Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end." - Ed Sheeran

The tent was empty and abandoned. Gillian's belongings were scattered around on the inside, he had never been organized. Elena sighed deeply when she walked in.

All that stuff, the books, the clothes and weapons were no one's now. Gillian had no family left. Elena picked up an old book from the ground. She recognized it as one of the books Gillian used to read to the children in the orphanage.

A small smile found its way onto Elena's lips when she remembered it. All the children would always sit in a circle around Gillian as he read the book.

Elena put the old book into her bag where she would keep the most precious things Gillian had left behind. When she looked around the tent for more, she found a letter on the table. She stood frozen as she looked at it. It was almost too neat to be one of Gillian's yet it was placed right in the line of sight, letting her know that Gillian had intended for it to be visible. Her heart sank when she read the first letters.

Dear Elena. It said. It was unopened, nobody had read it. With nerves in her stomach Elena carefully opened the letter and found out it had been written recently. He must've written it right before the battle, right before he... Elena shook her head to try and get rid of the memory.

She sighed and closed the letter again. What if its contents would only break her even more? But what if there was valuable information in it that she had to know? Gathering all the courage she had left Elena opened the letter and began to read.

Dear Elena,

If you're reading this something must've gone terribly wrong. Or you just sneaked into my tent because you couldn't spend another second without me, which is more likely because I'm awesome...

Elena chuckled lightly.

Anyway, if something did go wrong, please don't ever start to blame yourself. I know you will always do your best to protect the people you love. You can't do more than that, nobody can.

As far as I know you're the best guardian this world has ever seen. The ones I've heard off were all boring but somehow... useful. You, you're amazing and the best protector I know. Catelyn, Eddard and all the others died but you saved Brann. You saved him when you did not know you would make it.

You know what Eddard said to me after your funeral? He said that out of everyone he met, you were the most kind, smart, brave and loyal person he had ever met. He also told me that after he had taken you in, within months he started to care for you like you were his daughter. He missed you, Elena.

Brann also did, if you didn't include Robb or me, he was the person who missed you the most. He felt guilty. But you know what? Before we left for war he said that you were the one who changed everything, you were the one who was the only person he had ever met that didn't only care about herself.

So I will tell you this one important thing: if you hadn't healed Brann, things could've gotten worse. Yes Eddard and Catelyn are dead and yes Rickon and Brann maybe too, but they believed in you. I'm sure that if you asked them, even when they knew what was going to happen, they would've only been proud of you.

Before I met you everything was always the same, my father trying to teach me how to be a lord, sneaking out of the castle, stealing things from grumpy old men. It was always the same, boring and meaningless. Then you came.

You've brightened every moment in my life since the day I met you, and I'm sure other people feel the same way. When you smile you always make others smile too, when you laugh, well, you've got the craziest laugh off all of Westeros so everyone around you will laugh too. You're amazing Elena, you might not feel like it now, but you are.

So if you're reading this, and something went wrong with me, don't you dare give up. That bastard of a Stark needs you. I might not like him one bit, but I do know that he won't be able to live without you. For the sake of the North and its inhabitants, don't you fucking dare to give up and leave him. He needs you and you need him, as simple as that. He might be stupid, arrogant and boring but he might be the only solution for this goddamn forsaken world.

Also, I want you to do something for me. It doesn't matter if I'm okay or not when you read this, you have to do it anyway. I want you to kill that bastard Ramsay. The reason is something I have been wanting to tell you for a long time but never had the right occasion to. It's the reason why I haven't left your fool of a Stark boy. If I'm alive when you read this, ask me to tell you. If I'm dead, I will tell you when I see you again.

You see, the thing about life is that justice is rarely served immediately. Sometimes, justice is not dealt at all. The wrong-doers and the oppressors continue to wreak havoc and harm the innocent, who can't do anything but to accept their unfair fate. And sometimes, that fate is death.

So before Ramsay harms more innocent, I want you to kill him, slowly if it is possible. I will not ask you to torture him, I don't want you to do something that you don't want to. But if you do, please make it slow and painful like he always does with his victims.

Now back to King of the snow thingies and stuff. (don't you know how hard it is for me to be serious like this?) I know how mad you are, how broken you really are inside because of his betrayal.

I don't tell this for his sake, I only want to tell you this because it is the truth. I know how he always looked at you back in Winterfell, his eyes full of love and admiration, a proud smile with a hint of wonder. Everybody knew how much he loved you.

With Talisa though, it was different. Yes he also loved her, and yes it was true but it was different. With you he was more free, he was happy and you always made him feel alive. With her though, he didn't talk that much, he didn't laugh or smile that much, he always seemed afraid. Not because of the risks he was making, but because he was scared to lose her like he lost you.

Out of all this I made a conclusion. Elena, he never stopped loving you. Not even for one bit. Get that through that thick skull of yours and maybe in the end you will forgive him.

Now about your parents. I have to be honest with you, Elena. I knew all along. Don't get mad at me, but I've known for a while. There has been a lot going on without you knowing and I'm sorry. It's that I want you to know at the right moment and that moment hasn't come yet. I just wanted you to find out yourself and you will. It's something that, in my opinion, you have to find out for yourself. Because whatever happens you will always be you and not 'the child off'. Don't let your heritage change the way you think about yourself. 

When someone called Damon or Steven comes accros your path don't run away. Let them help you, let them guide your way. Just give Damon a slap when you see him though and tell him that it was for me.

At last, I want you to promise me one thing. When I'm gone, please take care of the little ones. The lords have never cared about the orphan houses and they never will. So please make sure the children are all right, I can't leave this world without knowing they're safe.

Well, that was one serious goddamn letter. I don't think I've ever been more serious than this.

If I'm gone, as I said, don't mourn for me. This world is better off without such a sarcastic asshole that is me. Besides, I hate to see you sad. Maybe I will come back and haunt you if you don't move on. I like to break vases in the midst of the night, so please do not move on. (just kidding, I will kill you if you don't)

You know how much you mean to me so I won't write it down. I don't even know the right words to describe it. So you will have to do with this.

I love you Elena so don't you dare give up. Whatever happens tomorrow you must promise me one thing; that you will stay who you are. Not a perfect Guardian but a good person.

- Gillian

Ps: there's a pendant in the right bottom of the closet, I want you to have it. It's the only thing I have left of my mother. I want you to wear it so that my family will have one last moment of pride.

Elena sighed and stared at the letter in her hands, dried tears covering her cheeks and her hands shaking. She slowly stood up and walked towards the closet were the necklace was.

It was beautiful, it was made out of silver with one crystal, lapis lazuli, a deep blue stone in the middle of the pendant. Elena immediately put it around her neck and stared at it before hiding it under her blue dress.

"Elena?" Robb entered the tent, his dark cloak behind him. His expression was soft when he saw her standing there. "We need to-"

"We need to go to Wickendale." Elena interrupted him and turned her back towards him. Even after everything Gillian had written in that letter, she still wasn't able to look him in the eye.

"Why? We can't, Elena, we're in the middle of a war." Robb sighed and rubbed his head. He knew how upset Elena was but he also was. He might have hated Gillian but deep down he did care about him.

"Then I will go alone. I need to check of the orphans are alright." Elena said and put the letter in her bag. She turned towards the exit and brushed Robb's shoulder when she rushed away.

"You're not going alone, not without me." Robb stopped her by grabbing her wrist. "Since the Boltons still have the North, we can't just go to Wickendale."

"Let me go." Elena growled and narrowed her eyes at Robb. "You don't give me orders."

"Elena, I know how upset you are but don't cross the line." Robb spoke in a warning tone, his grip on her arms tightening and his eyes narrowing.

"Cross the line? You're the one who let Gillian die, you crossed that fucking line!" Elena screamed, she didn't want to say the words that had been in her head the whole time but something forced her to, something that wasn't her.

"You know I didn't have anything to do with Gillians death. I would never just let something like that happen." Robb spoke slowly, intimidating Elena a bit when he towered over her. He felt something in his head, something trying to take control of his brain. He was slowly losing control.

"Why not? You hated him every second he breathed. You are the one who lead everyone to death." Elena growled back, her anger taking control over her.

"Elena." Robb warned her again.

"If you hadn't married Talisa, everyone would be still alive and well. If you hadn't been so ignorant and self-obsessed, mother would've still been here." Elena half yelled while trying to get out of Robbs painful grip.

"Well maybe if you hadn't been so fucking stupid to leave in the first place, everyone would've still been alive!" Robb yelled back. He had lost control of his words, he wasn't thinking. It was like something had taken control of his mouth and the words that came rushing out.

Without thinking about it, Elena lifted her hand and slapped Robb, his head bashing back with the impact. Elena's breath came out in ragged, fast gasps when Robb slowly turned to face her again, his face contorted in anger.

Elena lifted her arm again to hit him but this time Robb caught her wrist before it hit his head and pushed Elena back until she hit the wall behind her. Robb took both her wrists and pinned them beside her body. He was stronger than her. She struggled and tried to kick him but she failed. She was trapped between Robb and the wall without any way to escape.

"You did not just do that." Robb growled slowly, his breath tingling Elena's skin. He was only a few inches away from her, their proximity making Elena shiver.

"Let me go." Elena said through her clenched teeth. She knew that someone was tampering with her mind and she knew that they weren't safe together. But the anger was taking over, The Dark One was trying to get them to fight. Elena had to stop it but she did not know how.

Robb just stood there with Elena's wrists pinned against the wall, his body pressing on hers. His head swirled with several thoughts of what he should do now, he hated but loved her so much right then that he didn't know what to do. He looked down at Elena's trembling lips and then noticed just how close they actually were. But the anger took over and left love behind.

"You're not going to win this war." Robb growled. When she looked into Robb's eyes, she didn't see the familiar deep blue eyes she knew but instead they were the darkest shade she had ever seen. Elena let out a gasp, she realised that the Dark One wasn't only tampering with her mind but also with Robbs.

She didn't know how to get the Dark One out of his head so she did the first thing that came into her head, she pressed her lips firmly against Robbs. His body froze as the confusion took over his mind. Then he grasped Elena tightly when she tried to push him away. She struggled and pushed on his chest, she was afraid to hurt him now that the Dark One was tampering with both their minds.

Elena eventually gave up, her arms wrapped around Robbs shoulder, pulling him closer. His kiss was hard and rough, his anger coming out as he roughly grasped Elena's waist to pull her closer. As time passed though his breath slowed down, his action becoming tender. His hands started to softly rub circles on her wrist instead of holding them tightly, his lips softly envelopping hers instead of pressing down roughly.

After a while he pulled back a little to try and breathe. His grasp onto her softened when his eyebrows knotted together in confusion. Both their chests where rising and falling rapidly, both their hearts thumping wildly. Elena scanned Robb' eyes, now finally seeing his dark blue eyes confusionally staring back at her like he just woke up from a dream. 

Elena sighed and whispered when she finally had the breath to. She knew that he was there and that he could hear her so she spoke to him.

"Please don't make me hurt him."

Authors note

Hellooooo there :))

Thanks to all of you guys who have read this far, you're amazing. I can't believe you actually like this story xd.

Sooo for this chapter I had an idea, the one who votes last will get a dedication next chapter! maybe this will get you guys to vote, since last chapter my pleas didn't really work xd.

Anyway, thanks a lot to all of you guys for your endless support. I always love to read your sweet comments, it always brightens up my day. so this time I wanted to send a special thank you to AGNight since you've been there for a long time and never fail to make me smile :) Also this chapter is dedicated to you (again) because you guessed the answer from last chapter!!

Also a special thank you to Ilse, you weird ass cupcake xd. Your comments are the funniest to read ^^.

Also the picture of this chapter is a drawing I made myself, it's how I picture Elena looks like.

So that was it for this chapter! See you next one! :)