As soon as their father had brought them the good news, adrenaline seemed to drain from them all, exhaustion falling onto the room. Lord Stark had suggested them all go off to their own rooms, and though the Stark children were reluctant to part from each other, Eddmina was grateful to be alone with Willas at long last. Or, she was glad until she remembered she had something rather important to tell him, and then she became worried once more.

"Come to bed, my love," he called, watching her carefully as she sat in front of the mirror of her dressing table, staring at her reflection blankly as she combed her hair free of its braid.

She sighed, but obliged, practically falling into bed as Willas engulfed her into a close embrace, burying her face into his chest as he knotted his fingers into her hair, stroking through her curls in a way that made her sigh in relaxation. It was the calmest she'd felt all day, and with all the energy drained from her, she felt herself quickly dissolve into tears. Willas did nothing to stop her from crying, he simply let her get it all out, kissing the top of her head and whispering sweet things to her, knowing the outburst was only natural, releasing everything she had penned in all day.

"My beautiful Mina," he whispered softly as she sniffled, and he ran his thumb under her eyes to wipe away some of her tears. "You've been so strong,"

"You want to call me strong, after what you told us all earlier?" she practically sobbed, all of her emotions coming out. "Will, you're so brave! I never realised, I'm sorry I never asked but..."

"I'm sorry if it upset you," he told her quietly, sounding regretful. "I thought it better to just tell it all, get rid of all the curiosities, but I realise saying it all might have been overwhelming and I'm sorry for that,"

"You could have died," she gasped for breath, ignoring the way he grimaced. "I don't even want to think about that,"

"I didn't die though, I'm right here, love," he reassured, squeezing his arms around her. "I'm right here, and I'll be with you for as long as you want me. Now, come on, we should get some sleep, you must be so tired. We can go and see your brother in the morning. Goodnight, my Mi-"

"Willas, I'm with child," she blurted out before he could finish, getting the words out bluntly in the hopes that she wouldn't coward out of saying them.

Willas was silent for a moment, and she worried that he hadn't heard her. Of course he had heard her though, she'd certainly said it loud enough. After a few seconds, he sat up, and she shifted away from him slightly, wishing she hadn't blown out the candles so she could see his face. She could see him running his hands through his hair, a habit he had when he was thinking or nervous, and so she held her breath, ready for him to be annoyed at her. She wondered if her own bedroom was free, since she was starting to think her best option was to just leave Willas to consider the news alone. Maybe her best bet would be to just leave, his silence was suggesting his annoyance.

Eddmina pulled the covers away, ready to get out of bed and head upstairs. Except before she had the chance, she felt Willas lean over, taking hold of her wrist. She turned her head, looking at him through the dark, managing to see his face was a mixture of confused and scared.

"Where are you going?" he asked, frowning, and she tried to ignore the slight shake in his voice.

"To my old room," she shrugged. "I thought you'd want me to go,"

"I'd never want that," he shook his head, reaching out and placing his hand on her shoulder, gesturing for her to come back to him. "How... When... What?"

"Well I'd like to think you know the 'how' part, as for the 'when', Maester Luwin reckons I'm four or five months along, so it probably happened in Dorne," she explained quietly, staring at the furs on their bed so she didn't have to look at him. "I realise this isn't what you want, you said you weren't ready for children, but this isn't something we can get out of. I understand if you're angry, or annoyed, but I've accepted it, so all I can ask is that if you ever meant it when you said that you love me, you try to come to terms with it too,"

Willas stared at her, taking in every word carefully, and as soon as she finished talking he swallowed nervously, before leaning over and pulling her into an embrace. He pushed a kiss to her temple, stroking her hair, feeling her stiffen in his grip as if she didn't understand what he was doing. He couldn't understand why she'd think he could ever be annoyed at her. Surely she didn't think he'd been lying about his feelings to the point she'd convinced herself that he would hate her and their child? He squeezed her again, before pulling away so he could look at her, placing his hand on her cheek.

"I love you," he promised. "I would never resent you for anything, let alone for being pregnant. I'm sorry if I've made you think I would be annoyed,"

"But you said..." she began, trailing off as she frowned, trying to wrap her head around it all. "You said when we got married you didn't want children straight away!"

"Yes, so did you!" he pointed out with a slight laugh. "But that was a long time ago, that was when we still barely knew each other. It might seem a little fast, but I know I love you, Eddmina, and I know I'll love our child too. We'll get through this together, alright?"

"I love you," she whispered, feeling relief wash over her before she knew she needed to inform him of the rest. "Maester Luwin doesn't know if it will be safe for me to travel, he thinks it would be best if we stayed here a few more months and then travel back to Highgarden once I've recovered,"

"Alright, that's fine," he nodded with a small smile. "Perhaps that will be best, it means you can be close to your family, you'll have your mother and your brothers close, plus it means you get to be here for Bran,"

"But... This baby will be the heir to the Reach, I thought you'd want us to be at home," she reminded him, though he merely shrugged.

"Weren't you and Robb born in the Riverlands?" Willas pointed out with an amused smirk. "I don't particularly care where the child is born, as long as you're both safe, healthy and happy,"

"You're so good," she sighed, leaning back against him, taking hold of his hand and placing it against her stomach. "My mother was with me when I found out, but no one else knows yet. I'd like to tell my family before they go South, so I think we should try and keep it a secret, especially if we can't go to Highgarden until afterwards,"

"Alright, anything you want, my love," he agreed, stroking his hand over her stomach, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I'll write to the rest of my family in the morning, and I'll talk to Garlan and Leonette, I'm sure the two of them will want to stay North with us,"

Eddmina nodded, considering for a brief moment that things were going to be alright. The slight joy she had felt earlier coming back. Willas wasn't angry, if anything he seemed rather pleased. He kissed her cheek once more before the two of them laid back down, Eddmina curled up in Willas' arms, and for a few moments she felt happy. That was, of course, when she remembered everything else that had happened that day, remembered that her brother was deathly ill, and so no matter how content she felt with her husband, no matter how safe she felt with him and no matter how tired she was, she found sleep impossible, her brain fixating solely on Bran.

***

At first light Eddmina carefully pulled out of Willas' hold, pressing a feather-light kiss to his cheek as she got up from their bed. She got ready quickly into a dark grey dress embroidered with silver roses and snowflakes, only briefly remembering to glance in the mirror and look at her stomach. It still looked unchanged, and she wondered just when she would start to look pregnant. She decided not to think too much of it, turning her focus onto her hair as she pulled it back into a braid. Once she had pulled on her boots and was completely ready, she spared a final glance to her still-sleeping husband before she snuck out of the room.

Winterfell was still silent, the rest of the keep asleep, though she could hear howls coming from the direction of Bran's room. Honour and Bran's wolf were still clearly standing guard outside his room, then. She tried to think of anything else, feeling her insides tighten at the thought of her brother, and found peace in her walk to the Godswood. As soon as she saw the Weirwood tree she felt a little better, kneeling by the white roots as she tried to sort through her thoughts. Eddmina was never the best at preying, she never quite knew what to think or how to think, but she knew the basics, she knew to thank the Gods for watching over her brother, and she knew to ask them for guidance over the next few - inevitably trying - months.

Once she felt as though she had done enough, she rose, looking around the grounds. An idea occurred to her, and so she began to gather any fallen sticks or twigs. After a few minutes she decided she had enough, and so began her walk back to the grounds of Winterfell. It was still pretty much empty except for the few servants milling about and the members of the household guard on watch. She wondered which ones would be accompanying her father down south, and which would be remaining to watch over Winterfell, where they all truly belonged. A few of them called greetings to her so she waved back, realising she had missed the familiarity that Winterfell brought her. She never felt like that in Highgarden, no one really knowing her outside of the context of Willas' wife, and she was certain they all thought of her as the strange northerner. She'd have to make more of an effort when they eventually returned, try and get to know all of the staff much better.

"My lady," a voice called, and she turned her head to see Theon, her mind instantly going to what Jon had told her a week before as she tried not to cringe. Theon ran to catch up with her, walking at her side. "You're up early,"

"And you're being strangely polite," she pointed out, adjusting her armful of sticks. "What establishment have you just crawled back from?"

"None, actually," he rolled his eyes. "Little Lord Tyrion has them all too busy,"

"Nice to hear that the southerners are investing in Northern businesses," she joked dryly. "Are you intending on accompanying me the whole way to Bran's room?"

"If you wish," he shrugged before sighing. "What do you think, then? D'you think he'll live?"

"I know so," she shot a glare to him, unsure as to why he'd even suggest the alternative. "I'd rather you weren't so negative about him,"

They walked in silence the rest of the way. Part of Eddmina wondered just why he followed her, especially after his last comment, but she remembered what Jon had said, and knew it was probably just his way of trying to get back on her side. By the time they got up the tower, Eddmina could make out the two direwolves curled up by Bran's bedroom door, and she smiled at the sight of Honour. As she got close, she knelt to pet the wolf, juggling the wood in her arms so she could scratch behind her ears, leaning over to pet Bran's wolf too. She was conscious of Theon watching her, and so was careful to hide how Honour poked her snout against her stomach, rising quickly and turning to Theon.

"I've got my hands full, can you knock on the door for me?" she asked, and he obliged. "Thank you for walking with me, if you see Robb will you tell him to come meet me here?"

Theon frowned at her, as if surprised she was dismissing him so soon, dismissing him before they had the chance to run down the hall back to her old room and have their old fun together. He was too rooted in the past, but regardless of his feelings he shrugged and nodded, heading back down the hall in the direction of Robb's room without another word. She decided he would probably always baffle her and so it wasn't worth worrying over, carefully managing to open the door to creep into the room.

It was warm, a fire burning in the fireplace across from the bed, a dozen candles burning on the mantle. Eddmina's gaze went to the bed first, seeing Bran's tiny face buried amongst furs. He looked pale, but no paler than usual. If she hadn't seen him fall herself, she would've thought he was just sleeping, but then she remembered how he never stayed still long enough to sleep so peacefully. She pulled her eyes away before the fear of his condition became too overwhelming, and instead looked to her mother, hunched over him in a seat by his bedside, her hands clutching his. She barely looked up long enough to see it was Eddmina who had entered the room.

"Shut the door," she spoke quickly. "I don't want them in here,"

Her mother gestured to the wolves, and with an apologetic glance to Honour and Bran's wolf, Eddmina shut the door behind herself, crossing the room to stand next to her mother, getting a better look at Bran. There weren't any cuts or bruises on his face, and he seemed to be breathing fine. She'd seen him fall, she knew he was ill, but truly he just looked to be sleeping. Swallowing nervously, Eddmina moved to perch next to her mother on the seat, placing the pile of sticks onto her lap. Lady Catelyn looked confused and a little irritated.

"I remember when Jon was sick when we were little," Eddmina explained. "You made him one of those dreamcatchers, the sort that mothers make when their children are ill to ask the Seven to watch over them. The sticks came from the Godswood, so they're blessed by the Old Gods, and I thought you could make Bran a dreamcatcher. That way both sets of Gods are with him, and it'll give you something to do, something to think about,"

Lady Catelyn stared down at the sticks for a moment before breaking down into sobs. Eddmina felt uncomfortable, unsure what to do or say, not used to her mother being so emotional. She just sat there, looking between her brother and mother. Bran was a light sleeper, in normal circumstances the noise would have woken him up, and that seemed to certify the situation to her.

"Oh, Edda, you clever girl," she gasped out mid-sob, wrapping her amrs around her shoulder. Eddmina sat there stiffly before she relaxed, placing her own arms around her mother. "I didn't know you could remember that time, you were so little,"

"I thought my brother was dying, of course I remembered," she muttered quietly, looking at Bran. "He's going to be okay, mother, I know it. Do you want to go get some sleep? I'll sit with him until you're rested,"

Her mother shook her head, refusing to move, and so Eddmina stayed at her side, trying to ignore how bereft she looked. She looked as though someone had died, and it was then that she realised her mother was perhaps just as brave as her father. Eddmina had always considered her father brave because of his ability to go on despite the grief of his siblings, but her mother had sat all night by her son's side, refusing to leave him. It was a similar sort of bravery, a similar strength, but she had never really thought of her mother in that light. That was truly selfish of her, she thought, realising the extent of a mother's love and dedication.

They sat in silence for a while, at least a few hours. Of course the silence was interrupted every so often by her mother's tears. Eddmina leant over and retrieved a handkerchief off the top of the beside cabinet, handing it to her mother, still unsure of what to do. Still feeling a little uncomfortable, Eddmina decided to just sit and wait for her mother, wait for her to be ready to talk. Eventually her crying softened, and she began to look through the pile of sticks.

"Your father has gone to meet with the King," her mother told her after a while, her voice hoarse from the crying. "They were meant to leave tomorrow, but he's asking for a few more days, just a few more days. Damn him, I don't want to do this without him,"

Eddmina wondered how she would feel in her mother's shoes. She imagined her future child being so ill, while Willas had to ride far away in the name of honour and duty. She imagined being left alone to manage a castle while her child could be dying. It was a horrible scenario.

"You won't be alone, I promise," Eddmina told her firmly. "Willas and I will stay for as long as it takes. Garlan and Leonette can stay too, I'm sure they'll help with Winterfell, and I'll do anything you need me to. I'll take over your duties for a while, at least until Bran gets better. I'll take care of the household, I'll look after Rickon, I'll do whatever is needed,"

"Eddmina, please," her mother sighed, closing her eyes. "I'm grateful, but do you really think in your condition you should be doing everything you're offering yourself up for? You need to think about the child-"

"What child?" Robb's voice came from the doorway, and with dread, her insides dropping in surprise and nerves, Eddmina turned her head to see both her twin brother and her father.

That wasn't at all how she planned for either of them to find out. She stood a little too quickly, feeling her head spin, but there wasn't time to worry about that, staring at both men nervously, trying to figure out what they were thinking. Her father was expressionless, though he was an expert at hiding his feelings if something was serious or upsetting. He was often impossible to read, but that occasion was particularly hard. Robb wasn't much easier. She was used to being able to figure Robb out, he was her twin after all, she'd known him her whole life and so enjoyed a privileged perspective into his mind, but upon hearing that news, the only thing she could figure out about him was that he was shocked.

"Eddmina," her father spoke first, coming further into the room until he was stood right in front of her, leaving Robb hesitating by the door. "Have you got something to tell us?"

Eddmina nodded, feeling her throat close. She was certain she'd never been so nervous in front of her father, not even when she got married, and so she bit her lip, trying to find the courage.

"Willas and I are going to have a baby," she said softly, thankfully managing to say it without tears. "I found out yesterday,"

Her father looked at her with a frown, figuring out a timeline of events, realising that his daughter had kept such a big secret while the rest of the family underwent the trauma of Bran's accident. As if the magnitude of the news hit him, his frown turned into an expression of shock, looking at Eddmina as if he was seeing her properly for the first time in a long time. She didn't break eye contact, finding her courage, though when her father pulled her into a hug, she sighed with relief, burying her face into the fur of his cloak.

"You found out yesterday, and you still..." he spoke before trailing off, recalling the events of the day before. "Gods, Edd, I knew you were strong to look after your brothers and sisters all day but... Are you well? Is everything alright?"

"I'm okay," she nodded, her father's kind words making her tear up. "I'm going to stay North until after it's born, I'll help look after Winterfell, and then I'll go back to Highgarden. I know you'll be in King's Landing then and you'll be busy, but you and the girls can come visit, or Willas and I can come to the capitol,"

"Of course, love," he told her, his voice making her feel as safe as it always did. She hoped Willas would be as good of a father as her own.

Eddmina glanced up from her embrace with Lord Stark to see Robb still stood in the doorway, clearly unsure how to feel. He was staring at her with narrowed eyes, hurt that she hadn't told him already, but at the same time he just looked generally upset. Except the longer he stared silently, the more his expression seemed to resemble annoyance.

"Robb," their mother's voice called, still croaky from her tears. "Say something,"

As Eddmina parted from her father, she saw the two Stark men exchange a glance. She watched as her father looked at him seriously, gesturing for him to do something. With a sigh, clenching his jaw ever so slightly, Robb crossed the room and hesitantly hugged Eddmina himself. He wasn't pleased with the news, she could tell, but she didn't really care. It wasn't his life, and if he was really that displeased, Winterfell was big enough for them to avoid each other, and she would be off to Highgarden again soon enough. She was usually so desperate for Robb's approval, but this time she didn't care. If he couldn't be happy for her, then she would be happy for herself.

"What does he think? Willas?" Robb asked, his tone ever so slightly bitter.

"He's actually rather pleased," she told him, pulling out of her embrace, turning to see her father had taken her seat, holding their mother's hand as she was crying once more.

"We're all pleased, Edda, it's wonderful news," her father nodded with a soft smile, though he also shot another glance to Robb, clearly irritated by his reaction.

"No one else knows, only us, Will, and the Maester," Eddmina explained. "I'd rather it didn't get announced properly until after the royals leave, until Willas has sent a letter to his family. I'll tell everyone important before they leave, but it doesn't seem fair for the Lannisters to know before Lord and Lady Tyrell,"

"Right," Robb shrugged, and Eddmina couldn't help but glare at him.

"I'll ride off back to Highgarden now if that'd be more convenient for you?" she snapped, folding her arms across her chest. "If you're annoyed, Robb, just say, but it'll make shit-all of a difference now,"

She didn't wait for him to respond, turning and leaving the room. She felt awful ignoring the way her father called her name, asking her to stay, but she wasn't going to remain with Robb, not if he was going to act like a child. Deciding to apologise to her parents later on, she headed out of the room, shutting the door behind her to stop the wolves getting in. As if sensing her emotions, Honour got up, pacing around her as she whined, and as Eddmina walked off down the hall, Honour surprisingly followed her.

"I thought you'd want to stay with your sister?" Eddmina asked the wolf quietly as she followed her off down one of the stone staircases. "You can go back up and be with Bran if you want to, girl,"

The wolf merely bumped her snout into Eddmina's hand, licking the tips of her fingers. The gesture made her chuckle slightly, cracking a small smile. At least if her brother was annoyed with her, she still had Honour. The two of them headed down the stairs side by side, and Eddmina was so wrapped up in her thoughts she barely noticed that she nearly bumped into two figures. She glanced up at the last moment just before walking straight into the Queen and Princess Myrcella, and as soon as she realised she stopped, falling into a curtsey.

"Pardon me, your grace, my princess," she apologised, flashing the two of them a polite smile as she rose.

"No need to be sorry," the Queen offered her a smile, though hers was significantly more false than it had been the night of the first feast. There was a look in Cersei's eyes too, was it sadness? Guilt? It was difficult to pin-point the emotions of someone so false. "We were just returning from breakfast, I was surprised not to see you, your husband seemed awfully lonely,"

"I was with my mother, your grace," Eddmina replied, her smile falling as she thought about Lady Stark, not to mention Bran. "I'm afraid us Starks may be distracted from our hosting today, my brother remains ill,"

The same look of sad guilt appeared in Cersei's eyes once more, her mouth twitching a little before she regained herself almost instantly. It was strange, seeing such a false woman show a hint of true emotion, though she quickly offered her a sympathetic smile, placing her hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"I was so sorry to hear about what happened, I do hope he will be alright," she said, her voice remaining steady and calm, as if the words were rehearsed. "Perhaps I will call on your mother later, offer her my support,"

"She would appreciate that, I'm sure," Eddmina nodded, though both women knew she was lying. That was when Eddmina noticed the apprehensive look on Myrcella's face, her wide yes fixed on Honour, who was watching the Queen seriously, her nose twitching. "Honour won't hurt you, Princess, I promise. Direwolves are fiercely loyal. The stories might make them out to be monsters but if you show them kindness they'll be a wonderful companion. They're excellent judges of character,"

"We don't have dogs in the Red Keep," the Princess said politely, obviously shy. "Will your sisters be taking their wolves with them when we go home?"

"I believe so, Princess," Eddmina said, placing her hand on Honour's head, scratching her ears reassuringly as she sat, staring up at Cersei, looking as if she was hunting and was eyeing up her surroundings. "Lady and Nymeria are just as well behaved as Honour, though. They wouldn't hurt anyone,"

"Well that is reassuring," the Queen smiled falsely again, shooting a subtle, wary glance down at the wolf, clearly seeing Honour was just as wary of her. "We must be getting on now, Lady Tyrell,"

The two royal women were off on their way before Eddmina had chance to correct her on her use of title.

***

Word count: 4604

***