"Try to at least smile when you see your parents," Eddmina advised as the two of them walked to the courtyard, their arms linked.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll smile when I see my mother, she's done nothing to offend us," Willas remarked dryly, and though Eddmina sighed he let out a quiet chuckle, leaning over and kissing her temple. "I won't start a fight with them, promise."

"Good," she said, though not entirely certain she believed him.

It was early evening, but at dinner they had received a raven stating that the Tyrell party was only hours away from Winterfell. Willas had thought his parents wouldn't turn up until the next day in order to make a more grand arrival, but they readied themselves to meet them anyway, though not after running through exactly how they would conduct themselves. There would not be any formal welcoming feast until the next day. It was too late in the day for the cooks to prepare everything, not to mention they had a feast planned for the next day for Eddmina and Robb's nineteenth nameday, so they decided to blend the celebrations. Even so, Willas was determined to get their perspective put across as soon as possible to save his family trying to force them down some unwanted path. He'd vowed to her all day that they would not be made to do anything, he'd promised that they would stand up for their best interests, and while Eddmina believed him she just hoped it would be that easy. Despite it all, she considered Willas the sort of man who would frown upon disapointing his family.

Yet she was his family too. She was his family, and she just hoped that he would remember that when it came to it.

"What do you normally do for your nameday?" Willas asked her as they walked, desperate to change the topic from his family, the whole situation making him feel on edge.

"It depends," she shrugged, smiling a little at memories that seemed so far away. "There'd be a few gifts at breakfast, sometimes there'd be packages from Uncle Edmure or letters from Uncle Ben. The Septa used to try and make me do my lessons as normal to show that a lady's work is never done and one can't just run off pleasure seeking, but she stopped that nonsense on my thirteenth nameday when I swore at her. She sent me to father thinking he'd discipline me but instead he took me and Robb riding and made it a tradition every year after. Then there'd be a small feast in the evening. Sometimes the bannermen would be invited but I hated that since Mother always made me act all meek and sweet in the hopes that one of the lords would want me to marry one of their sons. I begged father not to invite them, I even got Robb to ask too."

"I wonder what those lords would think to you being poached away by a southerner," Willas remarked, squeezing her arm. "To say this year will be different is an understatement then?"

"Different is good," she noted, hoping to hide that she was a little emotional about it all, especially her parents and sisters not being in Winterfell for the celebrations. "My last nameday I hardly knew you existed, so it does go to show what can happen in a year."

Willas laughed softly, leaning over to kiss her cheek. They'd reached the dusky courtyard, where some of the servants were still going about their duties, wrapping up for the day, while Robb, Theon and Garlan were engaging in some sort of archery contest. Leonette was sat on top of a haybale, looking rather entertained, and Eddmina felt a burn of jealousy, wanting nothing more than to beat all of the boys at a sport she knew she excelled in. Willas seemed to sense that, noticing the way she clenched her jaw ever so slightly.

"Mina, you can't-" he began, but cut himself off when she scowled at him. "You know that, of course."

"Of course," she muttered, and at that exact moment Theon let an arrow fly. It barely missed the bullseye. "I can shoot better than that."

"Yes, but at least pride yourself on the fact that his jaw is still badly bruised," Willas whispered into her ear with a faint smile.

Eddmina wanted to be irritated at that, but she couldn't help but smirk at Willas' amusement. She wasn't particularly proud of her actions that led to Theon's inured jaw, and she'd hardly spoken to him since, but at least it had taught him a lesson. He'd stayed away and out of her business, and though she missed him as a friend she couldn't bare the way he had acted. She hoped that by the time she had to leave the North they'd at least reconcile.

Though, reconciliation or not, Eddmina still wished she could beat Theon at archery. Over the past few months she'd stayed away from the targets in case she suffered a bout of envy, so now she was stood before the archery range she realised just how much she'd missed the sport. She used to practice with Loras when she was in Highgarden, and though he was good, he wasn't as fierce a competitor. Loras was good, but Garlan was far better, as demonstrated when his arrow found it's home in the bullseye. Theon clenched his bruised jaw at the thought of a southerner beating him, while Leonette whooped in pride. Eddmina was certain she was still better than him, too.

As the couple joined the rest of the group - much to Eddmina's dismay, wanting to stay as far away from the targets as possible to avoid temptation - the gates opened. The guards seemed to straighten themselves, readying for the impending arrival, and Robb immediately gathered up the bows, crossing the range to collect the arrows. Gently pulling her arm free from Willas', Eddmina followed her brother and pulled one of the looser arrows out of the target. Robb raised his eyebrow at her.

"Oh, be quiet," she scowled at him, handing him the arrows as he placed the bows back into their holders at the sides of the targets.

"I didn't say anything!" he laughed. With a glance to the Tyrells, he lowered his voice before asking, "Do you still think there'll be trouble tonight?"

"I don't think, I know," she whispered back to him. "Best to just leave them all to it, even I don't want to get involved."

"That'll be difficult considering it's all about you," he pointed out, glancing over to the gates in anticipated dread. "This visit isn't going to be as grand as their last, they'll probably think of us different."

"Bit late for a change of opinions," she reminded him as she felt a sharp kick in her side.

There was a noise of thunderous footsteps coming from the gateway, and Eddmina was sure she would have thought it was the Tyrell party arriving had the footsteps not been followed by howls. Four direwolves came running through, looking like a mad, wild pack, but the moment the biggest one saw Robb his ears pricked up and his tail wagged, changing direction to storm over to his master. Honour was right behind Greywind, though a little gentler as she padded over to her, tongue hanging out as her topaz eyes sparkled in the twilight. It would have been sweet, had her muzzle not been stained bright red.

"You find some rabbit, girl?" Eddmina chuckled. In response Honour licked at the blood soaking her nose, though that did little to clean up the mess.

Carefully, and with Robb holding her arm to steady her, Eddmina knelt next to her wolf who sat neatly, her tail still twitching. With the edge of her cloak, Eddmina attempted to blot some of the blood away, and Honour sat perfectly with her topaz eyes fixed on her fascinatedly. Greywind padded over curiously, and his sister let out a whine to him. It was almost like she was telling her brother to be gentle around her mistress, and after glancing up at Robb, he sat down next to Honour.

"I think he wants to be next," Robb noted with a small smile of amusement, kneeling next to her.

The problem was, both wolves had light muzzles, making it hard to rub away the deep red stains, so eventually Eddmina gave up with a shrug, instead scratching behind their ears as a reward for sitting so still. Getting carried away with the attention, Greywind pounced slightly to lick at her face, and out of either protectiveness or her own affection, Honour knocked her brother away to place several slobbery kisses onto Eddmina's cheeks. She laughed in surprise, so distracted in her amusement that she didn't hear the sound of horses, or the wheels of a carriage.

She did, however, hear a horrified shriek of her name, and when she looked up she saw Lady Tyrell stood on the steps of the decadent carriage that couldn't look more out of place. Stood behind her looking over her shoulder was Margaery, buried in several layers of fur, her expression matching her mother's, meanwhile Lady Olenna was wearing a look of subdued unconcern. Then Eddmina realised exactly what the scene of the courtyard looked like: her, heavily pregnant with the Tyrell heir, being 'attacked' by blood-soaked wolves. She gently pushed both Honour and Greywind away, offering a small smile of greeting as she attempted to ignore the way both Willas and Garlan seemed to be holding back laughter at the misinterpretation.

Willas caught Eddmina's eye just as she was frowning at him and he immediately sobered, clearing his throat and standing a little straighter, elbowing Garlan who reacted the same. Leonette nudged him as she hopped off her seat and before Eddmina could protest Garlan was by her side and helping her back to her feet, holding one arm while Robb held the other. She felt a little foolish, but in truth she wouldn't have been able to get back off the ground so quietly mumbled her thanks as she moved back to Willas' side. He took her hand, squeezing it three times and offering her a smile of reassurance, though she was unsure if he was reassuring her or was asking for it himself. She smiled back at him regardless, and the two of them walked over to the carriage together, but by that time Lord Mace had ridden in followed by a small guard, and Eddmina was sure she'd never seen her goodfather look so serious.

"Those damned wolves have surrounded us from halfway up the road, we thought we'd be attacked!" he bellowed as he dismounted, and Eddmina heard Garlan sigh disdainfully from behind as he and Leonette joined them. "I nearly gave the order to have them shot, especially the black one."

"'The black one' is Shaggydog and belongs to Lord Rickon, I'm sure he'd have something to say about that," Willas remarked, glancing across the courtyard where the wolf in question was trotting off in the direction of the kitchens. He was the wildest, and went wherever he fancied. "Glad to know you had a memorable journey. I trust the rest of it was safe?"

"Safe enough, but gods it was dull," Olenna's voice came as she shoved her way out of the carriage, clearly too bored to follow the expected greeting order. "We sailed past Bear Island, no wonder your Aunt Lynesse ran off to Lys, it barely looked inhabited. As for the rest of this place-"

"Welcome to Winterfell," Eddmina interrupted with a polite smile before glancing to the two other ladies waiting in the carriage, clearly wary of the new residents that hadn't been a part of the keep on their last visit. "Welcome back.  No need to worry about the wolves. They're loyal, they won't hurt anyone unless they hurt one of us."

For a split second Eddmina thought about her would-be assassin, and the way Honour tore his throat out. For a split second she could almost smell the blood again. Her throat tightened slightly, her grip on Willas' hand tightening. He noticed, and practically sensed her reliving the memory as he squeezed her hand back, his thumb running over her knuckles. She felt her wolf bump into her leg, heard her let out a quiet whine as she sat at her side, looking at the newcomers. That made her focus again as she forced a smile.

Both Margaery and Lady Alerie seemed to look out at the courtyard carefully as if trying to spot where the wolves had all gone. Greywind was at Robb's side, who was standing back, allowing the Tyrells to have their moment. Both Shaggy and Summer had sulked off to find their masters, leaving just Honour, who was still sat neatly at Eddmina's side, watching everyone carefully, observant as always. With a small sigh, Eddmina touched the wolf's head gently and as soon as she had her attention she gestured for her to leave. She was clearly hesitant, not wanting to go while there was still such interesting new people, but she huffed and got up, padding off across the courtyard and down one of the alleys, possibly heading off to the chamber in hopes to curl up on the bed. Greywind followed her eagerly, and only when they were gone did the Tyrell ladies step out of the carriage. Eddmina didn't blame them really, remembering how Robb and Jon told them that even Jory and Ser Rodrik were cautious around them when they were nothing but pups.

Margaery seemed to instantly regain her confidence, crossing the distance at a run as she first hugged her brother before wrapping her arms around Eddmina's shoulders, beaming at her.

"It's so wonderful to see you!" she greeted them, hugging Eddmina tightly before she looked her up and down, her voice barely above a whisper as she added, "You look well, I'm glad to see my wedding present was put to good use."

Eddmina was sure she was blushing, and Willas bit his lip to stop himself from scowling at his little sister, but she was gone before either of them could say anything, moved on to greet Garlan and Leonette. Lady Olenna was in front of them instead and while Willas embraced his grandmother, Eddmina merely smiled and curtseyed, unsure if their relationship had ever reached the hugging stage. She wondered the same with Lady Alerie, but before she had the chance to go for simple polite courtesies the Lady of Highgarden had pulled her close, a relieved smile on her face.

"I do apologise for the dramatics, dear, but you can imagine what we thought..." he greeted her, her hands taking hold of Eddmina's and squeezing them tightly. "I'm glad to see you."

"Does that extend to me, too?" Willas asked with a small smile that made his mother sigh and roll her eyes, dropping Eddmina's hands as he hugged her son, kissing his cheek. When she rolled her eyes, Eddmina saw the resemblance between the two of them.

"Of course it does, lovely boy," she smiled at him, whispering the pet name, keeping her voice low as she told the both of them, "This whole farce is nothing to do with me, I promise you."

"We knew," Willas hugged his mother tightly before he took hold of Eddmina's hand again.

Seeing the closeness between Willas and his mother made Eddmina feel the gentle burning of envy. Until then she hadn't realised quite how much she missed her own parents, or quite how badly she wished they were both in Winterfell with her. Lady Alerie was kind and clearly adored Willas, there was no sighs of annoyance or disappointment, no look of dejection, and Eddmina decided she actually rather liked her goodmother. She was different to her own mother, but that wasn't a bad thing.

Of course, whatever closeness Willas had with his mother despite the situation wasn't reflected with his father. Lady Alerie was visibly frustrated by the short, awkward greeting between father and son, and Eddmina was relieved when Robb finally stepped up. He'd given them all sufficient time to reacquaint themselves, and she hadn't noticed just how tense she was until her brother took his place at her side.

"Welcome to Winterfell," Robb nodded once, and his sister was a little taken a back by how much he reminded her of their father. "We're glad to have you all. There wasn't much notice before your visit so it's not as grand as your first-"

"Well if certain individuals who are present had opened their letters sooner there would be more than enough notice," Lady Olenna stated, and all eyes fell to Willas. He tightened his grip on both Eddmina's hand and his cane.

"Not now, mother," Lord Mace hissed, before he glanced around the courtyard. "Where's Lady Stark? We were under the impression that she had remained North?"

"Our mother has gone to visit our Aunt Lysa in the Eyrie," Robb answered smoothly without hesitation, the lie coming naturally to him while Eddmina struggled not to clench her jaw. "I'm sure you've all had a long journey-"

"Glad to know the future Lord of Winterfell has a capable grasp on Westerosi geography," Olenna remarked again, and this time she heard Garlan curse under his breath while Willas bit back a sigh of frustration.

"I'll have your belongings taken up to your rooms, and the kitchen staff have prepared suppers for you all," Robb continued as if he wasn't just insulted.

"In the meantime," Willas spoke before anyone else had the chance to. "Is there a place we could all go for some privacy? I believe we're in need of a talk."

***

Robb had so graciously allowed them use of the main study for their family meeting, though of course all Eddmina could think about as she sat down in front of the fire was that it was the very same room in which the wedding preparations had been finalised. She remembered sitting across from her father, feeling so small as her life was taken from her own hands, control given to someone else, and how it had taken all her strength to keep her face neutral, desperate not to cry or show any sort of emotion at all. She didn't feel that way anymore, not as she sat with her arms wrapped around her bump, Leonette next to her while Garlan and Willas stood behind them. Things had worked out, her situation vastly different compared to the last time she was within the confines of the study, yet as the other Tyrells sat opposite them, Eddmina couldn't help but think of the time before. She was just glad no one had taken a seat in her father's chair.

It felt like everyone was looking at her and Willas, especially as the room was echoing in silence. Considering it was Willas who had demanded the talk, he was surprisingly silent, as if waiting for someone else to begin, the someone else most likely being his father since he was staring at him expectantly. Not even Lady Olenna seemed interested in starting the conversation, which was unexpected as she was usually determined to force her opinion on whoever was close enough to hear. Margaery was sat next to her goodsisters, yet her eyes flicked between her parents and siblings as if conflicted as to who's side she associated with, and Eddmina wondered just what Margaery must have heard on the journey north.

Eventually it was Lady Alerie who broke the silence, clearing her throat a little awkwardly, yet she was such an elegant woman it hardly seemed out of place. She looked over her eldest son with kind, apologetic eyes that quickly moved on to look at Eddmina's stomach.

"How far along are you, Eddmina dear?" Lady Tyrell asked, her voice carrying nothing but compassion.

"Almost eight months," she answered quietly, making eye contact with each of the senior Tyrells, knowing they were all doing sums to figure out if they had the time to rush her home to Highgarden.

"Plenty of time if we sail and catch the right winds," Lady Olenna, ever the quickest wit in the room, was the first to reach the conclusion. "We brought with us enough handmaidens and midwives should you need them."

"My wife isn't going to be rushed home," Willas snapped protectively, his temper on a short fuse, his voice hot. "What, you want her to give birth on some ship in the middle of the sea just off the Shield Islands?"

"At least that is in the South," the old woman replied dismissively, and Eddmina felt the hand on her shoulder tighten. "This is our decision to make, you're not the head of the family quite yet."

"No, but I'm Mina's husband, which places me in charge of her welfare," he stated. Eddmina had never heard him be so angry with his family before.

"Both of my grandmothers died having children," Eddmina cut in, determined to not sit back and let Willas take charge of everything. She was still more than capable of speaking for herself. "I know my mother has had difficulties too, so since Maester Luwin has advised me not to travel, I will be following his guidance. I would rather not risk tempting my family history."

From behind she heard Willas inhale sharply, as if he was in pain, and she daren't look at him. It was the first time she'd ever spoken of her anxieties, and while she hadn't laid herself bare and detailed exactly how she had thought for weeks that she might join her grandmothers, she hoped it was enough. At least if she was to die it would be in Winterfell, not on some ship rushing to Highgarden to fulfil the Tyrell's foolish wishes.

No one spoke for a while, as if no one knew what to say. Willas was still gripping her shoulder tightly, as if his hold was the only thing keeping her with him. Lady Alerie was looking at her sympathetically, though Eddmina had turned her gaze to the floor. Lord Mace and Lady Olenna, however, were looking to Willas, who couldn't find it in him to meet their eyes, instead focusing on his wife. Eddmina wished someone would say something and change to topic, anything that shifted the attention away from her.

"We haven't travelled all this way to fail in bringing you all home," Lord Mace said simply, his mother rolling her eyes while all Eddmina could think was how Winterfell was her home.

If she opened up a little maybe they'd leave her alone. If she allowed herself to break down and detail all her fears perhaps they would finally see sense. She could tell them all about the attack and how it had triggered some sort of existentialism within her, how she was sure her days were numbered since the gods had already marked her for death. She could tell them that she wanted to be at home so she was close to her north-bound family members, Robb especially. She could cry about how truly terrified she was for everything that was coming far too quickly and she could scream about how much she wished her mother was with her to make her feel like everything happening is normal and safe, and perhaps if she told them everything they would give in.

That wasn't Eddmina's way though. She couldn't imagine actually telling any of her fears to anyone, not even Willas as she knew what the worry would do to him, so she sat in silence, wondering if anyone could read the fear and frustration radiating off her. So rather than finally letting everything out she kept it all in her mind, her thoughts screaming while her words remained silent.

"It's important that you have your heir in Highgarden," Lord Tyrell said, his eyes fixed on Willas. "The bannermen need it, they need to-"

"Oh, father, fuck the bannermen," Garlan exasperatedly sighed, running his hand through his hair as a frustrated smirk appeared momentarily appeared on his face. Leonette and Margaery gasped a little while Willas fought off a proud grin. "Surely you'd rather your family remain alive and your gooddaughter safe rather than pander to pricks like Randyll Tarly?"

"Tarly?" Eddmina cut in as she frowned, recalling the latest letter from Jon, one that detailed his newest brother and the cruelty he'd faced at the hands of his father.

'Not even I as a bastard could say I'd faced such despicable treatment,' Jon had wrote. 'I never expected trueborn sons to be so hated.'

"Good to see the future Lady of Highgarden at least knows one of the liege houses," Lady Olenna remarked, though everyone ignored her.

"Randyll Tarly threatened to murder his son and heir if he didn't join the Night's Watch," Eddmina folded her arms irritatedly, feeling a fire brew inside of her. "If you expect me to risk mine and my child's health so that a man like him can come and finally offer his approval towards my husband, who has frankly earnt it through far greater trials than fathering a child, you will be disappointed."

Eddmina didn't care if he was a bannerman. If Samwell Tarly was Jon's brother, that meant he was hers too, and she wouldn't allow such cruelty to go unnoticed. She certainly wouldn't value his opinion as a deciding factor towards her journeying south, though her outburst certainly had changed the atmosphere of the room. The tension could be cut through with a sword, and though Lady Olenna muttered something about being disappointed already, Eddmina was left with no regrets. Willas leant down and pushed a kiss to the top of her head while Leonette elbowed her in solidarity.

It was then that through the cracked-open window the noise of howling wolves travelled into the room. The Tyrells excluding the three long-term visitors to Winterfell all seemed to flinch, while Eddmina smirked slightly. Sometimes the four wolves did that at night, howling up at the moon repeatedly as if seeing who could do it the loudest. They were still pups at heart, and it reminded Eddmina of the games she used to play with her siblings when they were younger, how she, Jon, and Robb used to dare each other to ride further and further into the wolf's wood when they were unsupervised, or how they used to hide around the castle and whistle to each other to clue out where they were hidden. At the heart of it, the wolf pack of Winterfell was very much similar to the children who had grown up in the castle.

While Eddmina heard howls and thought of her childhood and Honour, the southerners clearly thought of horror stories of monsters. As if knowing that they would not come to an easy conclusion to their current conversation, Lord Mace glanced warily out of the window, like he was expecting one of them to jump through the glass.

"Where did the wolves come from?" Margaery asked curiously.

"My brothers found them one day in the woodlands when my father rode out to execute a deserter," she explained, realising just how northern she sounded. "There were seven of them, one for each of us. Father said it was like a sign from the gods."

"Arrangements must also be made as to who will look after the wolf when you return," Lord Tyrell said as he turned back to face her, for the first time all night carrying some sense of strength to his tone. "I'm sure your brothers wouldn't mind caring for another-"

"No," Eddmina shook her head as she interrupted, wanting to get rid of the conversation as quickly as possible, the topic not worth considering. "No, no, no, Honour stays with me. I won't abandon her."

"There are plenty of dogs you can choose from in Highgarden for you to keep as a pet, a wolf doesn't belong in the south, dear," Lady Alerie attempted kindly, while Eddmina shook her head, feeling rather foolish as she found herself fighting off tears.

All night Alerie had been on their side. She had been the only one of the senior Tyrells who seemed to agree with the plan to remain North, but now they were at a disagreement. As no one else had dared speak, Eddmina felt as though she had not just lost an ally, but lost everyone, as if she was completely alone in the room, everyone against her. It was surprising to her that she hadn't cried when faced with thinking about her grandmothers or her fear of childbirth and death, but even briefly considering abandoning Honour left her shaken.

"She's mine, she stays with me," she stated, glancing behind her to Willas desperately, feeling his hand on her shoulder tighten. For once she wanted him to speak for her, to put his foot down again. "She saved my life, she's a part of me."

Eddmina recalled heartbroken letters from Sansa, the ink smudged with tears, and a furious letter from Arya, the handwriting untidier than usual. Both girls had lost their wolves, Nymeria gone missing for her own good, and Lady put down in an act of revenge, killed by their father of all people. She'd cried reading of her sisters' pain, and the night she received the letters she slept with Honour cuddled up to her. The wolves were meant for them, protectors from the Old Gods for each of the Stark children. Summer had saved Bran's life; Honour had saved Eddmina. Jon had wrote of Ghost protecting him from the more cruel recruits of the Night's Watch. Eddmina had watched as Shaggydog growled anytime a stranger went near Rickon. They were protectors alright, and her sisters were now without in the most dangerous city in the known world. Without their wolves her sisters were alone, especially considering their habit of fighting. They were without their wolves, a life Eddmina refused to imagine for herself.

"Honour doesn't leave Eddmina's side," Willas confirmed simply yet firmly. His gaze was fixed, his eyes glinting with determination, looking as if he was asking for someone to challenge him just so he could snap. Eddmina wondered if she had ever loved him more.

"Don't be a fool, Willas," Lady Olenna was the only one brave enough. "It's a wild beast-"

"I thought that was what you called me? Or was that just Wildling?" Eddmina crossed her arms, speaking quickly before she could regret it, even if Lord and Lady Tyrell had turned displeased expressions to her. "Either Honour returns to Highgarden with me, or I don't return. It's simple."

"And wherever Mina goes, I go," Willas stated plainly.

It was simple what he was saying. If Eddmina refused to return, he would too. Either his family respected her, or they lost the heir. It was a big statement to make, an awful ultimatum that had visibly upset Lady Alerie to the point Margaery glared at her older brother as if begging him to apologise. Willas remained unmoved, though it helped he wasn't looking at his mother. He wasn't looking at Eddmina or his grandmother either, his stare fixed on his father. The silent exchange between them ran a lot deeper than the current disagreement, Eddmina recognised parental tension well enough from her own experience, and while she was immensely proud of the strength he was showing, she had never seen Willas so purposeful. The closest example was when he promised he would have killed Eddmina's would-be assassin had Honour not done the favour for him, and that had frightened her a little. She wasn't truly scared of Willas, if anything he was the one man save any of her blood family that she never felt fear around, yet she couldn't help but feel a little wary of his fury.

"I thought I'd raised you well enough to put the duty of our house over any other, especially the foolish whims of some paltry northerners," Lord Mace finally spoke coldly, and it was impossible to ignore how, for a split second, his gaze flicked to Eddmina. She remained expressionless.

"It was you who demanded me into marriage, perhaps you're regretting it now I'm making good on my vows and you're faced with the reality of the northern alliance you were so desperate for," Willas said, surprisingly calm.

Eddmina recalled the last time she was in that study with them all. The moment she had heard enough she had rose and asked her father to be excused. He wasn't with them now, and she certainly didn't need the permission of anyone who viewed her as their lesser, so she got up from her seat. At least the first time before she stormed off she had been able to rise unassisted, but now Garlan quickly moved to help her, though as soon as she was on her feet she turned to Willas.

He'd been behind her the whole time so she was seeing his face for the first time. He was hiding his emotions very well, but deep down she could see the hurt, the sadness, the fury, all of it threatening to spill out the moment the floodgates of his temper gave way. She adored him, even with his pain, but she couldn't be there for the moment he gave in to his anger. She reached out and placed her hand on his cheek, guiding his face so he would finally break his stare with his father and look at her. The moment his eyes fell onto her his whole look softened, his previously tense stature relaxing a little, and with the hand that wasn't clutching his cane he touched her belly gently, just in time to feel their child kick. A thousand words were exchanged between them both in a single look, all of them reassurance, and he leant own to push a single kiss to her forehead.

"I'm tired," she told him honestly, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "I'm going to retire and I expect you to join me in no more than an hour."

He nodded, despite the conflict within. He clearly wanted to remain all night shouting at his family if it meant they finally saw his way, but another part of him wanted nothing more than to be with her. He kissed her again, and before he could say anything she placed her hand on his, squeezing it before she pulled away, heading to the door and leaving without acknowledging anyone else.

None of the Tyrells could see her, but she remained strong, keeping her head held high and her posture straight, though on the inside she wanted to scream. Her whole being felt strained, her stomach tight as her body seemed to throb with aches. She somehow made it from the study to her chambers without stumbling, walking the whole way as if the eyes of the world were on her despite her solitude. It was only when the door was shut and she was alone with no one but Honour - who was curled up innocently at the foot of the bed, her tail crashing into the floor excitedly at the sight of Eddmina - that she finally felt her façade break. She managed to undress herself and pull on a nightgown before the tears fell, but as soon as she was in bed hidden under the covers she was crying. Honour pounced up onto the bed, whining in concern as she laid as close to Eddmina as possible, and in that moment she felt as though they were the only two beings left in the world.

She wasn't particularly sure why she was crying, her thoughts a big jumbled mess, but she knew that despite exhaustion it would be impossible to sleep until all the thoughts were gone, or at least cried over for a while. With the candle still flickering at her bedside, Eddmina screwed her eyes shut, wanting her husband, or her brother, or anyone, for company.

The tears had stopped coming by the time Willas slipped into their chamber, though her cheeks were still shining with their stains. The ominous creak of the door as he tried to be as quiet as possible threw her back to the night of the attack so she shot up in bed, Honour jumping to her feet, snarling protectively until she saw Willas and her ears went back, her tail wagging. Even in the dim lighting Eddmina could see the slight horror on his face as he realised what his quiet entrance had reminded her of.

"Oh, gods, I'm sorry," he gasped out instantly, though she wasn't sure if he was just talking about the door creak. "I'm so sorry, my Mina."

She merely shook her head, her throat too tight to speak. As she'd sat up so suddenly she felt her stomach cramp up so she rubbed it in an attempt to easy the slight pain while Willas merely watched her as if unsure what to do. He looked as though he'd been fighting off tears, his eyes a little bloodshot and his face flushed, so Eddmina quickly forgot about her own worries as she leant over, holding her hand out for him to take. He intertwined his fingers with hers as he came closer to the bed, taking a seat next to her and wrapping her up into his embrace, burying her face into his chest. His heart was racing and he felt warm considering the fact there was a light summer snowfall occurring just outside the walls, his chest riding and falling as he seemed to be coming down from his intense outburst with his family. She wondered just what she had missed after her departure, and part of her didn't really want to know.

"You're the greatest thing in the world to me," he promised firmly, his lips next to her ear as he moved up to kiss her temple. "Forget them, forget them all, you're all that matters to me."

"Willas," she breathed out before pulling away from his embrace. "I'm not leaving Honour behind-"

"I'd never ask you to," he shook his head, interrupting to make sure she knew just how angry he was at the suggestion himself.

"And I won't leave behind my heritage either," she continued firmly, feeling all of her frustrations rise to the surface. "I won't be made to feel like I'm nothing but some woman that your family were kind enough to take pity on and help me escape a poor life in the cold, some woman who's only purpose is to give you heirs and make your bannermen like you. It wasn't my family who were insistent on a betrothal, remember."

"No, it was the King who wanted us married," Willas spoke, sitting up a little straighter, almost defensive. He was annoyed at his family still, yet he couldn't help but also be annoyed at the way she was speaking of them. "He wanted one of the houses who fought against him in the rebellion to show their fealty, and knowing my family were desperate to pair me with someone and knowing your father would never say no to him, the King thought us a suitable pair."

"So what you're saying is that there's nothing about this that's ideal," she summarised, taking her hand out of his to fold her arms across her chest. Willas looked at her, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he didn't understand her. "Neither of our families ever wanted this and now we're stuck dealing with the consequences."

"No, Eddmina, that's not what I'm saying because that's actually rather hurtful," he stated with a frown, and she'd never seen him look at her like that. "I love you, you're not some aftermath of my family's ambitions and I'm not your hindrance of your father's loyalty."

"Well that's certainly not how I felt in that study while they were all plotting how to get me home as quick as possible and how to get rid of my pet," she reminded him, trying to keep her voice down, determined that the conversation wouldn't escalate further than it already had done. It wasn't an argument, she refused for it to be an argument. "I know I'm not what your family want for you in a wife, I knew right from the start. I'm some strange curiosity from a wasteland."

"And do you really think your family want me as your husband?" he asked quickly, his voice much calmer than it had been talking to his family yet still not his usual soft, kind tone. "I'm the silly southerner who whisked you far away from them all. The way you feel around my family is no different to how I feel whenever your brothers glare at me or your mother can't even bare to look me in the eye."

Eddmina was on the verge of telling him that her mother struggled to look her in the eye most of the time too but stopped herself. She felt like crying again, her body feeling just as tense as it had done before as she fled the study. She wasn't meant to feel that way around him, he'd promised to never make her feel like that, but then one look to him she could see his body language was all wrong too. The only time they'd ever argued before had been the night of their betrothal when he'd followed her, desperate to apologise when she just really didn't want to hear it.

Whenever he looked stressed or concerned his forehead would crease ever so slightly and his lips would tighten, as if he was unable to hide his mental turmoil. He was pulling that expression, as well as running his hand through his hair. She'd once heard Garlan joke that he'd make himself bald by his next nameday if he kept thinking so hard, unable to stop fiddling with his curls while woolgathering. Considering how comfortable they usually were around each other, right from the very start of their marriage, Eddmina hated that they were making each other feel so strained. She wanted things to be how they usually were, how things were when they felt happy and carefree, and Honour, still laid between the two of them, clearly felt the same as she got up and licked at Willas' face. He didn't crack a smile, but he did at least pet her, beckoning her close. Eddmina took that opportunity to reach out and place her hand on top of his, stroking her thumb across his knuckles.

Willas let out a long sigh. He didn't look at her, though Eddmina was desperate for him to. She wanted him to see how badly she needed him, and she wanted to see that look reflected in his eyes too.

"You once told me that everything you did was to prove yourself to your family, to make your mother see that you were worthy, and strong, and everything the eldest child should be," he spoke tiredly, rubbing his brow until he eventually looked up at her. "Do you really think it is any different to me? My father's a fat fool, my grandmother is viciously ambitious, I know that, but I still love them and want them to think the best of me. You of all people know what it's like for expectations to be unreasonably difficult to match, and even with that damned joust I've always tried to do exactly what was needed of me. From spending endless hours sparring and training as a knight, studying every map in the library until my eyes stung, everything I was, was through my need to prove myself. Yes, at first, our marriage was a part of that, but then I met you and you were so different and I just knew you were so much more than a contractual obligation. You changed everything, you changed every single priority. I didn't make my wedding vows on behalf of my family's ambitions, I said the words for us because I knew I wanted to be with you regardless of everything else."

That was more than enough for her, as she wrapped her arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer. She buried her face into the crook of his neck and as her nightgown slipped off her shoulder slightly she felt his lips trace feather-light kisses against her skin. With a huff Honour pulled out from between them and jumped off the bed, and the two of them took that opportunity to close the gap, Willas' hand on her waist as she held his back. It wasn't a rare occurrence that they got lost in each other as they enjoyed an intimate relationship even from the start, but there was something different about that embrace. It was almost as if they understood each other better, as if they had learnt something new that enabled them to love each other even deeper.

"You're not just a contract to me," she whispered after a long, loving silence. "I know you care, you're a good man, I've known it since the start, and damn everyone else you're more than enough. You have nothing to prove, to anyone."

Eddmina had never felt closer to Willas, and vice versa. As they swore their love over and over again both of them knew that they had the unconditional support of the other, and both of them knew that they would forever have each other on the journey they were about to embark on. Yet, what neither of them knew was that at that exact moment, the true Lady of Winterfell was in a tavern on her way home, about to take action and change the entire course of their lives.

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