The next few weeks were a blur of settling into married life.

As the newlyweds, Eddmina and Willas were expected to spend their time with the guests who had travelled for the celebrations, which was fine for the most part, if not a little awkward at times. That was due to Willas, as he didn't particularly enjoy the many family family lunches the two of them had to go to, notably the ones that included distance uncles and cousins that he didn't like.

"They were all set to write me off as a lost cause after the joust," he had explained one afternoon as they walked the hounds together. "Uncle Garth the Gross had practically promised Garlan his support as future Lord not even two days after the accident,"

"Hence Garlan pretending to be sick to get out of this lunch," Eddmina had joked dryly, learning quickly that Willas hated unnecessary sympathies towards his bad leg.

The lunches weren't truly  as intolerable as Willas found them, but they were different to what Eddmina was used to. It felt strange, thinking that all the strangers she was meeting were technically her family, but Willas didn't leave any of them alone with her, and if he did ever have to leave he made sure that either Margaery or Leonette was with her. It was as if he refused to even allow another situation like the one the day after their wedding occur, but Eddmina didn't mind. She liked his company, and she quite liked him being protective over her too.

Whenever Willas didn't want to be with his family, he dismissed himself and his wife, using the perfect excuse of wanting to spend time with the Dornish visitors. The other Tyrells hated the Martells, which just seemed to make their company even better. The first time Willas introduced Eddmina to Oberyn Martell, she was a little shocked at how close their friendship was. Oberyn looked at her husband the way Loras looked at Renly Baratheon, but he was impossible not to like.

Eddmina thought the Dornish would hate her. After the rebellion, where Prince Rhaegar betrayed his wife Elia by kidnapping her aunt, Eddmina was certain the fact she had been told she resembled Lyanna Stark would mean immediate resentment, but any resemblance was ignored. In fact they all regarded Willas so highly that they instantly seemed to like her too. Oberyn alternated between treating Willas like a little brother or an old lover, and despite their history the two men got on finely. The women too, Princess Arianne and Ellaria, were kind and funny, yet they were the complete opposite of how Eddmina had been taught ladies were meant to behave. They didn't act like ideal highborn ladies, they both had cutting wit and made crude yet hilarious jokes. They drank a lot and played a complicated board game called cervasse that Eddmina thought was close enough to gambling and so the highest form of rebellion from her mother and Septa's teachings.

"Perhaps the two of you should visit us in Dorne soon, I think you'd find it much more your pace," Oberyn had suggested with a wry smile one night as he watched Eddmina beat Arianne at a game of cervasse, the princess scowling in annoyance.

"I find High Garden too hot, perhaps I'd catch fire under the Dornish sun," Eddmina joked, enjoying the way they laughed, especially Willas. "Though you're right. I've always found the Dornish culture much more exciting than the rest of Westeros from what I've read. I can't imagine Princess Arianne having a septa scold her wanting to practice sparring rather than needlework,"

"Oh, never," the princess grinned, and Eddmina noticed just how beautiful she was as she sipped her wine. She looked so dignified, so collected, yet fiery. Eddmina wondered if she'd ever appear so... cool. "In fact there were times I'd have much rather done needlework than train fighting with my cousins. To say the girls are spirited is an understatement,"

Eddmina enjoyed the company of the Dornish the most out of all of the guests, to the point that she felt their absence closely when they left. They departed High Garden before any of the other guests. Oberyn kept joking that it was because he thought Lady Olenna would poison him, and Eddmina wondered if there was any sort of truth in the jest; the Martell's and the Tyrell's had been at each other's throats for decades now, after all. Their party left with promises of letters and visits, and the newlyweds then had to spend time with their less interesting guests.

Of course, the highlight of it all was having her family close again after so long. She tried to spend as much time with her siblings as she could, knowing that in no time at all they would be gone again. If anything, the thought of her family going back to Winterfell hurt more than when she had to leave home, not wanting to be without them all again, but she tried not to focus on it, tried to make the most of them all being close.

Eddmina knew with a heavy heart, however, that the Starks didn't truly belong in High Garden, as much as Sansa wished they did, and after barely a week since the wedding, her father told her they were planning to leave the next afternoon. She tried not to seem upset, burying her emotions with a pleased smile and well wishes for their journey home. She clearly wasn't very good at hiding her thoughts though, because that night Willas held her close in bed, pushing kisses to the top of her head as if he was aware of her fears of feeling alone again.

"I wish we didn't have to go so soon," Robb sighed as Eddmina helped him saddle his horse. "Will you be alright on your own?"

"I'm not technically on my own," she reminded him, rolling her eyes as Robb offered her a knowing smirk. "Besides, I have things to do. I need to settle in and get to know the Reach,"

"Too important for your little brother now then, are you?" Robb joked, and she let out a single, short laugh. "Your new rank wounds me,"

"You'll recover, and you're hardly my little brother there's barely an hour between us!" she shot, fighting off her smirk, though her joy quickly died when she realised his horse was all set up, ready for him to mount and ride off, far away from the Reach and her. "I will never be too important for you, and vice versa. Not now, not when we were children, and not when the day comes that I am Lady of the Reach and you are Warden of the North,"

"Good thing that neither of us will have to be that responsible for a long while," he cringed slightly at the thought of having to take over from their father, before he glanced at his sister with a small sad smile. "I'm going to miss you,"

"I'd expect nothing less," she muttered quietly, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Write me when you get home, promise?"

Robb nodded, squeezing her tightly. If Eddmina closed her eyes, it felt as though she was back in her chambers in Winterfell saying farewell the first time all over again. It had hurt then, and it hurt still. She couldn't let him see that, and she couldn't let anyone else see it either. She had to be brave, and honourable, it was what the family needed, and so she pulled out of their hug, forcing a grin as she ruffled his hair.

It was just as hard saying goodbye to the others. Through the hugs, the farewells and the promises of visits and letters, Eddmina kept her brave face securely in place, knowing that if she smiled and appeared happy in her new life it wouldn't be so hard on the rest of her family who would inevitably worry. It wasn't a big lie, she was happy in High Garden, but it wasn't home yet, and it was so far from everything she knew. Still, she refused to acknowledge it, even as she exchanged one last hug with her parents and watched her family board their carriage and mount their horses, she smiled and waved them off, hiding the aching pain in her stomach that felt an awful lot like loss.

It wasn't like any of them had died, feeling loss was ridiculous, except they were going to be so far away again, and with them being the last visitors to leave save a few Tyrell cousins, everything felt a whole lot more real. She wasn't a visitor anymore, she wasn't Willas' Stark betrothed anymore, she was his wife, one of the Tyrells, and the Reach had to be her place rather than the north.

As the gates shut behind the departing Starks, the courtyard falling quiet again, Eddmina felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Knowing instantly that it was Willas, Eddmina moved her own hand, placing it on top of his.

"I'm fine," she spoke before he could even ask.

"You don't have to be," he said, quiet enough so that any servants milling about wouldn't overhear, knowing her pride over her emotions. "If I was in your position-"

"But you're not, Willas," she said quickly, sounding almost snappy before she sighed. "I'm sorry. It's been a long few days,"

"A long few months," he corrected lightly with a small laugh. "My father wants me to meet with him and a few of my uncles and I'm afraid it's unavoidable. I'll make it up to you tonight, I have something special planned,"

"Alright," she nodded, feeling a mixture of disappointment that she would be alone and relief due to feeling utterly exhausted. "I'll see you later,"

He kissed her cheek lightly as a gesture of parting before she walked off in the direction of their rooms. She'd originally wanted to go to the library, but even the secluded nook she'd found before didn't seem private enough. For the first time in a long time she had the opportunity to be alone and she wanted to fully appreciate it. After weeks of being the centre of attention she felt drained, exhausted, and as soon as she was back at her room she found hrself practically falling onto the bed.

It felt strange to be there completely alone. Eddmina had never been in her new rooms without her husband, yet she was glad to just be alone. It wasn't as if she didn't enjoy Willas' company, he was a good and kind man, but being married and living in the south was all still so new. Willas, of course, had been nothing but helpful and considerate. Apart from their wedding night and the day after, they hadn't made love again, but each night they laid together in bed and kissed, holding each other close. Despite not telling him so, the nights they shared had quickly become one of her favourite parts of the day, and she could feel herself growing closer to him, beginning to truly trust him, but at the same time everything had changed so quickly, and to be alone even if it was only for a few hours meant she could just try and take it all in.

Eddmina fell asleep, dreaming of the north. She dreamed she was a direwolf, a huge great beast just like her sigil, hunting through the wolf's wood, running like the wind. She couldn't remember a dream ever feeling so vivid before, and she had never been more disappointed to become separated from a dream when she felt herself waking up.

***

It was very early evening when Willas returned to their rooms. Eddmina was sat cross-legged on their bed doing some embroidery, and she'd tried to fill her afternoon with aimless tasks. She'd redone her braid at least three times, and had changed into a light blue dress with embroidered butterflies dancing on the bodice. She'd been reading too, getting through an entire book on the history of the Reach, hoping it would take her mind off all of her concerns, but hearing Willas opening the door was instantly a better distraction than anything else had been.

Funny how she initially thought she would feel better for keeping her distance from him for the day, only to feel instantly relieved at the sight of him. She offered him a smile in place of a proper greeting, admiring his own smile and the way his green eyes practically glittered. He didn't move from the doorway though, making her frown.

"Will you come with me?" Willas held out his hand, gesturing for her to follow him, and though she raised her eyebrow confusedly she obliged, setting her sewing aside onto the bedside cabinet and getting up, taking hold of his hand as soon as she was close enough. "Now everyone has gone, I thought I'd show you around your new home properly,"

With that he began to lead her down the corridors and to the nearest door that led to the gardens. It was a sweet idea, though she couldn't wrap her head around the logistics, especially when they got outside and began walking down one of the gold cobbled paths, the sky turning a fiery red as it did every time the Reach transitioned from day to night.

"In the dark, Willas?" she commented teasingly, making him let out a short laugh, squeezing her hand in his.

"I think you'll find it's merely sunset, though I know that it isn't a common occurrence in the North," he joked back, making her roll her eyes.

"Ah yes, we northerners never know when it goes from night to day, all we have to signify the time is the howling of wolves," she spoke dryly as they went right past the usual gardens.

Instead carrying on down a path that was clearly used a lot less than the others, seeming more like a dirt road, though up ahead she could see the open expanse of the land. It was like the clearing in the wolf's wood that Eddmina had taken Willas to on his first morning in the north, except it wasn't really a clearing but a big open space, and rather than being penned in by a mass of trees and shrubbery, it instead seemed to be bordered by a great shimmering lake that she knew to be the Mander. It seemed beautiful, much more green than anything she was used to at home, yet they still had to get there, the path seeming long and uneven. Out of instinct, she held Willas' hand tightly.

"Though you are right, we don't really see sunsets at Winterfell," she continued, trying not to feel sad at the difference between the North and the Reach. "I quite liked how dusky everywhere would go, I liked the way the sky went grey. Sometimes when it had snowed the sky would look almost purple,"

"I'd love to see Winterfell in the snow," Willas told her as they continued their trek down to the clearing, though Eddmina let out an amused laugh. "What, are you going to call me a silly naïve southerner?"

"Well not now you've called yourself that," she tried desperately to hold back a grin, especially as Willas squeezed her hand again, lifting it to his lips and kissing her knuckles. "Though you may have a point, the snow is... When I was younger I loved nothing more than opening the shutters of my window and seeing it had snowed. Robb and I would go sledging, and we'd return to the castle to some sort of scandal, like mother catching Bran trying to climb the walls even with the snow, or Arya snowballing Sansa and ruining her pretty dresses. I used to think the snow brought out the best in people, it made us all have a bit more fun, made us all appreciate each other a bit more,"

"I cannot imagine the panic if there was a summer snowfall here," Willas chuckled slightly, and Eddmina realised yet another difference in their upbringings. "I've only seen snow once or twice, only in winter, though that was a long time ago. All I really remember was feeling properly cold for the first time in my life,"

"Old Nan in Winterfell used to tell Robb and I horror stories of the winter when we were children," Eddmina said, thinking about how she was only a child the last proper Winter. "That woman should write novels, she has a way with words to just terrify you, but I found her stories fascinating. She used to talk about ice spiders and creatures beyond the wall, she'd talk about the Others and monsters that would come to end us in the Long Night, and how when that night comes again we'll all be helpless to the darkness,"

"Gods, she sounds like a delightfully cheerful woman," Willas commented, making Eddmina let out a laugh.

"She's just a harmless old woman," Eddmina shrugged. "Though her stories might have convinced me to take my life in a completely different direction had I not been more scared of my mother and septa than her tales,"

Before he could question what she meant, the two of them had gotten to the end of the path. With a nod of his head, Willas gestured for her to keep walking and follow him as he began to lead her across the field and to the spot that he had set up earlier on in the day with Garlan. After weeks of being pestered and given no true time to be alone and appreciate each other properly, Willas thought the only place they could properly escape everyone else was outside the keep walls, and so that's why he'd set out a picnic for the two of them, and seeing the effort he had put in, Eddmina practically gasped.

"I thought you just wanted to go for a walk," she muttered quietly, and he smirked as he kissed her knuckles again.

"It was my idea, though Garlan would like to take credit for helping to carry most of this out here," Willas told her, gesturing at the set-up.

He truly hadn't spared any expense. A large blanket was laid out on the grass, with cushions for them to sit on and spare blankets off to the side, and in the centre, a basket practically overflowing with food, two goblets and a bottle of wine resting at the side of it. It was such a wonderful idea, considering how warm it was and how beautiful the scenery was, to the point that Eddmina kissed Willas' cheek.

"I thought it the perfect way to escape everyone," he grinned at her.

It was perfect, and yet again Eddmina felt overwhelmed at just how good her husband could be. She helped him sit down then quickly took her seat on the cushion next to him as he tossed his cane aside, pouring them both a goblet full of the rich red wine. It smelt sweet, though not as sweet as the other southern wines that made her shudder, and as he held his goblet out she clinked hers against it, meeting in a toast. It reminded her of when they'd toasted with Garlan at one of the inns they'd stayed at on their journey from Winterfell, and it made her cringe thinking about how awkward they had been with each other. Things were still new, but at least they were now comfortable with each other, and she found herself cracking a smile.

The picnic blanket was filled with bread rolls and cheeses, pork pies and savoury tarts, not to mention a small mountain of lemon cakes and shortbread. The two of the ate and made conversation, talking about their day and the days that had come before. They discussed all the guests that had stayed in High Garden for the wedding, laughing about some of them and exchanging stories about others.

"Oberyn liked you," Willas said as he finished spreading some cheese onto a roll, tearing it in half and offering the other piece to Eddmina.

"I didn't realise you were all so close," she stated, taking the bread and cheese from him with a grateful smile.

"What can I say, you rebel from your family through archery and music, I rebel from mine by keeping company with the Dornish," he joked, but let out a small sigh when he noted the look of confusion Eddmina was attempting to hide. "I don't resent him for what happened, it was a freak accident. It could have very easily been me knocking him from his horse, tourneys are dangerous places. I was probably too young, too... arrogant,"

"I don't think your arrogant," she commented with what she hoped was a reassuring look.

"Not now," he shrugged. "When I returned to High Garden after I was well enough to travel, Oberyn had sent me gifts. Wine, books, a horse, and a letter detailing his regret for the incident. He can be an arrogant arse but he's funny, and also rather kind and recognises the importance of friendship, even if ours is founded in the most unfortunate of circumstances,"

"Have you ever been to Dorne to visit him?" she asked, trying not to show just how much she admired him and his morals.

"Twice, the last time was at least two years ago," he told her. "It's a different place to the rest of Westeros, it's more liberated, you'd love it. Oberyn and I write to each other every other month, and before my family and I went north his letters were often the only things I truly looked forward to,"

Before Eddmina had the chance to respond, Willas was pouring her more wine. It was stronger than she thought, though her head hadn't started spinning yet so she drank it happily. It tasted like a bottle she and Robb had unearthed in the cellars of Winterfell one night when they had snuck out.

"May I ask you something?" Willas asked, and Eddmina nodded with a frown. "You mentioned earlier about your life taking a different course had you not been worried about your mother. What did you mean?"

"I wasn't always as duty-driven," she said quietly like it was a confession, letting out a embarrassed laugh as she swigged her drink before meeting his eye again. "Robb says I get my sense of honour from father, but he's probably more right than he realises. Father was the second son, meaning he had the opportunity to experience life differently until he suddenly became the eldest living Stark, and in a similar way when I was younger, barely a teenager, I often forgot my responsibility of being the eldest. I didn't care about setting a good example, I wanted to live life by my standards. I didn't want to live for anyone else but myself, because why should I care for tradition if it would make me unhappy?"

"You may have a point with that latter idea," Willas pointed out, reminding her of the last time they had a big talk, when she'd confessed all the disappointment she'd caused in her family. "What did you do then, to live life by your standards?"

"Nothing completely outrageous, I thought I was more rebellious than I actually was," she stopped herself from rolling her eyes at her own history. "I used to make plans though. I was going to leave Winterfell before anyone could force me into a life I didn't want. One night I decided I was going to cut all my hair off and go to the wall. I thought I could pretend to be some lowborn bastard. I'd grown up hearing the story of brave Danny Flint so I knew the danger but the only thing that put me off was the thought that I'd see my Uncle Benjen and he'd recognise me and send me back home. So instead I decided that I'd run away to Bravos and join an acting troupe. I can sing pretty well and I was sure I would be able to pick up acting and learning plays quickly,"

"I think you would make a remarkable actress," he told her though she rolled her eyes at her own childlike foolishness. "What made you change your mind?"

"My father had to go an execute a deserter from the Wall," she said, sipping her wine again. "I found him in the Godswood after, and he told me that the man who passes the sentence must always swing the sword, because if not, a man forgets the gravity of his duty. We sat and talked about honour and duty for a long time. He knew I was a little unhappy with everything at that point but he wasn't talking to lecture me into seeing sense, he was just passing on wisdom, and he just made me see things a little clearer. He told me about how, even though I'm a Stark, my mother's family words are the greatest truth, 'family, duty honour'. I promised him that day that I would always try and do my best for the family, that I'd do my duty and try and be as honourable as his example. I probably haven't always been the best at it in fairness, but I'm glad I didn't run off to Bravos,"

"For one, I don't think you'd cope with the heat," he attempted to joke, leaning over and taking her hand. "I'm glad you didn't go too. Regardless of what you think, you seem to me to be one of the most honourable ladies I've ever met. You clearly love your family more than anything, and I think they should be damned proud of everything you do,"

"You say that as if you're not remarkably honourable yourself," she quickly deflected the compliment onto him. "Not to mention the kindest person I've ever met, probably also one of the smartest too,"

"Would you believe me if I told you I wanted to run away from home once too?" he asked, his tone sounding like a light-hearted confession. "Well, more like hobble away, considering it was after the joust. Everyone was acting as if I was rather hopeless now I had a bad leg, so I thought it best to just take myself off to the Citadel and train to be a maester. I would've had to give up my claim as heir to High Garden, but that would've made Garlan the heir, which was what I thought everyone wanted at the time. He was, of course, the one who talked sense into me,"

"Perhaps we're more alike than we thought," she flashed a small smile. "You'd make an excellent Maester though. You're more than clever enough, except I've never met a Maester with such an enjoyment of wine and rum,"

He laughed at that, and Eddmina smiled too. She loved it when she made him laugh, and she loved how happy she felt around him. As if their thoughts were aligned and he knew exactly how she felt, Willas shifted his position slightly, so that he was facing her properly. He seemed almost nervous for a moment, until he put his hand in trouser pocket and pulled out a small box, holding it out to her. She took it from him carefully, opening it up to reveal a ring.

Sat on a green velvet cushion, the ring was silver, thicker and wider than the one she wore on her thumb, with shining green emeralds embedded in a pattern of engraved vines and roses. Wedding rings weren't a big tradition in the North, but she'd seen Leonette wear one similar, and Lady Alerie too, except theirs were golden. It was beautiful and as she took the ring out of it's box, she glanced up at Willas. He was watching her carefully, as if trying to see how she was going to react, and so to show her gratitude she lent over and kissed his cheek, stroking his curls gently before handing the ring to him, knowing exactly which finger he had to place it on.

"I thought you'd prefer silver to gold," he admitted, taking hold of her left hand gently. "Gold may be the Tyrell tradition, but I think we're both more than happy to make our own traditions,"

"It's beautiful, thank you, Will," she spoke as he slid the ring onto her first finger, and the pair of them grinned when the ring fit perfectly.

"I'm glad you like it," he said, his fingers still caressing over hers until he reached his hand up to stroke her hair. "I'm not just giving you this ring because it's tradition, but because I want you to know I care for you,"

"I know you do," she nodded. "You've proven that more than enough. I might not be as open at showing it but I feel the same, and I'm grateful for all that you've done to welcome me here and make me feel comfortable,"

"I want nothing more than you to feel happy here," he said, taking hold of her hands before he gestured out at the scenery around them and Eddmina noticed the golden sunset reflecting against the shining blue of the Mander. "One day all of this will be ours to watch over, but until then, we may as well enjoy it,"

***

Word count: 4859

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