"Elena? What are you doing?" Robb's voice sounded husky and croaky, having just awoken from a much needed sleep. He sat up in the bed, looking at his wife as she was staring at the city from their balcony in the Red Keep. He slowly put on some of his clothes that were spread around the room while taking care that he didn't re-open his wounds.

It had been almost a week since the siege of King's Landing, almost a week since Ethan had died. The war was over according to many but to Damon and Elena it would never end. The thing that had possessed their brother was still out there, hiding in the shadows till its next target came into sight.

Robb sighed deeply when clearly Elena was too caught up in her own mind to notice that he was awake too. He walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her tiny body from behind while softly kissing her neck. To Robb everything was perfect, he was one of those who were just relieved that it was finally over. The Lannisters were defeated, the rebels put down and the dark guardian had been put down.

The only thing that still troubled Robb was the fact that he had had to say goodbye to his father. In some way though it gave him some sense of peace since he now had had the opportunity to say what he wanted to say. The loss was still heavy on him though and the weight of the crown was still almost too much.

"It's like it never happened." Elena spoke up after some time. The sun had almost risen completely, giving a red glow to the city and making her hair look flame red instead of pearly white. She could hear the chatter and the noise of the people that were already busy with rebuilding their houses, cleaning the Streets from the rubble and finding lost items. "They're all just carrying on, like their fathers and sons didn't die just a few days past."

"Life always carries on, my love." Robb said as he held her tightly, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"Not for some." Elena whispered as she looked down at her hands. She had kept the doll with her, knowing that when she was a child Ethan had given it to her for her birthday. Before she detested the thing, was afraid of it but now she felt only loss but also some kind of warmth due to the fact that it was Ethan's gift to her. The loss of her brother fell heavier than she had expected. Maybe it was because in his last moments she saw who he truly was, not the arrogant and violent man she had grown to know but the loving, gentle brother that once had cared for her.

"Have you received word yet from Sansa, Arya and Jon?" Elena spoke up after some time, turning around in Robb's arms so she could face him.

"They've arrived safely in Winterfell this morning." Robb smiled at her as he placed his hand on her cheek, tracing the edge of her lips with his thumb. "You're troubled." Robb frowned when he noticed the worry in her eyes.

"I don't know, something's just... not right." Elena sighed as she placed the palms of her hand against Robb's chest. "Maybe it's just the paranoia getting to me. I mean, I'm a guardian. I don't think I ever really get to believe that the war is over."

"But it is over, Elena." Robb smiled as he held her face in both his hands, making her look at him as he smiled brightly. "We can go home, like we always planned to do. Rebuild Winterfell, take care of the orphans in Wickendale like Gillian wanted to, maybe even have some more kids. We can have a life."

"Maybe." Robb's contagious smile soon made one appear on Elena's lips. "But first we need to wait till Deanarys is here." When Robb tried to speak up Elena silenced him by putting her finger on his lips. "AND we need to go to that meeting Stannis requested this afternoon." Elena smiled as Robb's eyes narrowed at her playfully. His hands wandered to her waist while she was talking.

"And you need to take Gill to the market, he has been dying for a new playsword." Elena tried to act serious. Like Always Robb had the calming effect on her, making all her worries fly away as he held her tight.

"I will, don't worry." Robb softly smiled and then leaned down, touching her lips with his own. The kiss was slow and deep, leaving Elena trembling and her knees weak. His hand waved itself through her hair while the other pulled her closer by her waist. Elena responded by entangling her own hands into his morning curls, enjoying the way his lips enveloped hers. That until suddenly two wild kids burst through the door and started jumping and pulling on their clothing.

"Mommy!! Gillian stole my doll!" Lyanna whined as she pulled on her mother's white dress while tears brimmed at the edge of her clear blue eyes.

"I didn't steal it, I merely borrowed it!" Gillian protested while looking at his father pleadingly and added softly: "And then I accidently threw it off the highest tower and into the sea." He shamefully looked down at his shuffling feet. "It was an accident!" Gillian quickly added when his father angrily looked at him.

"Seems like instead of buying you a new sword you'll need to buy your little sister a new doll." Robb chuckled after letting go of his wife and lifting the weeping Lyanna up in his arms, trying to soothe her.

"Can I have a bow instead? Like mother?" Lyanna pleaded and looked at Robb with big eyes. He chuckled at her, shaking his head. "Father please!! Mother Always told me that I could be just like her and that I shouldn't worry about what other girls think!"

Elena chuckled at that while Robb glared at her accusingly. "Your mother is a special case, love, but if you really do want that bow I'll think about it."

"It would be unfair to give Gillian all kinds of toys and Lyanna only dolls." Elena intervened as she put on her red cape. "Before you know it, we'll be making her into a thief because she'll try to steal Gillian's toys just like he does to her."

'I borrowed it!" Gillian protested and earned a soft stroke on the head.

"You're just like the man you were named after." Robb smirked. "Always getting into trouble, thinking you're doing the right thing."

"Robb." Elena narrowed her eyes at him playfully.

"Mother told me Gillian was a great man!" The little version of him protested. Elena dared Robb to say something against it, glaring at him while smiling mischievously. Someone then knocked on the door.

"Come in." Robb answered as he put Lyanna down.

"Sam!" Elena smiled at the sight of him. She ran up to him, giving him a quick hug while making sure she didn't put too much pressure on the wounds that were on his chest.

"Good morning, your grace." Sam smirked, knowing it would annoy Elena.

"For the hundredth time, Sam, it's Elena! I hate being called that by people that I know." Elena swatted his chest.

"Are you ready?" Sam fastened the belt of his backpack on his shoulder.

"Yeah." Elena pulled her cloak over her shoulders and walked up to Robb, giving him a quick peck on his lips and then on both their children's forehead. "Don't get into trouble, Gillian." She ruffled his hair as she stood up from his level.

"I will try." Gillian smirked.

"Don't worry, love, I will take good care of them." Robb said as he proudly put his hand on Gillian's shoulder.

"Like you did last time? Yeah, I remember the feathers and the glue that were stuck in his hair for days. I don't think I can make up another excuse like last time to assure Steven he isn't crazy." Elena scoffed. "In truth, I think he already knows."

"Then there's no need in hiding it, then." Gillian laughed.

"You better watch it." Elena narrowed her eyes at him. "Or do you want Loki to give you another hug?" She thought back to last time when in the midst of the night her wolf, covered in mud and god knows what, went to Gillian's room and tried to sleep beneath the covers. Gillian quickly shook his head no. "See you in a few hours!"

~

"He's surely improving." Elena nodded while watching Castiel, Steven's oldest son, lifting another block of debris with his powers. With his black hair hanging before his sky blue eyes and the look of pure concentration on his face he reminded her of Damon, only with a much softer and gentler face. Speaking of Damon, he was watching Castiel closely from a few metres away. He had been his mentor like he was for Elena before.

"He is." Steven smiled proudly. "Although I'm still not going to let him fight for another 10 years."

"Little boys grow up Steve, you'll need to let him go some time." Elena smiled up at him.

"I know, I know." Steven shrugged uneasily. "But not yet." He finished, walking towards Castiel after he had dropped the block of stone in frustration.

When Steve left he was replaced by a grim looking Abigail. She looked at Damon with almost pure fear. "You know you'll have to tell him some time, right?" Elena spoke up. "About Ethan." She added. Damon had noticed Abigail's presence, frowning when his daughter didn't look as happy as before. After the battle, things had been tensed between them. Damon didn't know why, all he did know was that maybe Abigail was even stronger than him. That wasn't what frightened him though, it was the fact that Abigail seemed to show no fear of using her dark magic. He didn't know how she did it nor how she controlled the darkness inside of her, if she even managed to control it.

"I know." Abigail answered, looking down at her feet. "Although I think that somewhere deep down, he has always known about my true parentage. Maybe he just doesn't want to accept it or he just doesn't care."

"It is Always good to talk about it, Aby." Elena looked at her with sympathy. "Being Ethan's daughter isn't something you just... hide away. You'll have to let it out some time."

Abigail nodded, sighing deeply. She glanced at Damon who had returned his attention back to his pupil just moments before that. "I know. For now though, I think I'm heading back for Winterfell. I've had enough of this city, it gives me the creeps."

"Heading back for Jon, you mean." Elena gave her a knowing look.

"Maybe." Abigail smirked. "We're taking it slow." She turned towards Elena with a smile. "After everything, it is the best option. We've been through our ups and downs. A lot of them."

"What's this about secret relationships?" Liane stepped in between the two, followed by Sam.

"Nothing." Abigail and Elena said simultaneously and both turned towards Castiel, Damon and Steven who looked up at them.

"Is it time?" Damon's face turned sour.

Liane nodded. "Stannis is expecting you in an hour."

~

"Lyanna, stop messing with your hair." Elena grumbled, kneeling down to her level and adjusting the braid back to a somewhat presentable form. They were waiting just outside the great hall for a signal. They all had put on their best clothes, Robb and Elena in their uniform or in other words their battle armour while the little ones were just dressed formally.

"Stannis won't care about how she looks, Elena." Robb chuckled.

"I don't think he cares about anything." Damon ruffled Gillian's hair, much to Elena's dismay. Even he had dressed up for the last meeting, going full black.

"It won't hurt to look somewhat presentable." Steven cut in, earning a thank you from Elena. "After all, this is probably the last time we will be here. If everything goes right, Deanarys will be here in a month and we will be back in Winterfell."

"So this is it, then?" Damon said. "The end of this war, the war of the guardians."

"I sure hope so." Robb smiled, grasping Elena's hand tightly in his and squeezing it reassuringly. "Before this meeting, I wanted to thank all of you." He looked around him, at Steven, Damon and his wife. "Without you we would have never won this war. You stood by me without hesitation, through thick and thin, through storm and rain. We've lost many; Aidan, Ella, Santana, Louis, Gillian... There is nothing I can do to ever repay this debt but I will do everything in my power to make sure you will be rewarded." Robb Looked down at his hand that was intertwined with Elena's. "You made me the happiest man on this earth and I'm not even sure if I deserved it."

"You surely did, my king." Steven smiled as he put his hand on Robb's shoulders. "You deserve every victory you got."

"Even I've got to say." Damon sighed deeply. He was never one to compliment something so it was hard for him to finally say this. "If I had the chance, I still wouldn't change a thing."

Robb nodded and then looked down at Elena. "You know how I feel." She said with a smile.

"Are you ready, then?" Steven asked Robb, referring to the last meeting.

"I am." Robb took in a deep breath and then opened the large doors of the throne room, walking in with the rest following behind him. He looked in front of him and saw Stannis sitting upright on the iron throne, watching his every move like a hawk. Ser Davos and Melisandre were on either side of him, looking just as stern as him. The hall was silent except for the sound of their footsteps and their armour rattling because of it, making the air feel tensed and forced.

"King Stannis." Robb made a small bow. "You requested my presence here." Even Gillian and Lyanna made an attempt to bow but that only resulted in Gillian falling face-first on the floor. Damon chuckled lightly, picking the boy up and letting him sit on his shoulders.

"I felt like there were some things that still needed... sorting out." Stannis made no attempt to get off the throne, something that troubled Elena. She knew she was the leader of King's Landing till Deanarys came back, but that didn't give him the right to actually sit on the iron throne like it was his all along.

Robb looked at Steven, silently asking him if he knew anything about this. Steven shook his head no, a frown forming on his face. Robb started to shuffle nervously as he looked back at Stannis.

"The battle is over, the war is won." Stannis said and sat even more straight on the Iron throne, folding his hands together. "But there is still something that's troubling me."

"Do speak up then." Robb's hand instinctively wrapped itself around Elena's. Even she noticed the tension, glancing around the throne room for any hidden things she needed to notice. The only thing she noticed though was the smirk on Melisandre's face, the way she stood upright confidently.

"You've been calling yourself king in the north." Stannis said. That one sentence was enough for Damon to know that something was most definitely wrong. His suspicions were confirmed when the doors on either side of the iron throne opened, a large battalion of Stannis's men walking into the throne room. Instead of the Stark's symbol Stannis's flaming heart was painted on their armour.

"Westeros only has one king." Stannis continued, his eyes narrowing. Robb pulled Elena behind him while all the guardians either put themselves before the children or unwrapped their wings threatingly. Robb reached for his sword with his free hand as did Steven, who had pulled Lyanna behind him. The battalion surrounded them, their lances pointed right at their throats. Only Robb was still paying attention to Stannis while the others focused on the newcomers, grasping their weapon tightly. Loki and Grey Wind both growled protectively, lowering their heads threatingly.

"What do you want, Stannis?" Robb growled. He felt just like his father did all those years ago. Only instead of King Joffrey it was Stannis Baratheon that was threatening the Starks.

"First you will surrender your name as king of the north. You will swear fealty to me, the rightful king of Westeros. You will be allowed to keep your home under the supervision of my trusted advisor, Melisandre, only if you bow down right now." Stannis stood up, towering over the rest.

"Don't trust him, Robb!" Damon growled while trying to keep a spear from hurting him.

"What if I don't?" Robb's eyes didn't leave Stannis's.

"I'm afraid I will have to have you executed, together with your wife and guardians."

The hall fell silent except for the shuffling of feet and the ragged breathing of the soldiers. They were afraid, that's for sure. Before them stood the notorious guardians of the north and their own king who was believed to be immortal. They also knew though that they had more numbers and that even though the guardians were powerful, they couldn't beat the odds.

"Don't you dare surrender to him now." Damon said inside Robb's mind. "Aidan didn't die for this, not for that scumbag to be king."

"We won't surrender to him." Steven added. "Not as long as I am breathing, we won't. I will fight for as long as I am able to lift a sword."

Robb's hand squeezed Elena's assuringly for one last time as he looked down at her. Her eyes said a million words. They were afraid yet determined, seemingly having accepted what was coming next. "I love you." Was all she said.

"You are no king of mine." Robb concluded. He looked at his wife for a little bit longer, trying to memorize the way her pearly white hair shone in the light, the golden spots in her eyes, the redness of her cheeks but above all the fire that burned inside her eyes before he turned towards Stannis again. All the while the guardians were planning their escape.

"Damon, you take Lyanna and I will take Gillian so that Elena can get Robb. We will need to head straight for that window and towards the stables. Maybe I can contact Liane and Sam so that they can make sure the gates remain open. We won't be able to save any other northerners but... it's all we've got."

"You will never rule the north." Robb finished.

With one mere gesture of his hand Stannis commanded the troops to attack, and so they did. As planned, Steven had grasped Lyanna and Loki under his arms and had flown towards the window, Damon following suit with Gillian and Grey Wind. Only Elena didn't follow the plan, instead she stumped her foot on the floor, creating a shockwave that threw everyone back. With the time that earned her she broke the wall below the window, creating a huge hole. She then pushed Robb through it with her telekinesis, sending him flying out of the throne room.

"Elena?!" Damon noticed her absence after he had landed on the floor outside of the throne room. He looked right through the hole in the wall and saw her there, in the midst of the throne room, surrounded by all the soldiers. He saw how she stretched her arms and then clenched her fists, breaking the pillars upon which the building was build.

"Elena, don't!" Steven yelled. He saw how the midst of the stone pillars crumbled yet didn't break, knowing that Elena was now supporting the whole building with her powers. Her icy blue eyes met Damon's, her white locks hanging before her wide open eyes as she breathed out slowly. Ice was covering everything around her, freezing everyone to where they were standing, unable to move.

"Please, take care of them." Elena spoke to him as her breath formed tiny clouds.

"ELENAA!!!" Robb yelled at the top of his lungs and tried to run towards her. Only Steven had grasped his collar and pulled him back, holding him firmly as he thrashed and cried out. His protests stopped though as his eyes locked with Elena's for one last time.

"Please." He whimpered softly. She sadly smiled at him before pulling her arms towards her chest. Damon immediately stormed towards her to try and save his sister but the blast only knocked him back, sending him flying 10 metres away. The building collapsed right down on them, on Stannis, Melisandre, Ser Davos, the battalion of soldiers and Elena. Steven and Damon tried to shield the rest with their wings, kneeling down and holding their arms before their faces as the blocks of stones tumbled down. The sound was ear-deafening, even worse than the Sept of Bealor.

When the rubble had settled and the dust was cleared, all that was left was a pile of rubble. Somewhere in the middle the top swords of the Iron Throne poked out from under the piles of glass and stone. Other than that, there was nothing. Not even a sound or a whimper.

"Elena?!" Damon quickly flew towards the top of the pile, knowing that only 3 metres down she was buried under the rubble. He began to lift the large chunks of stone with the help of Steven, both trying desperately to hold onto hope while Robb fell down to his knees. "Elena! Please, if you hear us, say something!"

There was one last piece of rubble that they had to lift to reach the bottom. Steven and Damon both looked at each other, their faces contorted into fear. They simultaneously grasped the edges and threw it away, revealing multiple bodies that were laying on the floor.

"Elena, no..." Robb whimpered as he stepped towards the light-blue dressed body. Her pearly white wings were covering her whole body, hiding her face. Robb knelt down before her, hoisting her body up in his arms till he managed to see her face. "No, please, no." Robb sobbed, hiding his head in the crook of her neck. "Not again, not now, not like this." He then yelled loudly, startling everyone around him as his cries filled the entire city.

"Mother?" Gillian made an attempt to walk towards her as he held his sister.

"Not now, little one." Steven knelt down before him as he held him back. He made Gillian look at him as he tried to smile reassuringly. "It's going to be all right." Steven tried to suppress his sobs as he said it but even he couldn't stop the tears from falling from his eyes.

"Uncle, what's going on?" Lyanna's hand softly touched his shoulder. Damon was just sitting there on his knees, absent mindedly staring at the body of his sister in Robb's shaking arms. She seemed to look fine, there was no blood or severed limbs. There was only a look of serenity on her face like she was sleeping. He frowned slightly, his fists clenching and unclenching. There was no emotion left on his face, looking like he just woke up from a deep sleep.

"Why did you have to do this?" Robb broke down, stroking the hair away from her face. His tears wettened her cheeks. "Why did you have to sacrifice yourself?" He yammered, looking as a single trace of blood fell down from her nose. "You promised that we would have a life in Winterfell." He sobbed. "You promised me."

"Damon?" Steven stood up after sending Lyanna and Gillian after Loki and Grey Wind. He tried to stand but his legs were shaking, leaving him to kneel down before his friend as he put his hand on his shoulder. Damon still hadn't moved an inch, not even his eyes had faltered from his sister. "Say something." Steven begged.

Damon blinked a few times as his eyebrows knotted together in a frown. He looked at Steven, his eyes scanning his face and noticing the wetness of his cheeks. "I'm so sorry Damon." Steven had grasped his arm to try and comfort him somehow. He didn't know how he was going to take this, especially after the death of his brother.

Damon was left all alone.

He turned back to look at his sister and her husband as he held her tightly in his arms, crying out in misery. "She..." He choked out. He just seemed terribly confused, like he didn't even know what had happened. He looked how her hair cascaded down her shoulders, how her arms were hanging nimbly on the floor, her wings spread out behind her and the thin layer of ice covering everything around them. Above all, he saw the single trace of blood falling down her cheek, the red contrasting with the paleness of her skin.

Damon felt Steven's hand squeeze his arm, trying to pull him from the trance he was in. Damon seemed to have processed what had happened as Robb continued to cry out. He looked down at his hands, thinking about everything that had happened. He tried to swallow the lump that was growing in his throat, tried to suppress the depression that was forming. He wanted to yell, to cry out, to curse Stannis for his existence, to blame the gods and everyone for what had happened. He wanted to cry and beg for Elena to come back, to try and make a deal with the gods or maybe switch his life for hers.

All he could muster out though were three single words. Those three words might've been the heaviest, most painful words that had ever fallen from his lips. He felt his heart contracting, protesting and thumping wildly in protest.

"She is dead."

Author's note

...

Please do not kill me. "Throws delicious home-made cookies at a raging crowd" I STILL HAVE AN EPILOGUE TO FINISH BEFORE I CAN DIE PEACEFULY

"Also hands you a pack of tissues" I'm sorry.