Theon walked out. Tara was happy to see him but she immediately noticed his different demeanor. Remnants of tears were still on his cheeks. Tara was going to ask him what was wrong but his sister then exited. Tara turned her attention from Theon to Yara. Yara looked like a strong woman. She had a serious look on her face.

"This is Tara," Theon introduced Tara, "This is my sister, Yara Greyjoy."

Tara bowed her head for Yara. She wish she knew manners more but she didn't really know how she was supposed to address Yara. "It is an honor." Tara said.

Yara looked at Tara with contempt. Tara could feel that she disliked her. Tara still kept her head bowed out of respect.

"Show them their room." Yara said to a guard, and then she walked briskly away.

Theon and Tara were left to themselves in a grand room. There was a wonderful bed in the middle. It had so many cushions and blankets. Tara had never seen such a nice bed, and she definitely was never the one who would get to sleep in it. A hearth was in the middle of the room. A fire was crackling and it was very warm in the room. Another thing that Tara was not used to.

"I have never been in such a nice room." Tara said.

Theon looked over at her. He hadn't been a nice room in a long while, but he forgot that Tara never had been able to enjoy luxuries such as a nice bed or warm fire.

"You haven't been on the bed yet." Theon said. Tara looked up at him. She looked so excited, but she didn't move. Theon nodded her on. She walked over to the bed and touched the furs with her hand. It was so soft and warm. She sat on the bed, amazed.

She said, "I have never slept in a bed so comfortable."

Theon smiled. He was making up that promise he had failed to keep before. He would try to make sure from now on that Tara would always have a nice place to sleep.

He walked over and joined her in sitting on the bed. He grabbed her hand gently in his and looked at her. She was so beautiful to him. He didn't care what his sister thought about it.

"Why does your sister hate me?" Tara seemed to be reading his mind.

Theon sighed and then started, "Something happened a while ago back at Dreadfort that I never told you."

Tara looked concerned. Theon continued, "Yara came to save me." Theon looked at the ground, "Men died trying, but I didn't go with her."

"Why?" Tara was confused.

"Because of you." Theon said, "You would have been killed if I left with them."

Tara didn't know what to think. She looked at the ground trying to think of something to say.

"I wouldn't change a thing." Theon said. Tara looked up. She was glad he was able to find words.

"She might dislike you for a little bit, but once she learns how great you are and how much you mean to me." Theon said, "Then she will grow to like you."

Tara nodded, "Okay." She smiled sadly, something Theon saw too often.

"I promised you something."

Theon recognized the cynical smile all too well.

Then the grin was forcing over Tara and Sansa, and the grin was slicing the skin off his fingers. The grin was chasing him through the dark woods with dogs barking at his sides. The grin was carving. Always carving into skin, and when the grin grew even more that's when the word whore was carved deep into skin canvas.

Theon opened his eyes. He was glad it was gone now, but it was imprinted into his mind. He stared up at the ceiling trying to erase it from his thoughts. He didn't sit up in the bed like people think nightmares work. He only had to open his eyes slowly, but he was still terrified. Tears streamed down his cheeks slowly. He didn't wipe them away.

"Tara." He said quietly. It was the only way he would be able to feel better.

He felt her move around and take a deep breath. He felt bad that he had woken her up but nonetheless she responded, "Yes?"

"I'm scared." Theon said through his tears. He hadn't realized that he had started crying. She could hear that he was, even though it wasn't clearly audible.

She turned to her other side and looked at him next to her. He stared at the ceiling still. Silent tears coming from him even though he tried to stop them.

"They are only dreams, Theon. That's what you have to remember." Tara said soothingly.

"How did you know?" Theon looked away from the ceiling and over to her.

"I get them too." She said, "I've always had them."

Theon felt extreme empathy. "How do you sleep?"

Tara sighed, "I never used to be able to."

Theon looked distraught. "But that's because I used to have nightmares, and when I woke up they were still there." Tara continued.

"Now, when I wake up, I can remember that they are just dreams. They aren't real." Tara smiled a small smile at him.

Her story broke his heart, but what she said was true. He didn't need to worry because he wasn't living a nightmare. He could open his eyes and remember that they were just dreams. He was now safe. Ramsay couldn't get to him, no matter how much his dreams wanted him to believe that he could.

Theon pulled Tara close. He wrapped his arms around her. He was so glad they could be together and not be scared. Nothing could get them here.

~

Servants were sent to help them be able to bathe. Tara was amazed. She definitely never had a servant do something for her, and she didn't think she ever took a warm bath before either. It was one of the nicest things she had felt. The servant was supposed to help her bathe, but she asked them to leave. She didn't want anyone to see her back.

But once she slipped into the bath, years and years of dirt came off her. It was amazing. She finally felt like a person, not some random whore. She was never going to go back to being that. She was clean and it was a feeling she rejoiced in.

Once she was done, she experienced something new too. Clean clothes. It was a pretty fancy dress. It wasn't probably a fancy dress for someone who was used to living like this, but it was the nicest clothing Tara had ever worn. It was a gray dress but Tara couldn't care less what color it was. She was also given a gray cloak to wear over it to keep her warm.

When Theon and Tara saw each other after being cleaned up, they were both surprised. Theon had never seen Tara clean. Her hair was nice and tamed, and her clothes weren't ripped and dirty. She looked still beautiful. Theon was just surprised that she could be even more beautiful than before.

Tara had only seen Theon cleaned up once before when he went to the wedding back in Winterfell, but it was still amazing to her. She loved that his hair was cut shorter and wasn't so shaggy. He wore dark gray clothing too and had on some armor with his sigil on it. Tara liked to see him like this. It made her happy how nice he cleaned up to be. He didn't look like Reek at all anymore. Reek was now dead, and Tara was glad.