'I am on my way home to you, my dear wife. I have been so grateful for the opportunity to visit the Wall, and with such excellent company too, yet the entire time I have wished to have you with me. I hope you are well, you and our child, and I cannot wait until I have you in my arms again. With love and endless affection, your husband.'

"You've already read that letter three times this morning," Bran pointed out with a slight scowl, not even smiling as he saw his sister's cheeks turn pink.

It was true, but what Bran didn't know was that the letter had arrived two days before and in that time she had already committed it entirely to memory. It wasn't particularly interesting, his letters back in their courting days in Highgarden had been vastly longer and carried more detail, yet it still quickly became her most treasured possession. It had been so long since she had seen Willas and even longer since he had written her a letter so she had read it over and over, even carrying it with her wherever she went, not that she went far considering she only really went to the Godswood and Bran's room.

The latter had become a much more eventful place in the days that had followed Bran waking up. It had happened a week after their mother departed for King's Landing, and since then he was yet to leave his room. He was stubborn, like all of the Starks, yet this stubbornness was more out of anger and upset than anything else. Eddmina liked being right, but she hated that she was right about Bran's mood following his awakening. He had been exactly like how she'd told her mother he would be, confused at what had happened, frustrated that he could no longer walk or climb, and downright depressed that his dreams had been taken from him. Three days after he woke up he told his eldest siblings that with everyone leaving Winterfell it was like he had fallen asleep and by the time he woke up everyone had died, only to follow that up with the declaration that he too would rather be dead, and Eddmina had to leave the room so he didn't see her tear up. She decided then that she would spend all her time with him, and so she took every meal with him, stayed up in his tower room until the early hours and returned each morning at first light. She was exhausted, but was certain she would be anyway considering how much her child now moved, especially at night.

"You can read it yourself if you like," she suggested, offering the letter to her little brother, smirking slightly as he grimaced in disgust. "He asked how you were, he says he's looking forward to seeing you again,"

Bran didn't say anything, he merely looked up at the ceiling, and so Eddmina bit her lip slightly as she tried to think of something else to say. Usually their conversations revolved solely around climbing and adventures, or stories of knights of the golden age. It felt cruel to bring up those topics, and so she found herself at a loss for what they could now talk about. She racked her mind, desperately trying to think of anything that would take his mind away from what was happening.

"I can go get my lute if you'd like, I've been learning some new songs from that book Princess Arianne sent to me," she suggested on a whim, despite knowing Bran had no interest in music.

"What's Dorne like?" Bran asked, almost boredly.

"It's warm, but brilliant," she told him. "Sunspear is beautiful, the gardens are even better than those in Highgarden, though I wouldn't tell any of the Tyrells that. The Martells were very accommodating to me too. I'd like to visit again one day, perhaps you could come with us?"

"I won't be able to go though, will I?" he spoke bitterly, clenching his jaw. "I can't go anywhere anymore,"

"Whoever said that?" she narrowed her eyes at him stubbornly before offering him a smile, leaning over and taking his hand. "I know things seem dire right now, but we're going to do everything we can for you to give you the best life possible. I'll be damned if you don't get every opportunity to thrive, you don't deserve any less than anyone else."

Bran didn't respond, but Eddmina didn't expect him to. She knew for a fact that if she was in his position she'd be just the same, but those were the only words that she could think of that would truly tell him how much she supported him. She'd never told him how it had been her to carry him home and she didn't intend to, not wanting to relive that awful day, but that didn't mean she didn't hold herself personally responsible. Part of her still thought if she'd moved quicker maybe she could have caught him, and so she had silently decided that she would hold herself responsible to make sure he had everything he could ever want.

Cracking a small smile despite not really feeling like smiling at all, she leant over and squeezed his arm gently. When her brother looked at her, his dark eyes meeting her blue, the smile felt easier, and she remembered just how young he was, so undeserving to his current circumstances.

"I asked Gage to make me some cakes this morning, I was craving lemon but he said best he could do was apple, shall I go see if he's made them? I can raid the kitchen for you, get you some pies?" she asked, raising her eyebrow daringly at him.

For the first time all day, Bran cracked a smile, and it was highly contagious. Just as he was about to respond, the door to his room opened, and both of them looked to see Theon in the doorway. He had a look on his face that Eddmina had seen countless times before, usually whenever she sent him out of her room or told him that she wasn't interested in his company that particular night. He was irritated over something, and the way that his eyes landed on Eddmina first gave her a good clue as to what was wrong. He didn't focus on her though, instead looking to Bran with a smirk that wasn't entirely kind. Typical Theon, to take his own frustrations and take it out on someone else's misery.

"Bored yet?" he asked Bran. Eddmina scowled at him as she saw her brother's expression darken once more. "I'd be bored too, Eddmina's dull company, imagine being stuck in a room alone with her."

"You seemed to like it well enough once upon a time," she muttered under her breath, so low no one could hear her, but Theon knew the words had been spoken and so grinned at her. "What do you want? Your lady of the establishment turn you away so you've come to bother us?"

"Bold of you to assume I only have one," he smirked again, and Eddmina tried not to give him the pleasure of grimacing uncomfortably. "Besides, Robb's sent me up for you. The visitors have returned, and Lord Tyrion wants to speak to Bran."

The visitors. Willas. Eddmina couldn't stop the grin that burst onto her face, though she noticed the sour expression on Theon's face at her joy. She glanced to Bran as if asking for permission, and when he shrugged and nodded towards the door she kissed his cheek in excitement, much to his annoyance, and shot up out of her seat, crossing the room quickly. She was still holding Willas' letter so folded it up into her pocket before she headed out into the hallway, only to be stopped by Theon as he grabbed her arm.

"Just a word of warning, Lady Leonette got to your husband first, he knows about your..." Theon told her, drifting off before he gestured to her left arm, still bandaged as she recovered from the sprain inflicted by her would-be assassin.

If Theon noticed the panic that washed over her, Eddmina didn't stay to find out. Any sort of excitement was replaced with worry, unsure of how her husband would react to the news that her life had been in danger in the one place she promised him she would be safe. She wasn't sure what to expect when seeing him, so she rushed down the corridor, practically running down the twisting stairs of the Stark family tower. It didn't help her nerves were paired with the baby kicking, acting as a reminder of the gravity of the situation, and part of Eddmina felt as though she wanted to hide away until she had at least calmed down a little.

That became impossible the moment she stepped out into the courtyard and saw the arrival party. There were two horses already being tended to by the stable boys, horses that weren't half as recognisable as the other two, who Eddmina would recognise anywhere considering they had been bred and raised by Willas and were two of his pride and joy stallions. Their riders were close by too, and the sight of the two returning Tyrells made Eddmina's chest tighten. As Theon had said, Leonette was already there, caught in a tight embrace with Garlan who was bent over to hug her properly, his face buried in the crook of her neck, looking as though he never wanted to let her go. Leonette looked to be crying, the sight making Eddmina smile as she knew how desperately she had missed Garlan. Even if she was truly angry with her for telling Willas about the attack, she could at least appreciate her sister's happiness.

Willas, however, was tending to his horse, adjusting it's saddle straps and buckles with expertly practiced fingers. It looked like a particularly common thing to do, especially after a long ride, but Eddmina knew it was one of his ways of channelling nervous energy, to pour all of his focus onto his animals. She noticed a glint in his eyes that she'd never seen before, and couldn't tell if it was fear, anger, or something else entirely different. Regardless of her own nerves, the sight of him was overwhelming, love, lust and elation to see him overriding any sort of hesitation as she took off at a run once more, not stopping until she was at his side, throwing her arms around his shoulders.

She'd taken him by surprise, but he quickly recovered, wrapping his own arms around her tightly, as if he was scared that she could just disappear. He let go of her momentarily, though that was only to look her up and down, as if checking for any sign of injury, his green eyes clouded with concern. Not wanting their reunion to be spoilt, she moved her hands to hold his face, forcing his vision away from her body and onto her face, before she pushed her lips against his. It was meant as a gentle kiss, but she couldn't stop one of her hands drifting to the back of his head, her fingers knotting into his curls, and when she felt his tongue against her lips she could hardly remember that they were in the middle of the courtyard in plain view of anyone, let alone the staff who had known Eddmina her whole life. Anyone could walk by and see them, not to mention Leonette and Garlan were still close by, but none of that mattered, not to either of them. Any thought of anyone else was far away, Willas being Eddmina's only concern. Perhaps if she kissed him like that he'd forget all about what he'd heard and he wouldn't worry too much.

Their only interruption came when Eddmina felt the baby kick, so she quickly moved one of her hands from his face to his that had previously been squeezed against the small of her back, guiding it to her stomach in the hopes that he'd be able to feel the movement too. She assumed he did, as he pulled his lips from hers, moving away so he could look at her properly, a beam of amazement resting on his face before he rested his forehead against hers.

"You're okay," he breathed out in relief, as if he'd expected something entirely different. "I thought-"

"Don't think," she shook her head, refusing to give his worry any validity.

Willas clearly didn't feel the same way, as he looked down at his hand in hers resting on her belly, noticing the thick bandage. He gently lifted her hand away, holding her arm up in the air so her sleeve dropped away and left the maester's work on show. He looked at it, swallowing heavily before looking back to her, a glint in his eye that she'd never seen. It wasn't anger, he'd never be angry with her, but it was frustration at least, combined with worry and pain, with the faintest trace of sadness. Before he'd been nothing but gentle and loving, the exact way he always was with her and the way she had expected him to be, but something shifted in his mind the moment he saw the bandage, as if he realised how close he had come to returning to Winterfell a widower.

"It's practically healed, Maester Luwin inspected it yesterday," she shrugged, not daring to tell him that the sprain was completely recovered and the only reason she still wore the bandage was to hide the bruises that made her feel queasy.

"And he's dead? The man who did this to you?" he asked, his voice hot and tense. She'd only heard him speak like that a few times, mostly directed to his relations or people who were very close to breaking his temper. It made her feel so nervous she almost forgot to nod. "That's a shame. I'd have rather liked to kill him myself for daring to come close to you."

"No," she shook her head, clenching her jaw slightly as she felt her courage come back, pulling her arm out of his soft grip. "Don't talk like that. That's not you, you're not a killer."

Willas was kind, he was good natured and humorous, he certainly wasn't the sort of man to make threats. Except Eddmina quickly realised she'd never known Willas in a situation that might call for threats. Perhaps this was a new side to him that she'd not encountered yet, and in that case she wasn't sure how much she liked the different side to him. He seemed to realise her shock at his anger as his expression immediately softened, his hand going to her face, his thumb stroking over her cheek, his eyes looking over her apologetically.

He opened his mouth to speak again but Eddmina shook her head, deciding that anything that needed to be said should take place in the confines of their room, in private. She linked her arm through his and gestured for him to come with her, and the two of them headed off across the courtyard, through one of the archways and into the keep. Neither of them spoke, neither one of them knowing what to say, as Eddmina was not only stubbornly refusing to let go of the idea of being able to protect herself but was also dealing with the new discovery of Willas' protective temper, while Willas was lost for words to convey how badly he'd missed her and how badly he wanted to keep her safe. At some point just before they got to their room he noticed how quiet the castle was, specifically with a few notable absences.

"Where's your mother? I thought I'd have seen her around by now, she's not still locked herself away with Bran?" he asked and Eddmina grimaced, unsure of how to tell him the truth, especially considering who his travelling companion was.

As she led him into their bedroom she locked the door behind them, buying time to think as she took off her cloak, watching as Willas sat on the bed to take off his riding boots. He seemed to be frowning ever so slightly, his expression looking as though he was trying to conceal a sense of discomfort, so she rushed over to his side and helped him with his boots.

"Did the cold and all the riding make your leg hurt?" she asked, tossing the boots aside as she gestured for him to prop his leg up onto the bed, helping him unbuckle the brace. As soon as she had it off she noticed his expression relax a little.

"No more than it usually does," he shrugged, determined as always to keep attention away from it.

"That's not really an answer, Will," she pointed out, helping him take off his thick riding cloak, getting up from the bed to hang it up with hers. "Shall I go get someone to bring a bath in? I know that usually helps if it's aching-"

"Eddmina, I'm fine," he grumbled quietly with a small sigh, frustrated. She stood across the room from him, her arms folded across her chest as her eyebrows creased together. "I'm sorry,"

"I'm only trying to help," she muttered, going to the desk to collect the pile of unopened letters, dropping them on the bed next to him. "From your family. I didn't read them."

"I'm sorry, Mina," he sighed, his voice far more drawn in sincerity as he reached out and took her hand, pulling her gently onto the bed next to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You're right, it does ache, I just don't like you worrying about it. We were on the road for a long time, and it was cold by the Wall. Gods, I even saw snow for the first time! It was just as beautiful as you made it out to be, but it was cold, and that certainly didn't do my leg any favours. I enjoyed my time there, but every day I thought of nothing but you and how much I missed you, so to come back here after so long on the road only for Theon to tell me you were nearly killed..."

"Theon?" she cut in with obvious confusion and outrage as her eyebrows creased together, everything else instantly forgotten as she thought over what his words implied. "Theon told me Leonette told you about the attack,"

"Leonette was far too busy with Garlan to even look at me," he pointed out as he shook his head, watching with dread as his wife's cheeks turned red, her eyes lighting up with fury. "Mina-"

"Spiteful little prick," she hissed in anger, pushing Willas' hand from her waist as she shot up from the bed, storming over to the door.

Any sort of relief over having her husband back was completely forgotten, and so was any annoyance at his behaviour. Instead she could barely think past pure rage to Theon. He'd told Willas she nearly died despite knowing that she wanted to tell him herself to minimise his worry, but on top of that he had lied to her, blaming his own actions on someone else. She might have been able to forgive his initial actions, but lying... Before she knew it she was thundering out of her room and down the hall, back out into the courtyard in the hopes to track him down. Behind her she could hear Willas calling out her name, his cane hitting against the cobbles as he fought to keep up with her, but she had always been a fast runner, and being pregnant had thankfully not changed that.

Acting purely on instinct, she'd not really thought through what she was going to do, so when she reached the courtyard and saw Theon stood in the centre watching as a pair of horses and their riders left through the gates with a scornful expression, she made a beeline for him, clenching her fists. Blind to anything else around her, she found herself in front of him and only snapped out of her red daze when she felt her fist collide with his jaw.

"What the fuck, Edd?" he spat, spinning from the impact of it, his hands moving to hold his injury.

If she hadn't been a girl, a girl he madly lusted for, he would have definitely hit her back. They both knew that, and despite knowing Theon was a much better fighter than her even before she was pregnant she couldn't help but go for another punch, one that would have landed perfectly had someone not wrapped their arms around her shoulders. Letting out a grunt of frustration as she was restrained and pulled back, she looked round furiously to see it was Garlan who'd gotten hold of her, and not only was he having to struggle to keep his grip on her, he was also struggling to keep off a slight smirk of surprise and amusement.

"Let go of me!" she snapped, and though Garlan loosened his grip, he kept his arm around her, especially as Theon took a few steps closer to her, still rubbing his jaw with a scowl. "I want to punch him again, let go of me!"

"As impressive as that was, I don't think that's wise," Garlan muttered to her, though that did nothing to calm her anger.

"It wasn't impressive, it bloody hurts!" Theon seethed, glaring at the Tyrell, which just angered Eddmina more as she struggled in Garlan's grip. "What's wrong with you?"

"You're a liar, you're a filthy little liar, Theon!" Eddmina glared at him, watching as realisation settled into Theon's expression. "How dare you tell Will about that night? And then you're going to be a coward by lying and blame someone else?"

By that point Willas had finally caught up to her and swiftly took Garlan's place, wrapping his arm around her shoulder as he kissed her temple in the hope to not only calm her down but also hint at how impressed he was with her strong hit. Even so, he too was watching Theon reproachfully, while the Greyjoy was looking at him the way he had done all those months ago when he first rode through the Winterfell gates, glaring at him as if he was an unwelcome intruder. Eddmina noticed the look too and that did nothing to help her overflowing temper.

"You need to calm down," Willas told her quietly, whispering in her ear so no one else could hear as he knew how much she would hate it, moving his hand from her shoulder to her stomach. She clenched her jaw before relaxing in his hold, and Willas turned his attention to Theon. "Perhaps you ought to get some ice on that, might help with the swelling?"

"Oh, piss off," Theon spat, smirking slightly when he saw Eddmina tense up again. "You always swore you'd break my jaw one day, was that really the best you've got? You've gone soft, Edd."

"Don't talk to me about going soft you damned liar!" She snapped, feeling Willas' hand move back to her shoulder and tighten its grip. "You knew that I wanted to talk to him about that night myself, you knew how I wanted to go through it all so he'd understand, but you told him yourself and then you lied to me and blamed your wrongdoing on someone else? What's wrong with you?"

Robb was in the courtyard by then, followed by the wolves. Honour had never really taken to Theon that well and so the wolf padded around him cautiously, her ears pricked up in alarm as her brother sniffed the air warily. Robb however looked completely lost, though that was nothing new considering he'd spent the last few years of his life trying to figure out the relationship between Theon and Eddmina. Either they were kissing or they were at each other's throats, and it was obvious the latter was currently occurring. Seeing that Willas had Eddmina, Robb turned to Theon and gave him a glare that spoke more than a thousand words could have done. He looked tempted to ask what had happened, but with quiet dread his expression darkened as he figured it all out for himself.

"We should find somewhere to sit, all of us," he spoke, not a suggestion yet not a command, and in that moment he truly sounded like a Lord. "There's much we all need to discuss."

***

While Theon sulked off to his favourite brothel with a frozen steak hed firmly to his bruised jaw, the Starks and the Tyrells joined in the great hall, taking their seats at the top table. Robb had taken the seat usually reserved for their father, and Eddmina couldn't help but think how serious it made him look, how simultaneously old yet young he appeared, carrying duties and responsibilities far beyond his years. She sat to his left, Willas, Garlan and Leonette across from them, the three southerners sat patiently as Robb and Eddmina retold the events of the previous few weeks.

It hadn't been Lady Stark's plan to tell anyone besides the group in the godswood of her suspicions, hence Leonette remaining clueless to most of it. Except Lady Stark was not in Winterfell and had left Robb in charge. Robb, who recognised the importance of trusting the Tyrell's. Even if they were southern, they were family, so the Stark twins told them everything. All about the attack, what the assassin had said, how Lady Stark had told them of her concerns, how she had left to go tell Lord Stark, how half their family was potentially surrounded by enemies. The two of them took it in turns telling every little relevant detail, and not once did Eddmina break eye contact with Willas, no matter how he appeared, his expression often changing between fear, confusion, anger and dread. Garlan and Leonette were not much different.

"So did you not think it important to tell me all this before now?" Leonette pointed out, her face pinched in frustrated surprise. "I thought your mother was visiting your Aunt in the Vale!"

"Or perhaps you could have told us, considering we were travelling with a Lannister, someone you now consider an enemy?" Garlan's tone mimicked his wife's, both of them looking at Robb, making Eddmina protective over her twin.

"We did what our mother said was best, but our mother also said she'd be home by now so the decisions are ours to make," Eddmina told them both, her gaze flicking back to Willas who had been silent the entire time, watching his frown of consideration, noticing how his chin was resting in his hand as he glared down at the table. "Do you have anything you'd like to say?"

"Not particularly," he mumbled quietly, and though he sounded disinterested Eddmina knew it was because he was desperately trying to control his emotions, especially his temper.

"Well then," Robb said, glancing to his sister supportively. "We don't know what will happen from here, though I assume our mother will return in a matter of days and the matter will be resolved."

"You assume or you hope?" Garlan asked as he raised an eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm not saying this to undermine you, or intimidate you, but I'm truly struggling to see a positive outcome in this situation, an outcome that isn't war. One house doesn't just accuse another house of severe crimes that verge on treason without a war breaking out, and a war against the Lannisters isn't something anyone wants."

"There's not going to be a war," Eddmina said, instantly feeling like a liar as she struggled to believe her own words. "There can't be. Not with our father in the capital, not while he's so close with the King. If anything happens he'll resolve it, and then in a few months time this will all seem rather amusing."

"Forgive me, Eddmina, but a man held a knife to your throat and vowed to kill you and our child, nothing about this could ever be amusing," Willas finally spoke up, shooting her a cuttingly serious look, one that made her shiver despite trying to hide it. "If you would excuse me."

Willas sighed shortly before he pushed his chair back, rising from his seat and resting heavily on his cane as he turned and crossed the room, his footsteps echoing in the silence. Guilt surged through Eddmina, realising everything that had been said was all that she had wanted to tell him alone, in private. It had all been things she wanted to explain carefully to him to ensure he saw it exactly her way without jumping to conclusions or getting too caught up in certain details, but nothing had gone the way she intended. She wanted to curse Theon for it all, lay the blame of the shambled afternoon entirely at his feet, but she didn't have the energy nor the time, not as she found herself rising from her own chair and quickly following after him. Robb could deal with Garlan and Leonette she decided without thought, the person needing her most being Willas.

She caught up to him in the corridor outside their room, hurrying to reach his side and immediately wrapping her hands around his arm. He tensed slightly, not looking at her, and for the first time in a long time Eddmina found it impossible to figure out what Willas was thinking. They'd grown comfortable enough in their marriage that she was able to understand him and his thoughts as easy as her own, but occasionally her husband became an enigma, and there had never been a time where she needed to know his mind more.

"I love you," she told him, concerned that in all the chaos he might have forgotten that very obvious fact.

He looked to her with mild surprise, as if the words took him back. He seemed to clench his jaw slightly, frown lines appearing on his forehead and between his eyebrows as he closed his eyes lightly. It looked as if he was desperately wracking his brain for the right thing to say, and Eddmina knew to just leave him, as filling in the silence would only delay him speaking for longer. Yet by the time they were in their room, he still hadn't spoken, and by the time he was sat back down on his side of the bed, Eddmina was having to bite her lip to prevent herself from speaking out of awkwardness. She'd never been like that before, only ever speaking when she was certain her words would carry worth, but things had always been so easy with Willas. Conversation was natural for them, it was easy and fun, yet it was changed. All she could think to do was sit next to him and wait.

When he eventually sighed, the first thing he did wasn't speak, but to reach his hand out and place it on her waist, drawing her close, before his other hand took her left. He held it close so he could see it, examining her knuckles for any bruising. Adrenaline and anger had overtaken her in the moment, the famed 'wolfblood' meaning she hadn't felt any sort of pain, yet now time had passed her hand was starting to ache a little. As if he sensed her discomfort he raised her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles so softly, and it made her remember the first time they met. He had kissed her hand then too, and though he'd kissed her countless times afterwards the memory still made her shiver slightly.

"Is it true you always promised to break Theon's jaw?" he asked eventually, and the fact that those words were his first Eddmina let out a shocked snort of a laugh.

"Just like he always promised to be my friend and look out for me," she shrugged, her smile fading as she looked at their hands, still intertwined. "It was a joke, I never truly meant it, I never really wanted to hurt him. Other than my siblings I don't tend to have many friends, or I didn't, before I married you and all your friends kindly took me on as well. There's the household staff and the guards, but I was never popular with the other young girls of Winterfell like Sansa. Theon was my only true friend that wasn't bound to me by blood, and obviously our friendship wasn't... conventional, but it still hurts that he would betray my trust simply out of bitterness and boredom."

"He was the first to find you after the... after the attack?" Willas asked, though his words didn't feel like a question as they were laced with pain, feeling him squeeze her hand tighter than he ever had done before. "I should have been here, with you. I should have been here rather than off on a fool's quest up north travelling and making comrades with a man your family now think is a traitor and who potentially sent a killer after you and your little brother."

"He kept calling me Lady Stark, and I know I'll always be a Stark, yet all I could think was that I'm a Tyrell, and that you would have to come back here and have someone tell you what had happened," Eddmina's words were tight and cold, her voice thankfully unshaken as she recalled the worst memory of the night. "And when I woke up after fainting - I've never fainted before, it's rather embarrassing - but when I woke up, I knew I'd get to see you again and tell it to you, save you the pain of speculating over what had happened and be able to tell you how much I love you."

A sound emerged from the back of Willas' throat that sounded oddly like a sob that he had tried to kill, yet it had escaped regardless. She looked at him, her brows creased together, and realised for the first time she was seeing him cry. Shock had prevented her own tears, but seeing Willas cry made her eyes sting. Blinking rapidly, she leant closer to him, wiping them away with her thumb before she pushed a kiss to his cheek, moving her hand to rest on his jaw, guiding his face to he was looking at her. He avoided her gaze for a moment until she kissed him lightly again, this time on his lips.

"I'm alive, so's our child, so's Bran, we're all safe and now you're home with me I know we're safe, alright?" she reassured him gently as his grip on her waist tightened, bringing her closer.

"I spent the entire time I was away missing you and thinking about how much I couldn't wait to be with you again only to return to that news, as well as your suspicions against the Lannisters," he explained tiredly with a long exhale. "Garlan and I had begun to class Tyrion as a friend,and it's a lot to come home to, hearing that one's friend might have been behind the potential murder of one's wife."

"We know nothing for certain, and until we do we cannot trust anyone else with these suspicions," she reminded him firmly, knowing that if the Stark's quiet accusations became known her father and sisters would be in considerable danger. "You can't tell anyone, not even your family."

"I know," he nodded, squeezing her hand again to distract her from her obvious worries for her family. "All we can hope is that you're right, that all of this turns to nothing and we can just get on with our lives."

She offered him a small smile, guiding his hand to her stomach as she felt their baby kicking again. Surprisingly, he smiled back at her, and part of her hoped that their conversation was over, that the grim topic was done, because the thought of dwelling on grim possibilities made her feel sick. They could spend all day talking of potential vendettas and feuds, of battles and wars, but there was no real point. In that moment the future was so far away, so distant that anything could happen, truly happen. The events of the past could fester into something dark and despicable tht would engulf them all into sorrow, but it could just as easily blow over like a storm, disappearing as quickly as it grew, allowing the sun to shine brightly once more. What was the point of dwelling on the potential darkness when there was a bright future right ahead of them?

It was bright indeed. They had their child ahead of them, their time to build a family, the family that they could enjoy and savour without the responsibilities of lordships or politics. They could ride their horses, walk their hounds and Honour in the woodlands. They could teach their child how to ride, how to read, how to enjoy and appreciate the happy lives they deserved. They'd travel Westeros, seeing their family and friends, visiting loved ones and new places until they could say they truly knew the country, and perhaps even venture over to Essos and see more than their corner of the world. They had their lives ahead of them, their lives and their happiness. Eddmina struggled with pessimism sometimes, but she refused to have those dreams torn from her.

"I'm never, ever, leaving your side again," he vowed, his voice so serious she daren't point out the impracticalities. "Where you go, I go. I promise."

"Where you go, I go," she repeated with a nod, knowing just how much he needed to hear her say those words yet finding an odd comfort to them as well.

***

Word count: 6320

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