Elena could hear his footsteps as Robb descended from the wall and walked towards her. He knelt down next to her, not saying anything, just looking around at the men in the courtyard.

"Maybe it's time." Robb said after a while, looking at Gillian's motionless face. He seemed peaceful, and finally Robb realized that maybe, just maybe he was going to miss him. He had lost him once before in the battle of Dreadfort but this was different. This was more permanent, it seemed. Just like the decision he was going to make a little while after that.

Elena didn't look at him but only turned her head towards the sound of his voice.

"Time to finally give in." Robb sighed and sat down in the mud. His wolf, grey wind, followed suit. "Our army is little and weakened, our forces scattered and even my uncle, the blackfish, seems tired. I don't know how to fight them anymore." Robb looked down at his hands that were folded in his laps.

"What are you trying to say?" Elena looked up at the sound of his voice, looking at his blue eyes that seemed to stare right back at her. They were empty though, not really looking but only seeing. "Are you giving up?" Elena asked.

"No." Robb immediately answered, his voice steady and determined. It was then that Elena saw the wolf in him, the iron. He is and always will be a Stark. "All I'm saying is that we need a change of plan."

"What's the plan then?" Elena stood up and motioned for one of the men to carry Gillian's body out of there.

Robb followed her, standing up and brushing the mud off his cloak. "Depends on what Jaime says."

~

And so they came to ride out of the castle both mounted together with Steven, their gazes fixed on Jaime that was standing there with a few guards behind him. Even from afar Elena could see Jaime's gaze on her and Steven, probably wondering who they were.

Elena. Steven said to her mentally. Elena slightly directed her gaze towards him. Do we even know what we're doing? He continued, his voice sounding troubled.

Elena remained silent for a while, redirecting her gaze towards Jaime. Just trust him. Elena said. He knows what he's doing.

I'm not going to let Santana's, Gillian's, Ella's, Louis' and Aidan's deaths be in vain. Steven continued.

Elena narrowed her eyes, thinking. Neither will I. Elena said. Neither will Robb.

Then what are we doing talking to Jaime Lannister? Steven's voice sounded angry, ashamed that he even had to stand near the guy. Without Stannis?!

I don't know.

"Robb Stark!" Jaime addressed him when all three of them stepped off their horses near him. "It's been a long time since I've seen you."

"Last time I saw you you were my prisoner and, well..." Robb looked at Jaime. "You were still two-handed."

Elena had to hold in a snicker while Jaime's eyes darkened. "Let's just say a lot of things have changed." Jaime said in a low voice, stepping closer to Robb. Steven reacted immediately, unwrapping his wings threatingly and taking one step forward with his hand glasped around his sword.

"A guardian." Jaime inspected Steven, ignoring the glare he was giving him. "I suspect she is one too, right? You weren't completely honest with me back in Winterfell, were you, Elena?"

She flinched slightly when he remembered her name, her eyes scanning him. "Neither were you, especially when you said you didn't hurt Brann. Or when you told the whole kingdom that you don't fuck your own sister."

"Let's stop with the accusations." Robb interrupted with a steady and low voice. He sighed deeply while glancing at Elena, seeing how also she had unwrapped her wings. "Why are you here, Lannister?"

"The king, Tommen, has send me to negotiate with you."

"Continue."

"For a peace offer." Jaime continued hesitantly, eyeing Robb.

"Why would you bring your whole army with you to negotiate?" Steven said.

"To prove a point." Jaime said. "We need you and you need us."

"Why would I need you, the very own man who paralyzed my brother, who started this whole war that killed many of my family?"

"Because, dear little princess, you don't have much choice." Elena closed her eyes when she heard his voice from behind her, a chill creeping up her spine. He sounded so much like Damon but just a tad bit deeper.

"That's what Damon calls you, right?" Ethan smiled when he came into Robb's view, circling around him with his hands behind his back. He smirked for a little while, watching as both Robb and Elena were trying their best not to attack him. Ethan's gaze lingered on his sister for a while.

"You see," Ethan started walking again towards Jaime. "We have our own problems back in paradise and so do you, with the dead arising and all. So me and golden boy here thought that we should give you a chance, give the North a chance." Ethan patted Jaime's shoulder when he walked by him.

"As you Starks always say, winter is coming." Ethan smirked and leaned against Jaime who didn't even seem to mind or was simply too afraid to push him off. "So you can either negotiate or you can plunge your sword through your own belly and make this so much easier for all of us."

If you hold his arms, I can drive my sword through his belly or maybe chop his head off. Elena looked at Steven when he talked, seeing how he was shooting daggers at Ethan with his eyes.

We need him to free Damon.

"Ha! That's not happening any time soon." Everyone frowned at him when Ethan laughed. "You forget, sweet cheeks, I can read minds." Ethan chuckled for a little while till he remembered what was going on. "So, little princess, what's it going to be?"

"You really think that after everything we'd negotiate with you?" Elena looked at Ethan, remembering how scared he looked when he had just cursed their brother. Now his eyes were all dark again, all light deprived from them. "After you betrayed your own family?!"

"Stark wouldn't be negotiating with him." Jaime interrupted. "He'd be negotiating with me."

"And that makes everything so much better." Elena rolled her eyes. She looked at Robb for support.

"What are the terms?" Robb sighed.

What's he doing? Steven's panicked voice rang through Elena's head. She was too busy looking at Robb with her mouth agape to answer him though.

"As a first you can keep your kingdom, that kingdom being the North, and call yourself king." Jaime said.

"What about Riverrun, my uncle? You just want me to abandon them?!"

"The Tully's can keep their land. As long as they maintain the trade with the south and swear fealty to our king Tommen they can call theirselfs northerners as much as they like." Jaime answered and Robb nodded. "We will send men every month to reinforce the wall, as usual. Our northern prisoners will be freed and send back to their homes, we will extract our forces from our posts in the North and parts of Riverland. And as last we will free your sister Sansa from her bonds with Tyrion."

Robb nodded and seemed deep in thought. Elena, I'm not going to let this happen. Steven growled. We can't let their deaths be in vain, we can't.

"Just wait. We have to trust him. Elena answered but she wasn't really sure herself.

"What are the terms?" Robb asked slowly.

"You will swear the same vows your father swore to King Robert. You will let the trade between the North and the south continue without further due. Your troops will be send back home to their wives and you will give up Harrenhal to us. You will also help us bring down the rebellion at the Iron Islands." Jaime summed up.

"And?" Robb knew this wasn't all. They had to have some kind of insurance that would make sure Robb would keep to his promise.

"Since Sansa has been through enough horror when it comes to weddings and your sister Arya is a little too young for me-..." Jaime paused for a moment. It was clear he wasn't exactly happy with the arrangement. He looked at Elena, seeing how she frowned in confusion and then how realisation had hit her before Jaime said the words. "Let's just hope you haven't made the same mistake with her."

Robb didn't seem to understand what Jaime meant or simply just didn't want to. He just stood there, glancing between Jaime and Elena. She just stood there, her lips slightly trembling and her hands balled into fists.

Don't worry, sweetheart, I've already approved of the marriage. Ethan mocked her, smiling widely while watching her squirm. I will be there the whole time with you, in Kings landing. So don't you worry about Jaime. We're going to have a wonderful tome together.

"No." Robb answered when he finally realised what he meant. "No!" He said louder and stepped forward, pointing at Jaime furiously. "She has nothing to do with this, I will not betroth her to you for something that you caused."

"Robb-"

"No!" He yelled even harder. "I'm not even going to think about this, it's not going to happen. Not on my watch."

"Robb." Elena said softly. She laid her hands on his shoulder to calm him down. When he was breathing steadily again she looked up at him reassuringly. "It's my choice."

"No, it's not." Robb stuttered and ran his hand through his hair.

You can't be serious about this. Steven told her. You just can't. It's Jaime fucking Lannister. He's maybe even worse than Ramsay.

"But she is, dear Steven." Ethan spoke out loud. "She is the only woman who hasn't married anyone yet. You can even say she's a true Stark since dear old Ned practically adopted her." Ethan shrugged.

"After all, she is the guardian of the north." He looked directly into Elena's eyes. "No better match for Jaime will be found anywhere to ensure the bond between the north and the south."

"I promise you, on my honour, she won't be harmed." Jaime spoke to Robb.

"Your honour isn't worth anything to me." Robb growled and so did Grey Wind next to him.

Elena, please don't do this. Don't give up. You remember? Don't do this.

Don't worry Steven. Elena said while she looked at Ethan who was smirking at her. I've got a plan.

"Your grace, can I talk to you for a moment?" Elena laid her hand on his shoulder. He nodded and followed her till they were a few metres away from the others.

"Elena..." Robb sighed and looked down at her. "I can't let you do this, I can't let you sacrifice yourself for something I messed up. We just got engaged."

"I won't let you make the same mistake again, Robb."

"This is not like-"

"Yes it is!" Elena interrupted him. "It is the same, Robb. I may not have been there but I know you loved Talisa. I know you gave up an army to be with her and then paid for it with your mother's, hers and almost your own life. I won't let you lose a whole kingdom and its inhabitants just so we can be together. I won't."

Robb sighed and bit on the inside of his cheek, tasting the copper of his blood. "What about never give up, what about Gillian and the rest who gave everything for us to keep fighting?"

"I'm not giving up." Elena whispered and laid her hand on his cheek. "I have a plan, Robb. A way to free Damon. That way maybe we can defeat Ethan, maybe we can defeat the Lannisters after a while."

"So you want be to break the vows I will make when signing those peace accords?" Robb frowned.

"You think the Lannisters will keep them?"

"We can never be sure if they will. Our plan can't depend on them betraying us."

"Look, Robb." Elena sighed. "They're only doing this because they've got troubles back home and because they know that the North will never follow them if they are not Starks. Don't you see? They won't kill you now because their army is too busy protecting themselves from the citizens in King's Landing. But when that fight is over, they will try to restore their pride and start a war all over again."

Robb only shook his head and refused to look Elena in the eye. "Still, we can't be sure if they will."

"Doesn't matter. I'd rather marry Jaime than see a whole kingdom burn because of me." Elena forced Robb to look at her by taking his jaw in her hands. "This is what I'm meant to do Robb. I'm a guardian."

Robb bit on his lip, trying to keep the tears at bay while shifting on his feet. "Elena-" he started but then suddenly his eyes widened and his body went limp.

Just on time Elena caught his body, keeping him on his feet by holding his shoulders. "Robb?!" She pushed him up and tried to look at his eyes.

"Steven!" He had already noticed the uproar and came running towards them, taking Robb from Elena.

"What's happening to him?" Elena stressed and then looked at Ethan to see if he was doing anything. He only stood there though, in the distance, frowning at the situation.

"I don't know, it seems just like he's..." Steven's eyes widened in realization. "Someone's taking over his body."

"Elena." Robb croaked but it wasn't his voice. He tried to lift his arms but the connection was too weak.

"Damon?!" Steven put Robb's body down on the ground, letting him lean on his shoulder. "Damon, is that you?" Elena took Robb's face in her hands.

"Too weak... Still captured." He sighed, trying to take control.

"Damon, please, just concentrate, we can't understand what you're saying." Steven said.

"Ethan's weakness, dagger." Damon said through Robb's body. "King's Landing."

"What dagger? What are you talking about?" Elena shook his shoulder when Robb's eyes closed. "Damon?!"

"Seal the deal, Lena." His eyes opened slightly. "Only way to-" suddenly his eyes spread wide open and then closed again.

"Damon?" Elena looked up at Ethan and saw him there, glaring at Robb's body. Just in time before it vanished she saw black smoke twirling around his fingers. "Damon?!" She redirected her gaze towards Robb's body again.

His eyes opened, revealing a crashing blue. "What happened?" Robb groaned and touched his head. "Never mind, don't tell me, I remember." He stood up slowly.

"Damon wants us to sign the peace accord." Elena mumbled. Damon probably escaped from the doll like Ethan did before but only with his conscience and not his body.

Robb remained silent for a while, staring at something in front of him.

"Your grace, I can't believe I'm saying this but...." Steven stuttered. He ran his hand through his short blonde hair and shifted uncomfortably. He was going against everything he stood for. It was the only thing he could do though.

Robb nodded and looked away. "I know. I have to sign it."