Eddmina had been so focused on the fact that her father and sisters were going down south that she had barely considered the other realities. Not only was her brother joining the Night's Watch but for the first time since meeting she and Willas would be apart. Though they both knew that travelling north would do Willas good neither one of them wanted to separate, even if it would just be for a few weeks. They hadn't spoken about it, not since the morning with Garlan and Leonette, but the night before emotions seemed unavoidable.

"Are you sure you think I should go?" Willas asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper as they laid in bed, Eddmina curled around his body, her head on his chest listening to the steady drumming of his heart beat. "I don't want to leave you,"

"I want you to go north," she spoke gently, shifting her position to get closer to his face so that she could push a few soft kisses to his cheek. She raised her hand to his jaw, stroking along his stubble and moving his face to look at her. "Please, Will. This is important to both of us. If I wasn't with child you'd go without hesitation,"

"Except you are," he said, his grip on her back tightening to draw her closer, while his other hand stroked over her stomach where they had noticed only earlier the tiniest of bumps forming. "I don't want to go, not in case something happens and I'm not here,"

"Nothing will happen," she reassured him, pushing a few more kisses to his cheek before her lips trailed to his. It was a short yet sweet kiss, and in the meantime her hand moved to rest on top of his on her belly, intertwining their fingers. "There's nowhere safer for me than Winterfell, you know that. Besides, I'll have Leo for company, and Honour... and Robb too, I guess. Please go, go and have an adventure. Go stand at the top of the wall and try and remember every little detail to tell me all about it when you get back to me,"

"Back to where I belong," he whispered, squeezing her hand and pushing a soft kiss to her lips. "Gods, I love you, my Mina,"

"And I you, Will," she sighed, shutting her eyes as she fought away the emotions. "I'll miss you dearly, but I'll be here waiting for you,"

Somehow the two of them settled into uneasy sleep, Willas reliving age-old nightmares of very real pain, while Eddmina dreamt of running through the wolf's wood as if she herself was the Stark sigil.

The next morning Eddmina rose early before Willas had even woken. She had wanted to just lie there in his arms all morning, not knowing for certain when she would next have the opportunity to do so, but she had a list of things to do before the royals departed, and if she didn't at least see her family properly she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

The castle felt quiet, everyone else still sleeping, but there was one person Eddmina knew would be up, so she headed to the Godswood. At some point Honour joined her, her wolf previously off hunting, though she bumped her muzzle into Eddmina's hand to signal her presence, making her smile slightly as she scratched behind her ears. At least with Willas gone she would have Honour's company, and she decided to encourage the wolf to sleep with her on the bed that would surely feel far too big without her husband. The two of them continued the walk out of the keep grounds into the sparse woodlands until they finally got to the great red and white weirwood. Just where she had expected him to be, her lord father was knelt at the roots of the tree, and though he initially had his back turned to her, he heard her footsteps and immediately rose. The other Stark children took after his wife and followed the Seven, so he knew it would be her without even having to look, yet he still turned to see her, offering her a small, welcoming smile.

"Good morning," she spoke quietly, wary to keep her voice down in the presence of the godly tree. "I wanted to see you, before you leave,"

"Come sit with me," he suggested, gesturing over to one of the logs as he took a seat on it himself.

Eddmina wondered if he remembered that it was that exact log that the two of them sat on when he told her about her potential betrothal. She also wondered if he knew that it was that log she and Willas had sat on when they discussed their potential marriage, back when they thought they would have a long wait ahead of them before becoming husband and wife. So many pivotal moments, all on one log. She happily obliged, sitting next to her father, Honour jumping up onto her lap as if to get as close as possible to her. Lord Stark chuckled at that.

"She's forgotten she's not a pup anymore," he commented, leaning over and scratching her neck. The wolf shifted her position so she was spread over the two of them. "She's very loyal to you, very honourable. I never put much thought into the names you all chose,"

"You really should have," Eddmina shrugged. "Ghost is the quietest, Grey Wind is the fastest, Lady is the sweetest and gentlest, Nymeria is the protective wild one like the dragon rider she was named for, and Shaggydog is... well, he's the shaggiest,"

Lord Stark laughed quietly again, stroking Honour's mottled fur. They were both silent for a moment, before Eddmina leant over and wrapped her arm around her father's shoulder, pulling him closer into an embrace of some sort. She always thought that Willas was the best man she knew, save her father, and that fact swirled inside her as she thought about how long it would be until she saw him next. Their lives would have changed rather significantly too by the time they reunited, so she tried her best to savour the moment, to make the most of the time she had to sit with him, trying to remember everything about him in case it was truly a long time before they saw each other next.

"I'll look after mother, and Robb and Rickon too," she vowed, her voice a shaking whisper. "I'll make sure Winterfell is well cared for too, I promise. I wish you didn't have to go,"

"We often have to do things that we don't want to in the name of duty, Edda, you know that," he sighed, moving his hand to hold hers as it was placed on his shoulder. "Besides, isn't that what your wolf is named for?"

"I know," she nodded, trying not to think about the odd instinct inside of her that was telling her to scream for him to not go, for him to stay where he belongs, where he's safe. "I know, I learnt from the best,"

"You're going to be alright, love, I know you'll all be alright," he told her. "Have you spoken to your brother recently?"

Eddmina shook her head, knowing the gesture would be enough. Robb had avoided her ever since he found out about her being with child. The twins were just as stubborn as each other, and while Robb refused to talk to Eddmina, she refused to talk to him too. She wasn't going to go running and begging for his alliance, not when she hadn't done anything wrong. Except being in her father's company made her see that her actions were probably not the best. He was always the best one to go to for advice, the best one to make her forget any grudges or annoyance.

"How he's acted these last few days hasn't been fair, but the two of you need each other, you've always needed each other," he reminded her gently, and she couldn't help but think that he had such a nice way of saying such serious things, his northern voice seeming so reassuring. "Just remember out words, 'winter is coming'. When the long night comes the lone wolf dies but the pack survives, and no matter what happens Robb is your pack, you have to look after each other,"

"Are you going to tell the girls the same? They bicker more than Robb and I ever have," Eddmina pointed out, and as Lord Stark sighed quietly she knew he agreed with her. "I know you'll look after them but I'm worried. I'm scared for them, even, especially Sansa. Arya knows her own mind and what she wants, but Sansa... I'm scared about what her match with the Prince means,"

"You're not alone in thinking that," her father sighed. "But I promise you I'll look out for them. It's not as if they'll be alone like you were when you first went away. They'll have each other,"

"Gods, you do know that's worse, don't you?" she joked, fighting off a laugh, and even her father chuckled slightly at the thought of Sansa and Arya and their incessant bickering. "Highgarden isn't like King's Landing though, is it?"

Highgarden had been scary at first. It was different and rich with intimidation, yet in reality it was just like Winterfell. The Tyrells may be more ambitious than the Starks, but their keep was still full of love and family. King's Landing and the Red Keep was completely different. Eddmina knew her father had been before, but he didn't particularly have many good memories there. She knew his father and brother had been executed there, she knew that the city had been home to some of his worst nightmares, and even nineteen years later it was still one of the most dangerous places in all of Westeros. Eddmina knew that, and she had never even been. Perhaps that made it worse, the thought that her beloved little sisters were going into the unknown, somewhere that she couldn't protect them.

"No, you're right," he agreed, before taking hold of her hands and squeezing them tightly as if to show how serious he was. "I promise you though, Edd. First sign of trouble, if I even consider any danger to the girls, and I'll send them both to the Reach,"

"Thank you," she sighed, not realising how tense she felt about her sisters until she felt utterly relieved. "I need to go and say goodbye to them too,"

"Go on then, I'll see you again before we leave," he smiled at her, squeezing her hands once more.

***

Throughout the whole royal visit, Eddmina had somehow managed to avoid conversation with the Prince. In hindsight that was really rather foolish, and she regretted not spending more time trying to figure out if he was worthy of her sister. Except as she returned back from the godswood with Honour at her heels, she caught sight of Prince Joffrey, a smug yet disgusted smile on his face as he sat talking to his guard, the Hound, and his Uncle Tyrion. Sansa had made Eddmina tell her enough stories and sing her enough tales of handsome princes, and she was certain she'd never seen someone less fitting to the title. He wasn't particularly handsome, nor did he seem very kind, and she wondered what sort of gods would give her such a good man while destining her sister to the exact opposite.

She intended to just walk straight past the group yet as she was walking she couldn't help but overhear their conversation. It sounded as though Tyrion was reminding him of his princely duties, while the prince himself was rather insistent about how little he cared about his hosts. He was careless and callous, it didn't take much for her to realise that, and if she hadn't heard the sound of a slap and his sharp yelp, followed by another slap, Eddmina was certain she would have hit him herself. Instead Lord Tyrion had done the honours, and as she got closer, she found herself unable to resist a threat of her own. A subtle threat though, because she wasn't stupid, and she had spent enough time in the south to learn how to use her words as quietly forceful as possible.

"Good morning, Lord Tyrion, good morning, my prince," Eddmina called as soon as she was close enough, noting how Honour sniffed over at the prince suspiciously.

She'd already noted how Honour had such a reaction to the Queen, and to Ser Jaime, so it made sense the wolf picked up similar vibes from the Prince. It did nothing but spur on Eddmina's caution and dislike of the southerners, though if anything it made her suspicions over the Prince worse. If her sister was to marry Prince Joffrey, her sweet lovely Sansa who wouldn't wish harm on anyone and who wanted nothing more than to be loved, Eddmina naturally felt apprehensive, but her wolf only heightened that.

Perhaps if she had never met Willas, if the royal visit had come prior to the Tyrell visit, Eddmina might have insisted going south with her father and sisters. It seemed odd to think that such a loyal northerner would have been so determined to go to the capital, but she knew she would have easily thrown aside her doubts if it meant accompanying her little sisters. She was nothing if not the eldest sibling, her entire life seemingly dedicated to protecting and guiding the younger ones, and she knew if she had not already been married, if her condition had not required her to not travel, she would have travelled all the way around Westeros if it meant protecting Sansa herself.

"Good morning, Lady Eddmina!" Lord Tyrion greeted, far too cheery for a man who had just hit his nephew; that did nothing to reassure her of the Prince's nature. "I'm afraid I can't stop to talk, still so much to do before we depart, but I'm sure my dear nephew will be delighted to entertain you! You will, after all, be siblings by marriage soon enough,"

That thought made Eddmina want to grimace, though she was clearly better at hiding her true feelings than the Prince. Nothing about him seemed delightful, and she could see that as Lord Tyrion headed off, he was still seething. He clearly expected her to go too as he glanced at her with disdainful surprise, though Eddmina decided she was going nowhere.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" he stated rather rudely. She imagined him to be a rather difficult person to serve under, and wondered how he had survived so long without one of his servants slipping him some sort of poison.

"No, actually," she shrugged, flashing him the sarcastic smirk she had mastered in Highgarden. "Winterfell is my home you see, so I can be wherever I like, your grace,"

"I thought you were one of the Tyrells," he considered, looking her up and down. He was probably comparing her to the mental image of her sister, probably wondering how someone as sweet as Sansa could be related to her. "I thought you were the one married to the cri-"

"I'm married to Lord Willas, the heir to the Reach," she cut in, barely managing to hold back a glare, having to fold her hands together behind her back to stop herself from following Lord Tyrion's lead. "And you, if I hear correctly, are the one to be married to my sister Sansa,"

Joffrey shrugged, letting out a careless laugh. That did nothing to help his case, and Eddmina imagined an archery target, her mind firing a dozen arrows right to the centre. Somehow that image always managed to help her focus, and she definitely needed to keep her mind clear. She took a few steps forward so she was closer to the prince, not too close but near enough that he faintly looked intimidated. She wore the same smirk, determined to keep the expression fixed on her face. If she wore a smile she could hardly be accused of threatening the crown prince, surely.

"Your Uncle is right, your grace, and when you wed my sister you'll find that I am very fond of my siblings, especially my little sisters," she spoke calmly, though internally she was controlling everything about her so, so tightly, keeping all of her emotions under wraps. "I'm sure that you will make my sister's life in King's Landing a happy one. Sansa's a kind girl, she deserves a happy life, and so does my other sister Arya.  If I should hear from either of them that they are being mistreated, but especially if Sansa so much as suggests she is unappreciated or, heavens forbid, being harmed, you will have me to answer to. Do you understand me?"

"Are you threatening me?" Joffrey demanded as he took a step closer to her, though his voice was quiet, and he glanced behind him to his guard. His guard didn't look particularly interested in getting involved. "You can't threaten me, you-"

Prince Joffrey cut himself off, his gaze darting down to where Honour was sat at Eddmina's side. The two of them made a rather intimidating pair. Honour in particular, as she let out a low grumble that could be interpreted as a growl, as if she sensed the tense atmosphere and the Prince's bad vibes. That merely spurred Eddmina on.

"Not a threat at all, your grace," she changed her smirk to a grin, though if she had a mirror she would be able to see it was actually a rather terrifying expression, enough to make the prince wary. "Just a nice conversation between two future siblings. This isn't a threat, but if you dare upset or hurt either of my sisters, you will know what a threat is for sure. Your grace,"

Eddmina didn't give him chance to respond. Instead she merely curtseyed, because at least she would remember the manners her parents had drilled into her, before she turned and marched off. As her back was turned she let the expression drop off her face, letting out a quiet sigh as she hoped she wouldn't have to act on her not-threat. It certainly was a threat though, and Eddmina knew she would be lucky if she didn't somehow get punished for such dangerous words towards the future King. She didn't care though, why should she? The Prince deserved to know that she would do anything for her family. If anything her condition made her protectiveness worse, her maternal instinct kicking in and combining with her usual vigilant attitude towards her younger siblings. She hoped she wouldn't have to act on her words, but she knew she would without much thought if it meant protecting the ones she loved.

Her feet carried her through the castle up to the Stark family quarters, and Eddmina found herself outside Sansa's room before she knew it. Part of her wondered how she would be able to face her sister after threatening her betrothed, but she knocked anyway, and entered the room to see Sansa packing the last few of her belongings. She seemed a lot more serene than Eddmina had been when she had packed to go to Highgarden, though it looked like Sansa was taking a lot more with her. The two of them were really quite different, but the mere sight of the fiery haired girl reassured Eddmina that she had done the right thing and that she had meant every word. She truly would do anything for Sansa, anything to make sure she was safe and well cared for, and so she quickly wrapped her into a tight hug, clearly taking her by surprise as she jumped slightly before smiling softly.

"I didn't hear you come in," Sansa explained as she wrapped her arms around her sister's shoulders. "This is so exciting, Edda! Now I know how you felt leaving with the Tyrells,"

Eddmina highly doubted they felt the same way. Despite having no regrets at all regarding her marriage, Eddmina couldn't ignore the fact that upon leaving Winterfell she had been full of such complex emotions, unable to decide if she was scared, upset, hurt or angry. All the emotions had been bubbling up like a storm inside of her, and it had taken a long time for her to calm the storm. Sansa, however, seemed free of such turmoil, being purely happy in the near future. Eddmina felt a little jealous, wishing she could be so open to the world, so willing to see the good in things before her pessimism defeated everything else. Not that she would let her sister see any of that at all, so she merely offered her a smile, though this one was much more kind than the one she had given the Prince.

"You'll write to me at least once a month, promise me?" Eddmina insisted, getting straight to the point though she made sure to disguise her cautionary words in excitement for Sansa's sake. "I want to know everything, every little detail. I want to know all about everyone you meet and everything that happens, just so I don't feel quite as left out while I'm stuck up here,"

"Of course!" Sansa agreed with an eager nod, clearly enjoying the fact that she was the one who's life was full of new things now, as Eddmina's had been only months before.

"And you must promise to visit Highgarden as soon as Will and I return," Eddmina continued, still wearing her smile as she helped her sister close and lock her trunks, ready to be taken down to the courtyard. "I know how much you loved it, and you can stay for how ever long you want, whenever you want. Margaery and Leo will love you to visit too, and of course I'm sure you'll want to spend time with your little nephew or niece,"

Mentioning the baby felt manipulative, but it was a good idea, as Sansa's eyes lit up and she nodded eagerly. Eddmina felt a little triumphant, wanting to get Sansa to agree to spend as much time in Highgarden as possible, because at least that way she could look after her. At least that way Eddmina could make sure she was safe and not being influenced poorly in the capital.

"Oh, of course, Edda!" Sansa nodded again. "I do feel a little nervous, but I know you did all of this on your own so I'm sure I'll be alright. Besides, this is an adventure, and I'll have father, and Jayne and I suppose Arya too,"

Eddmina sat on the edge of Sansa's bed, listening as her sister chattered along, finishing up with her luggage. Normally she would probably grow bored of such a one-sided conversation, but this time she happily nodded along, not knowing for certain when she would next see her sister. All the while though, her eyes were fixed on the corner of the room where Lady was sat, Honour sat at her side as the two sister-wolves sniffed each other, occasionally pawing or licking at each other. It was a sweet sight, and it helped Eddmina to know that her wolf would miss her sister just as much as she would. It also helped to think that Sansa would have Lady with her in the capital, so no matter how dangerous the city was, she would have a protector.

"Sansa, will you promise me something else?" Eddmina asked quietly as her sister stopped talking. Sansa frowned, but nodded. "I want you to promise me that you'll tell me if anything bad happens, especially with the royals. I don't want to scare you, but from what I've read King's Landing can be so dangerous, so I just want to know you're safe,"

Eddmina hadn't planned on being so serious. She was just going to let her words from before carry the undertones of protection, making her sister promise good things so she didn't worry her unnecessarily, but the temperament of the Prince reared up in her mind, and she knew she wouldn't feel peace at all unless she had warned her sister. Her sister, who was so sweet and trusting she just seemed confused and amused at Eddmina's wariness.

"Edda, I'm to marry Prince Joffrey, I'm going to be the Queen! Nothing bad is going to happen," Sansa said with a smile, and Eddmina wished she had such a positive outlook on life.

"Just promise me," Eddmina insisted, getting up from the bed and crossing the room, taking hold of Sansa's hands so she knew how serious she was. "Please,"

"Fine, I promise," Sansa sighed, obviously reluctant as if she thought her sister was overreacting but was still keen to keep her happy.

They hugged once more and Eddmina held back from telling her sister just how much she would miss her. It felt foolish, she would be seeing her in a matter of months surely, and she knew how badly Sansa wanted this life change. It wasn't like how it was for Eddmina when she first left the north, Sansa wasn't nostalgic or reluctant. Despite worrying for her sister's kind and open heart, Eddmina couldn't help but think that she was still remarkably courageous.

Eddmina dismissed herself from Sansa's room before she had the opportunity to fully dwell on all of her emotions, whistling for Honour to follow her, and the two of them headed to Arya's room. The youngest Stark sister was not nearly as organised as the middle girl, and so the eldest walked into a room of chaos. Clothes strewn messily all over the room, Arya seemed to be enjoying balling up her dresses and tossing them into trunks without any sort of consideration, and when she caught sight of her older sister in the doorway she flashed a small devious smile. In the middle of it all, Nymeria was sat, her wolf face expressionless without a single care in the world.

"Septa said I packed too messily the first time so she's making me do it all again," she explained with a shrug.

"And so what, you plan to show her just how messy you can pack?" Eddmina raised her eyebrow. Her sister shrugged. "Seven hells, the royals want to leave within the hour and they'll leave regardless of whether you've packed everything. You don't want to get to King's Landing and realise all you packed in your fit of spite was pretty dresses,"

"Will you help me?" Arya huffed boredly, knowing that Eddmina wouldn't refuse. "Will the Red Keep be like Highgarden?"

"I doubt it, I reckon it will be much more interesting," Eddmina told her, quickly getting to work as she began to reorganise Arya's belongings, making sure her boyish clothes were packed neatly at the bottom of the trunk, folding her dresses on top so that the septa wouldn't find the shirts and trousers. "I've never been, but I've read plenty about it. Apparently after the builders completed the work Maegor Targaryen had them all killed so that he was the only one who knew the secrets of the keep. Willas told me once his father took him and Garlan to court when they was still children, and he got lost in all the secret passages. He said that all the dragon skulls were kept in the throne room, though I imagine King Robert will have destroyed them all, most likely,"

"Secret passageways?" Arya's eyes lit up, especially as her older sister sighed, realising that she probably shouldn't have mentioned that part.

Not that Arya was the one Eddmina was really worried about. She might have been two years younger than Sansa but Arya seemed far more savvy, far more confident and aware when it came to new surroundings, but that still concerned her. She had images of her sister sneaking off to find all the hidden parts of the keep, causing havoc and getting severely lost. Though it was an amusing thought she didn't really want to be an encouraging party to such mischief.

"Don't be too much of a handful, alright? You know father will be busy with his new position, the last thing he needs is reports of a direwolf and a shaggy haired girl running riot through the city," Eddmina advised, though she knew whatever she said would go straight over her head; they were a little similar in that respect.

"I wish you were coming too, you're much better company than Sansa," the younger girl rolled her eyes, though as she threw one of her dresses in the trunk messily and Eddmina nudged her shoulder she sighed irritably. "What?"

"First off, don't be so careless with your things, you'll regret it when you arrive and realise that each little thing is a reminder of home, and most importantly, don't be mean about our sister," she spoke, fishing out the dress and folding it properly, shutting the lid on the now-full trunk. "I know she can be a pain, and I know how different the two of you are, but you'll both be in a strange place, and with father busy you may be each other's only ally. I would have given anything to have one of you with me the first time I went away, so you must make the most of this, and you must look after each other,"

"Fine," Arya huffed, definitely not taking her older sister's advice. That was the problem, all of the Stark girls were so stubborn in their own way. "When will you visit us?"

"After I've had the baby, as soon as I'm alright to travel," Eddmina assured her, and then noticed her sister looking at her with mild concern, her mind clearly racing as her eyes landed on her stomach. "Arya, are you worried about me?"

"I didn't think many women survive having children," Arya's voice seemed small, much smaller than it had done before, and for the first time Eddmina considered that maybe her little sister wasn't quite so fearless.

It didn't help that Eddmina had also thought that same idea several times. Both of her grandmothers died having children, and both of them had been reasonably healthy beforehand too. The thought of dying in childbirth wasn't a new one for her, but hearing it from her little sister seemed much more frightening. It wasn't even like she could promise nothing bad would happen. Promising that felt an awful lot like how they all used to say that Bran never fell when climbing, and look what happened.

"Don't even think about that, alright?" Eddmina sighed, taking a few steps closer and putting one hand on her sister's shoulder, the other moving to hold her chin so she was definitely looking at her. "Whatever will be, will be,"

"I don't want you to die," Arya's voice was still quiet, so she instead moved to pull her little sister into a tight embrace.

"That's good, I'd be disappointed if you did," she attempted to joke, though Arya scowled. "Stick close to your sister, be good, be safe, and I'll write to you as often as you want me to. When I have the baby I'll write to you first to let you know, so then both of us can be assured that I'm not dead, alright?"

Arya somehow managed a slight chuckle and so Eddmina squeezed her tighter, the way she used to when they were both younger, when Arya was still a child and she could be picked up. She was still small, though Eddmina knew if she picked up her wilful little sister now she would get an earful of complaints.

A quiet knock at the door came, disrupting the silence that had fallen, and though neither of them broke from the hug they both shifted so that they could see who was in the doorway. Jon. He was stood holding what looked to be a parcel behind his back, and upon seeing both of his sisters a small, sad smile played across his face. He was leaving to find a family of his own up north, a brotherhood of men destined to protect the realm, yet that expression just demonstrated that no matter what, the Starks would remain his family. Arya and Eddmina broke apart, Eddmina swallowing down any last remaining emotions as she ruffled the younger girl's already-birdsnest hair.

"I'll see you soon," she bid a final farewell to Arya before she turned to her beloved brother, leaning over and squeezing his arm. "Come and say goodbye to me properly before you leave, I'll be down in the courtyard,"

"Of course," Jon nodded, and with that, Eddmina left, fighting off her emotions yet again though feeling as though a thousand bricks were piling on top of her, feeling like it was rather hard to breath from all the goodbyes that seemed far more permanent than she wished them to be.

***

"I still think this is a ridiculous idea," Leonette muttered as she watched Garlan and Willas saddle their horses, her arms folded tightly across her chest in frustration. The two brothers merely glanced at each other with practically invisible smirks of amusement. "How long will you be gone?"

"Two months at most," Willas shrugged, wishing that Leonette was at least half as understanding about the trip to the wall as Eddmina was. At least that way Garlan wouldn't feel so bad about it all. "The time will fly,"

"Oh, I'm sure it will," she sighed, glaring over at Garlan, who was unable to meet her eye. He always did struggle standing his ground, living to make his wife happy.

By the time the two of them had nearly readied their horses, they knew the courtyard would be packed by the various travel parties, and so they took their time making sure everything was right. Every buckle, every strap, they double checked, not wanting to be waiting around. In the brother's hesitation Leonette grew more irritable and eventually stormed off, muttering something about them all freezing to death, and she was being so dramatic that as soon as she was out of earshot Garlan let out a long laugh.

"Gods I love the woman but she can truly be a pain," he murmured quietly, making sure that only his brother would hear. "She's the light of my life, I adore her-"

"But you wish she would allow you to run off and live out an adventure without protesting?" Willas cocked one of his eyebrows up jokingly. Garlan elbowed him. "Part of me wishes Mina was as angry about our travels. She's so eager for us to go it almost feels as though she cannot wait to be alone,"

"She'll probably find it peaceful, to be without us southerners for a few weeks," Garlan commented. "Though I imagine she'll soon be hounded by letters from mother and father, not to mention grandmother. Can you imagine their reaction upon receiving your letter? Your poor wife will want all the northern peace she can get while ever possible before we have to return home and they overwhelm her completely,"

"Hence us planning on staying in the north," Willas remarked knowingly, feeling a little protective over his wife.

Willas made to make another comment regarding their parents, but before he had the chance their conversation was interrupted by footsteps approaching them. At first Willas thought it would be Leonette making her furious return, desperate to make one final plea to convince them to abandon their plans. With that thought in mind he looked up from his horse with a slight grin, on the verge of shooting out some sarcasm, only to come face to face with Robb Stark.

His goodbrother looked awkward, and rightfully so. In the days since the Stark youths had crammed themselves into his and Eddmina's room after Bran's fall, Robb had been completely absent, and Willas knew that he had not had such a positive reaction to the idea of becoming an Uncle. The thought of anyone upsetting his wife had Willas on edge, especially if it was her most-trusted twin brother, and so he straightened his posture and hardened his look, his hand clenching around his cane tightly until his knuckles turned white.

Robb seemed to carry himself similarly, seeming far too alike to his sister with his expression as if he was trying to hide his stubbornness. Willas had seen Eddmina wear the same look on her face many times, as if Robb was wrestling with a dozen different thoughts and feelings, trying to decide what to say that would sound best.

"Morning, Robb!" Garlan greeted cheerily in an attempt to break the tension he could clearly sense. He also seemed to sense that the two of them needed a moment, and so shot them both a smile. "I'm off to find my wife before she writes to the high septon for an annulment. See you both,"

With that he dismissed himself, heading out of the stables while whistling a merry tune. Willas wanted to hit him as he was left completely alone with his wife's brother. He recalled previous tension with Robb, when he tried to make Eddmina tell him every little detail of Bran's accident despite her clearly not being in the right headspace, and he remembered how his wife's brother had always been reluctant towards her marriage. He'd never really been completely alone with any of Eddmina's siblings before, and to go from that to now being alone with Robb of all people, Robb who was so fiercely protective of his sister despite their current disagreement, Willas couldn't help but be wary.

Not that he needed to be. He had no reason to be, he reminded himself, and so he stood and waited for Robb to say something. He was the one who had sought him out, after all.

"Uncle Benjen says you're going north," Robb spoke eventually, and Willas had to bite back a slight laugh, feeling a little surprised that he was starting the conversation there. "Why?"

"I want to see the Wall, and I want to know how the Reach can be of more help to the Night's Watch," he explained simply with a slight shrug.

"My Uncle likes you, he says you seem like a good man," Robb said, though it sounded as though he struggled speaking the words.

"That's kind of him, but I feel as though you're here to tell me how you disagree," Willas pointed out. Robb clenched his jaw slightly, the way Eddmina did when she was trying to think of the right thing to say that would still sound diplomatic. "I know you've never been keen on me,"

"That's not true," Robb snapped, crossing his arms. "I know you make my sister happy, I just... I don't want her getting hurt,"

"Trust me, I believe Mina has been more hurt by your recent actions towards her than she ever will be by me," Willas said before he could stop himself, finding it a little satisfying when he saw the guilty look cross Robb's face. "I suggest you use this time while I am gone to apologise to her. You can do as you like, but Mina is having a hard enough time without feeling as though she has lost her closest ally in this world,"

Robb looked at him with a slight frown before sighing. It was then that Willas noticed Grey Wind stood behind his master, the wolf being a little bigger than Eddmina's Honour. He seemed perfectly in tune with Robb, a perfect companion, looking between the two men before sitting, his head reaching Robb's knees. Robb placed his hand on top of the wolf's head, scratching his ears before he looked back to Willas, his expression a little calmer.

"I need to go and say goodbye to my brother, I suppose you're busy," Robb said, sounding like his sister whenever she wanted to escape an uncomfortable situation. "I just wanted to wish you luck, and tell you that Winterfell will be open to receive you upon your return, for however long you and my sister wish,"

***

Unknowing to her twin's conversation with Willas, Eddmina was in the courtyard holding onto Jon Snow tighter than she ever had done before. Her face was buried into his fur cloak while he hugged her close, neither one of them wanting to part. Their bond ran deeper than either of them realised, the bastard boy and the eldest girl raised to believe herself a disappointment, and though they had already been parted once before this time felt more permanent, more like the end to a lifelong dependency.

"Will you write?" Eddmina asked, pulling her face away from his furs so she could look at him, memorising details about him. Not that she really needed to, the two of them looking so similar. "Whenever you get chance, of course. I know you'll be busy,"

"I'll try, Edd," he reassured her with a small smile. "You know I'm no writer,"

"No, but I'll at least want to know about what your life is like up there, I'll want to know all about your adventures," she forced a grin, ruffling his hair. "Remember how we used to talk about this, the two of us running away to join the Watch? At least one of us will be there. The Watch always needs a Stark in its ranks,"

"Edd, I'm not-" he began but she quickly cut him off with a sigh.

"Bollocks to it, Jon, you're my brother, you're the son of the Warden of the North," she rolled her eyes, parting from their hug so she could instead squeeze his hands, hoping that he would listen to her and take her seriously. "You're a Stark. Regardless of what anyone else says, you're a Stark,"

Jon hugged her tightly once more. She knew that he probably wouldn't take her words too seriously, why would he while his surname is still Snow? Yet she meant them, and she wished he knew that his name didn't matter half as much as his blood did. They were siblings by blood, he was Stark by blood, and that was all she cared about really.

She wondered when she would next see him. Probably not for a long time, at least for a few years perhaps. The thought was gut-wrenching, but she tried not to let it show as she instead portrayed nothing but eagerness for his new venture. Truthfully he was the sibling she was worried for the least, for although the wall possessed countless dangers, at least he was staying in the north, where superstition dictated Starks should stay. Yet just because she didn't fear for him didn't mean that she wouldn't miss him.

"I don't think I've ever told you as much as I should, but I'm grateful for you, Edd," Jon spoke quietly, keeping the words just between the two of them. "More grateful than you'd ever know. You'll always be my sister, even when I have brothers of my own,"

Eddmina was desperate not to cry, desperate to not appear weak, and so she was glad when they parted from their embrace and she saw Robb approaching them. He seemed a little hesitant upon seeing her yet carried on as he crossed the courtyard from the direction of the stables. She missed him, to pretend otherwise was foolish, but considering how emotional she felt the last thing she wanted was a confrontation or disagreement.

"I'll see you soon, future ranger," she forced one last grin to her brother before deciding to take her leave, shooting a brief glance to Robb before she set off in search of Willas.

***

Saying goodbye to his wife had been harder than Willas had thought it was going to be. They had said their proper goodbyes the night before, in bed, but their final kiss before he mounted his horse to join the riding party made him feel as though he was leaving a crucial part of himself behind, a part he never wanted to be separated from. He wondered how it would have been if things had gone to the original plan, if their wedding hadn't been brought forward and she hadn't accompanied the Tyrells back to Highgarden. Would it hurt so much now, to be parting? Probably not, as while they hadn't been married even a year he felt as though she was so ingrained in his daily life, such a big part of his mental wallpaper, his every thought dominated by her and her wellbeing. To leave her to visit the wall was the right and dutiful thing to do, but his heart was rebelling against his sense.

It didn't help having to watch Garlan and Leonette say goodbye either. She had finally gotten over her annoyance as she presented him with a pair of woolen gloves she had sewn on short notice, though the gift subverted the couples' emotions and quickly Garlan became the one reluctant to leave. The two had barely spent days apart since their wedding, and the magnitude of the trip seemed to dawn on Garlan as soon as they rode their horses out of the gates, leaving their wives behind in the safety of Winterfell.

"I'm starting to understand grandmother's remark of men being foolish when they don't listen to their wives," Garlan muttered to his brother, who merely laughed as he recalled the exact way their grandmother said those words, with her usual tone of cutting disdain. "Perhaps we shouldn't be going-"

"Oh, where's your sense of adventure?" Willas rolled his eyes, frowning as he saw Garlan lift his eyebrow teasingly. "What?"

"Says the man who never leaves a library long enough to know whether it is day or night," he pointed out, though Willas merely shrugged.

"I can't believe you were even going to use our grandmother's logic against me," Willas recalled his brother's earlier words. "I wish I could see her face when she reads my letter and finds out we're off to the wall,"

"I think she would merely shake her head in despair and tell us we were as foolish as father," Garlan said, too much past experience informing his words. As he spoke, his gaze drifted off ahead before he nodded in front of them. "Speaking of fathers,"

Willas followed his gaze only for his eyes to fall onto Lord Stark riding a little ahead of them, his horse followed by a small guard of men baring the Stark banner. He had been desperate to talk to Eddmina's father all morning, all week in fact, but the keep had been so hectic and time had slipped away before he even had the chance. Willas didn't know the routes very well, but he assumed the kingsroad would soon split off from whatever path their party would be travelling along, meaning the opportunity to talk to his goodfather was soon to be gone. With that, he kicked his horse gently, jeering it on to carry him a little faster until he caught up.

"Lord Stark," Willas called in greeting, offering his goodfather a small smile as their horses came to ride side-by-side. He knew how much his wife adored her father, and couldn't help but want to earn his admiration.

"Lord Willas," Eddard greeted with a nod. "Ben tells me you're going North with him, it takes a brave southerner to go further than Winterfell,"

"Eddmina said the same," Willas smiled, noting how similar the two Starks actually were. "The first time I came North I fell in love with it, I'm looking forward to exploring more of the country,"

As he said that, Lord Stark wore a similar expression to that which Eddmina had pulled the very first time they met, when he had said how much he liked the North already. Clearly it was an amusing thing for a Southerner to say, so Willas merely let out a knowing laugh.

In truth, until that moment Lord Stark had never really spent time alone with his daughter's husband, nor had he spent much time thinking about him or his character. When the Tyrells had visited before to organise a betrothal most of his business had been with Lord Mace, who was kind enough but not at all like any Lord that would reside over a northern keep. He seemed smart enough, but a little foolish with grand expectations for his family's legacy, though he clearly loved his family a great deal. Ned had expected his eldest son to be the same, and had hoped that at least he would be kind enough for Eddmina, caring enough to provide her with some sort of happiness. He had done just that, considering how obvious it was that the two of them were enamoured, except the man that Ned was talking to was nothing like who he had expected.

It turned out Willas Tyrell wasn't a typical Southerner, caught up in the arrogant belief that the North wasn't equal to the other Kingdoms. He wasn't as foolhardy as his father, and he clearly made his daughter unbelievably happy. Out of every eligible lord in Westeros he certainly wouldn't have been his first pick as a husband for his daughter, but perhaps over time Ned would get to know Willas more. As of that moment though, he liked him. Eddmina trusted him, and that was all Ned needed to trust him too.

"I wanted to speak to you before you went to the capital, to extend an invitation to you and the girls to Highgarden," Willas continued, knowing how much it would mean to his wife for her family to visit. "You're all welcome anytime, it will be wonderful to have some of you much closer to the Reach so Mina and I can see you more often,"

"Does Eddmina like Highgarden?" Ned asked, curiosity getting the better of him as he remembered his wife commenting on how their eldest would never be happy outside of the north.

"I think so, it isn't the north or Winterfell but I've tried to help her feel comfortable and see it as our home," he told him, thinking of all the morning walks in the woodlands, the afternoons riding, the evenings stargazing by the Mander. "I think your daughter is really rather wonderful, my Lord, to make her happy is all I want,"

"You're a good man, Lord Tyrell," Ned said sincerely, looking at him in the eye. "Look after her,"

Willas nodded, knowing that he'd spend his life trying to fufil that promise, yet unknowing to how important it would become over the months lying ahead of them.

***

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