in the doorway as she heard her brother's voice.

"The godswood," she said without thought, though when it looked as though he was going to follow she shook her head again. "Please don't. I just want some time to think."

"And what do I tell the Tyrells?" he called, but she had already gone, storming off down the hallway in an attempt to escape from the stuffy little office and the horrible news she'd learnt in there; the latter was impossible.

It was only when she got outside that Eddmina realised she had barely thought of anything except for her mother's letter. She wished she'd not burnt it, but it didn't really matter, considering it felt like the words had been burnt into her mind. Her thoughts were that swarmed she'd barely noticed the pain in her stomach or how breathless she felt, and she continued to ignore it, deciding that she didn't want to go to the Godswood. That was a place that reminded her of her father, and she didn't want to think of him. It would only be painful, it would only make her fear for his safety more suffocating. Instead she just let her feet carry her to the next best place, the only place in all of Winterfell that she would be able to get some peace and quiet.

The crypts were always quiet, yet that night they seemed to echo in silence, seeming darker than usual as she made her way carefully down the steep steps, shutting the door behind herself to guarantee her privacy. One of her hands held out a lantern she'd collected outside, while her other was attempting to ease the aching pressure in her side, though at least the cold air of the tomb allowed her to calm a little. Walking past the statues of her long-dead ancestors certainly didn't help her existentialism or her fear of death, but at least among the ghosts of the Starks she felt like she could find some peace in the inevitable. At least in the crypt she could escape her anger, though that only brought out her upset at it all.

Eddmina didn't want to be scared, but it was hard not to be considering she'd already spent the last few months thinking she was going to die, the gods owed a debt of her life. Surely now Lady Stark had done such a rash and dangerous act death would be inevitable, but it wouldn't just be hers, it would be everyone she loved who would lose their lives. Surrounded by graves, she couldn't help but think how it was inevitable that everyone died, but it shouldn't be due to feuds or war. She didn't want war or conflict but now it seemed so inescapable and she just didn't think it fair.

Eddmina stopped walking as soon as she reached the statues of her Aunt Lyanna and Uncle Brandon, propping her lantern up on a stand fixed to the stone wall before she carefully knelt down in front of them both. They were fatalities of the last war, ther deaths book-ending the conflict. Brandon died first, then Lyanna died at the end when all the fighting was done. For a family so marred by war Eddmina found it bitterly unavoidable that now history was seemingly repeating itself, except this time instead of her uncle and aunt at risk it was herself and Robb. Was this how her father felt when his sister was taken by Prince Rhaegar, the horrid sense of foreboding fear that war was emerging and no one was truly safe?

After Lyanna had been taken it was Brandon who rode after her, it was Brandon who attempted to rescue her. He was the eldest, it was his duty, but his duty had gotten him killed. She seemed to realise just how serious and heavy the responsibility of being the eldest was in that moment, looking at her Uncle's stone face, knowing he was only two years older than she currently was. When his family was in danger he was brave, but he acted rashly. She needed to learn his example. She needed to look after her family, but keep her head cool.

"I don't know what to do," she spoke quietly, shutting her eyes as she took a few deep breaths. "I just want everyone to be safe, I just want everyone to be happy. This wasn't meant to happen, none of this..."

She trailed off, feeling another sharp pain. It wasn't the dull yet hurtful pressure she had been feeling for the last hour or so, it felt so much worse to the point that she couldn't help but hiss in surprise. It seemed to last for a while before fading, but before she could get used to no longer feeling it, it reappeared. She tried to ignore it, putting it down to how overwhelmed by her emotions she was, her fearful feelings embodying themselves as physical pain. Yet before she could convince herself of that she felt the pain heighten and a rushing sensation, the skirts of her dress becoming wet as she screwed her eyes shut tightly, desperate to hide from the obvious as dread washed over her.

It wasn't meant to happen yet, it wasn't meant to happen for another few weeks at least. She began to tremble though not from the cold but from fear, a whole new sort of fear that she had experienced only moments before.

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