"Are you being deliberately thick?" Brana raged bursting into Robb's tent, the canvas flapping behind her.
"You can't just barge in here! I am the King." Robb protested sitting up in his large chair where he had been observing his battle plans.
"You think sending Greyjoy back to his father is a good idea?" She demanded ignoring his protests.
"Theon would never betray me." Robb said confidently, not even a hint of doubt in his voice. Brana strode forward and leant against the figure covered table.
"You genuinely believe that?" She asked laughing.
"Yes, I do. You wouldn't even be here if you hadn't had his backing. I never understood what he saw in you." Robb said coldly, his blue eyes fixing on her yellow ones. "After all, you're still a Wildling."
"Fuck you." Brana snapped pushing off from the heavy table. "He will betray you like he betrayed me. You will never see your sisters again." She predicted darkly.
They looked at one another for a minute, fury burning in both of them. His face flushed with rage, her yellow eyes glaring at him, her mouth pursed and the scar on her left cheek accentuated.
"Go home Snow." He said his fury contained but barely. "Go home with the knowledge that because of your advice in the past battles you are now a Cerwyn, you will not advise me anymore."
Brana scoffed,
"Legitimacy? You think that matters to me?" She shook her head and left.
Like all battle camps, the Stark encampment was cloyed with mud and blood and the sound of laughing men and the smell of smoke. She sighed; there would be no reaching the King in the North now that he was beyond the North. She had suggested a simple declaration of independence and the utilisation of their natural resources in the Neck. Beyond the Wall if you had to fight you would use everything you could not too, not through diplomacy but efficiency, to kill as many of them as you could while losing none of you.
Brana looked back at the grey tent as she marched back to her own green one. Her men would not die in this folly. Currently they were sat about her tent laughing, drinking and complaining about the warmth of the weather. These were not Cerwyn men, they were hers, they listened to her because of her experience and they had come south of the Wall as she turned fourteen, her brothers and cousins and tribe although they now dressed like Cerwyn men.
She stopped before them where they were sat on the ground in a large clump, all thirty four of them.
"Pack your things. We leave in an hour." She said briskly with their answering nods and grunts she marched into her own tent.
"Lady Snow, I have been meaning to talk with you. I too disapprove of Robbs faith in Theon." It was the King's mother, Lady Stark. Brana paused briefly in acknowledgement of her presence but continued to her things, packing them away into a medium sized chest at the end of her bed.
"You're leaving?" Lady Stark asked.
"Your son does not wish for me to remain." Brana said rolling her eyes. "I think I was telling him what he did not want to hear."
Lady Stark nodded understandingly her lips pursed.
"I shall talk to him." She said primly, "You will not need to leave; your advice has been invaluable. A testament to your education and your Maester."
"Thank you. I refuse to let my men die for a King who will not listen though, the only way to succeed in this life is to be able to adapt and quickly." Brana said shrugging, she had nearly finished packing everything away, she didn't keep a messy tent and everything was kept in easy reach a practice she had learnt when she lived with her mother.
"He will listen, he will if it is me." Lady Stark insisted moving forward to lay her hand on Brana's arm.
"Fine. Go and see if he will listen." Brana said with a smile. She had no intention of waiting for the other woman. Her tribe was not fighting for Robb anymore, not when he would not heed her council, her people were too important to waste fighting Lannisters who held the crown. No, her people would return to Cerwyn Keep and stay there until the Long Night passes.
Lady Stark sighed in relief, the Brana Guard as they had become known were the most ruthless and terrifying fighters that they had in their army, hardly any of them ever died and they killed hundreds on the battle field, they were a force that would hurt them should they leave.
With a nod of reassurance to Brana, Lady Stark left her tent in a flurry of motherly annoyance and skirts. As soon as she was gone Brana finished packing lifting the chest to the flap of the tent and peeking out. True to form her men had quickly gathered everything they had and packed it onto their horses, the gold they had taken from the dead and the weapons they had collected too, all that they could carry. That which they couldn't was loaded onto a small waggon pulled by a pissed off looking horse that tried to bite any that came near it.
"Oi." Brana called sharply to her men. Two heads turned. Her brothers, Lonn and Tarron, both mountains of men with broad shoulders and big bodies, they were intimidating but after growing up under the care of their fierce mother they respected women especially their sister.
She gestured them over pointing to her chest, understandingly they hurried over to pick up the chest that their sister could move but not lift over her knees. They placed it on the waggon with ease and a smirk at her weakness.
Brana blew a raspberry at their amusement at her expense.
"Why are we going back?" Lonn asked in his scratchy deep voice.
"Robb is a shit." Was all she said, and that was enough for them. They didn't need to be explained to if she didn't like something, she was the one who had learnt their ways, she was the one they trusted and followed, not the Kneeler King.
Deep laughter rumbled all around her as she prepared her horse, her men had heard what she had said and found it funny. They found most things funny though so she didn't pay it much mind.
By the time that Robb had been told off by his mother and convinced to go and ask her to remain and continue to advise him two hours had passed.
"Fine! I'll go and talk to her." Robb sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. He may be the king in the North but she was still his mother and he still had to do as she said at times.
Robb left his tent and stomped over to where the Brana Guard were stationed, her large green tent standing as a beacon to him. Although as he got closer he could see the Cerwyn banners were still there but the people were not.
"You," He called to a Cerwyn banner man, "Where's the Brana Guard?" He demanded of the terrified looking man in a Cerwyn uniform. He looked about the campsite as he waited for the man to give him an answer.
"What do you mean sire?" He eventually said,
"The group of men who were here, where are they?" Robb demanded frustrated, he looked about him again noticing all the little details that he usually missed such as the discarded horn of milk, the lack of reed mats and the banner, the inverted Cerwyn banner that usually flew just by Brana's tent.
"They left hours ago, said they were headed to the nearest town for supplies." The Cerwyn man said pointing to the edge of the camp and the King's Road.
Robb's eyebrows shot up in disbelief, she had left, and she had actually left. He had been telling her for months that she should leave but she was so infuriatingly stubborn that she never did but now the one time he didn't mean it she did.
"They took all their tents with them and you believed that they were heading for supplies?" Robb demanded. The Bannerman had the decency to look a little sheepish at his own idiocy.
A growl worthy of Grey Wind ripped from his chest.
"Get the Lords Cerwyn and bring them to my tent, now!" He roared heading back to his own living quarters. How dare she abandon him, he was her best friend and now the King.
Once he had arrived back to his tent he did not have to wait long for the two men to shuffle inside.
"She has taken her men and left." Robb growled out, like a wolf on the attack he paced just beyond the large heavy table.
"Good. A battle is no place for a woman. No offence my lady." Medger Cerwyn said confidently nodding to Lady Stark who sat with her head in her hand.
"She left with her men, with Cerwyn men and this does not upset you?" Robb demanded. Clay shrugged,
"In truth your grace, they were not Cerwyn men. They had sworn no allegiance to our house only that they did as she bid. They won't even show deference to her." He explained.
Robb breathed a deep calming breath,
"They won't even defer to her." He nodded coming to lean with both fists on the table.
A tense atmosphere filled the tent.
"And how long have you been harbouring Wildlings?!" Robb exploded. His voice cracking on the word long.
Clay flinched but his father stood firm against the boy king's fury.
"Since my niece was given to me we have harboured a Wildling your grace. No more, no less." He said stoically.
"We can bring her back." Clay assured Robb nodding.
"No we can't." Medger said his eyes fixed on the King in the North. "He knows we can't that's why he's so annoyed."
Robb thumped the table in frustration jostling the battle pieces.
"She will be back at Cerwyn Keep in a week. Send a raven with how angry you are over her abandonment of the battle and that she took her men with her." Robb directed, "She took the best men we have. Lannisters fled in terror from them and deserted rather than face them. How does it look now that I can't even hold onto my banner men?" He said pushing off from the table.
"You still have your banners your grace, one girl and thirty men make no difference." Medger insisted.
"I pray you are right." Robb said waving them to leave, 'I think I may have just cost myself this war.' He thought as they left leaving him to scowl at his battle plans.
"Winterfell has been taken by the Iron born." Jonelle said shakily ringing her hands. Brana paused from her breakfast of porridge and watched her cousin, Jonelle was more like a second mother than a cousin in truth, worry herself by the table.
"What can we do about it?" She said callously, she took a bite of the cooked oats continuing her meal.
"The small folk say it is Theon Greyjoy who has taken the castle." Jonelle added quickly sitting before Brana.
"Again, what can we do about it? All the men are in the Riverlands that's why they could take the Keep."
"But what if they come here?" Jonelle asked her face creasing in worry.
"Then we will fight them." Brana said as if it was obvious before taking another bit of her meal.
"But those poor boys. They saw Theon like a brother." Jonelle said sorrowfully. "Bran can't even walk, let alone defend himself."
"Just ask Jonelle, whatever it is you are skirting around just ask me." Brana said bored of her cousin's needling.
"Bring the boys here." Jonelle said leaning forward to her adoptive daughter.
"Fine. But I'm leaving you the last of my force to defend you should they come raiding here." Brana said dejectedly.
"Thank you darling. I'll have them ready your horse." Jonelle smiled and hurried from the room.
Theon fucking Greyjoy was a turn-cloak, well there's a surprise. Brana scoffed to herself, she knew what he was even if he and others had not. A scared little boy looking for a route to power. He wanted people to respect him but didn't realise that people will only ever respect strength, not the hollow presentation of strength.
She wondered if he had found any on the Iron Islands as she approached the main gate of Winterfell.
"What do you want?" A rough looking man sneered at her from the gate tower.
Brana sized him up for a moment.
"I want to talk to Greyjoy. He owes me something he never paid the iron price for." She shouted back.
The man laughed but the gate opened and she rode into the courtyard she had visited many times growing up.
"Brana Snow. Come to beg for me?" Theon smirked walking out into the yard.
He watched appreciatively as she swung off her horse and sauntered towards him. He thought she sauntered, in fact she just walked, but he had been so in love with her and her iron will that everything she did looked sexy to him.
Brana stopped a foot away from him. A simpering smile spread over her face.
'She is finally acting like a Lady should' Theon thought just before pain bloomed in his forehead and nose. Brana had swung her head back and head-butted him.
"You twat." She spat shoving his chest with both hands. Theon took two stumbling steps back from her clutching his nose and head.
"After all that was given to you! You demand more!" She shouted as two Iron Islanders came forward to stop her hurting their Prince anymore.
"You ungrateful little shit." She shouted, they had hold of her arms now so she was kicking out at him. Brana felt her right foot connect with his hip in a satisfying thump.
"Let her go." Theon demanded. The Iron born released her unceremoniously dropping her to the ground.
"You make me sick." Brana spat on the ground by Theon's feet.
"Right. I'm going to teach you how to show you some proper respect." Theon growled at her getting in close to her face. He took hold of her arm and pulled her into the keep.
Brana stumbled after her once childhood friend as he pulled her silently though the castle to the masters chambers where upon he threw her inside.
A dull wooden thunk met her ears as the door was barred behind her.
Slowly she turned to look at her captor. Her face blank and emotionless, his though, he looked at her with such guilt and sorrow it threatened to spill over into tears.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He said softly his hands spread wide. "You told me what he would be like, what it would all be like and I didn't listen." He admitted pulling his hair with both hands.
Brana raised her eyebrows expectantly.
"I took the castle to try to win him over, to be his heir." Theon said dropping his hands.
Brana hummed moving towards the fire away from the bed.
"I didn't mean to hurt anyone but they wouldn't listen. Wouldn't…"
"Not fight back from occupation?" Brana supplied.
"Yes." Theon nodded. He looked at her desperately, "Please don't hate me."
"Why would I hate you Theon? You just proved me right." She said turning to meet his searching eyes, "I'm just a little disappointed at how long it took you to break under pressure, but then, pressure was never your strong suit was it?" She said poisonously.
"I'm sorry for that too." He said softly. Brana said nothing just hummed again.
"I still love you." He whispered to her.
Brana closed her yellow eyes and focused her mind. It didn't matter what she felt now, all that mattered were the children.
"Where are Bran and Rickon?" She asked ignoring his admission.
"They're locked in their rooms."
"I'm taking Rickon with me when I leave." She announced.
"You can't do that, they'll think me weak!" Theon protested standing closer to her now.
"How long have you been here Theon? Two weeks? Three? The Iron Born are raiders not conquers, you would be well to remember that and leave with what you can." Brana said tensely.
"No, I have claimed Winterfell by right of conquest. It's mine." Theon said like a petulant child.
"You don't even know your people's ways, they will never stand for occupation, they don't know how to do it!" Brana told him her voice firm and their volumes rising.
"Because you would know so much about being Iron Born?! You're just some Wildling cunt!" Theon answered back in his fury.
"Yes!" Brana roared now, "I am just some Wildling cunt, but I'm the Wildling cunt you tried to MARRY!"
Theon let out a groan of anger surging forward to grab her upper arms again.
"For fucks sake woman." He exclaimed giving her a little shake. Brana looked at him then, his forehead starting to bruise from her head butt earlier.
A tense moment passed where they took each other in. It had been months since they had seen one another.
Neither knew what broke the moment, suddenly all they wanted was each other.
Brana fused her lips to his and they kissed, hard. Frustration at the situation, at the distance between the once close couple and frustration with each other culminating in grasping hands and desperation.
Theon reached for her laces and tempted to rip them pulled her dress from her body until she was bare before him, his seeking lips roving over any patch of skin he could find exposed to the air.
Brana pulled and unbuckled and grasped at his stupid iron born clothing, she wanted to rip it from his body and never see it there again.
Finally they stood before each other naked as the day they were born panting heavily.
Brana saw that lust clouded Theon's gaze and thoughts as he beheld her, his strong chest heaving.
Theon could feel none of the anger in her that she once had, her large chest pushing up and down in a way that mesmerised him. He had never seen her like this before. He had stolen kisses in corridors and in the dark pushed her skirts up to feel her, but he had never seen her. And she was beautiful.
They flew together like a wave crashing on the shore and lost themselves in one another.
Theon felt her hot breath on his chest as he held her to him. Brana was his, finally, all his. She had not been a maiden though which disappointed him somewhat but he couldn't find it in him to care, he may not have been her first but by the gods was he going to be her last.
She lay on his chest deep in slumber as he gazed lovingly at her. He could see her growing round with his child and stood on a cliff at Pyke. His rock wife. Snow or not it wouldn't matter, she would be a Greyjoy, have his name. Everything he wanted, he wanted to give to her in that moment, as his fingers played with the wisps of dark brown hair that escaped her usual crown braid, her right ear piercing at the top of her ear glinting in the firelight, and he lay beneath her. There would be no Lady Cerwyn or Lady Stark to stand in his way this time; it would just be him and her together.
Brana let out a groan and shifted, Theon could feel himself readying once more at the feel of her in his arms. He had all that he wanted now, all he had ever needed. He leant to kiss her head, pressing gently on her forehead.
She shifted again, only this time she had woken.
"Good evening." Theon said smugly to her. Brana said nothing just smirked and leant up to kiss him deeply. Theon did not protest. He definitely did not protest to several more rounds well into the night until he was exhausted and passed out next to her.
Brana stood before the bed fully dressed and armed watching Theon sleep like the dead. She didn't want to hurt him but she had to, even as she felt his seed drip down her legs, she had a duty and it wasn't to him.
Quietly so as to not wake him she unbarred the door and slipped out in to the corridor. There were no guards but that did not surprise her, the Iron Born were not the type of people to think of guarding a leader, they should have been able to guard themselves.
The ruffle of her skirt was the loudest sound in the silent keep as she swiftly moved through the darkness to the boys' room.
Two quick raps on the wood warned of her presence before she opened the locked door with her stolen key and slipping inside.
Only Osha was awake, Hodor, Bran and Rickon lay asleep on a large bed.
"You." Osha said.
"Me." Brana answered. Osha had been weary of her when they first introduced her many moons ago.
"What do you want?" Osha demanded.
"Rickon. I can hide him as one of the guard's boys, I can't hide Bran. Only Rickon." Brana explained.
Osha scowled and shook Bran awake.
"Brana?" He mumbled coming round and seeing the family friend.
"I can hide Rickon. I can't hide you as well but I can keep him safe." Brana said quickly.
"Take him." Bran said nodding swiftly. He didn't know when the Iron Born were going to leave or if they ever would but he would try to see his brother safe until that time.
Brana nodded once and shot forward scooping the little boy into her arms.
Osha pulled out a little cloak for him and wrapped it round his shoulders sadly. The wild woman had come to care for the four year old boy deeply.
"You take care of him." She instructed, Brana met her eyes and nodded. "Teach him the old ways."
"I will. He will know, I promise." Brana replied solemnly clutching the child close. "You take care of him." Brana nodded to Bran on the bed who was watching the exchange.
"I will, I promise." Osha said as Brana moved towards the door.
She held Rickon close as she once again slipped into the corridor and carefully moved down to the stables.
Nobody had bothered to unsaddle her horse and the Iron Born were nowhere to be seen, probably all either dead drunk or buried in women that weren't theirs.
Leaving was easy but it didn't lessen the pounding of her heart as she suspected capture with every movement.
Rickon woke when they galloped away not understanding what was going on but comforted by the familiar smell of his sometime babysitter.
"Brana?" He murmured sleepily.
Brana shushed him and he fell back to sleep.
By daybreak they reached Cerwyn Keep, the gates flying open at the sight of her and her Cousin and Aunt running out to meet her.
"Rickon Stark." Brana said pulling back the cloak covering his red Tully hair. Lady Darsi Cerwyn gasped at the sight of the small boy and held out her arms in askance.
"No Aunt. He stays with me. From now on this is my nephew Corlan." She looked at her Aunt pointedly. "No-one is to know he is here. He may be the last Stark; others less kind than us will look for him."
"Thank you." Jonelle said softly ringing her hands.
Brana said nothing just moved past her relatives and into the keep. Nobody said a word about a small boy following her round and playing with her brothers in the Godswood. They said nothing about how he would respond to the name Stark they did however talk about the growing of Lady Snow's belly and the timing of it being after a trip to occupied Winterfell.
"Theon finally got her. He's gotten the Cerwyn Wildling with child." Catelyn spat furious as she paced round the King's Solar in Riverrun.
"She would never have let him." Robb countered.
"She has and she did, Jonelle sent a messenger herself." The older woman pulled out the parchment and read aloud.
"My unfortunate cousin has begotten herself with a Squid and it four moons along. A foolish endeavour but one done in a noble cause. In other news, she seems to have adopted her nephew Corlan who follows her around like a lost pup." She read, "After all I have done to protect that stupid girl from herself." She said angrily.
"Read that last bit again." Robb demanded.
"she seems to have adopted her nephew Corlan who follows her around like a little lost pup." Catelyn read again slowing as she digested the words.
"You don't think?" She asked Robb.
"Rickon. She slept with Theon for Rickon to leave Winterfell and now he's saying that the boy just vanished into the night." Robb said his eyes wide with hope.
Tears sprang to Catelyn's eyes. Bran maybe burnt but Rickon was safe.
"Oh my baby." She cried with happiness. "I must write to Jonelle at once." She hurried to the empty desk and readied the paper and ink.
"No, write what I tell you." Robb instructed, "Jonelle, thank you for this news, I express deep disappointment at the thought that our efforts in the past have been waisted, however I am sure that you are delighted at the edition of Corlan who I am sure is a delight. Children are such a pleasure and should be treasured as much as possible. Does the Squid know of the mess he has created? How is she faring?"
Catelyn scribbled down everything as quickly as she could only raising her eyebrow at the last question.
"Would it be me asking that last question or you?" She pondered aloud. Robb blushed. Brana had been his first crush but she was too wild and low born to ever be married to him so he had pushed all thoughts of her out of his mind although the affection remained.
"Both." He said quickly.
Catelyn said nothing but looked disapprovingly at her son.
"You are married; you should not be asking about other ladies, no matter how low their birth." She admonished and he looked away chastised.
The letter finished she folded and sealed it then swept from the room leaving her son alone with his thoughts.
Robb had been so angry when she left and now he knew why. The thought of her growing with another man's child filled him with loathing, it seeped into his bones as he pictured her, glowing and happy beside Theon.
Only she is not with Theon. He reminded himself. She is alone, pregnant and alone. I wonder if he even knows.
If being with child was easy she had yet to face something hard. Her balance was off and she felt rotten almost every day, the smell of eggs made her gag and the smell of leather made her throw up. It had been five moons since her 'visit' to Winterfell and yet it was still worth it she thought.
Brana looked over to the now five year old boy giggling manically as Lonn chased him around the Weirwood tree from where she sat on a fallen log smiling. The rest of her tribe had arrived having made it past the 'Quiet Castle', it was one of the unmanned forts along the wall and they had just walked through. The other residents of Cerwyn had protested.
"You can't expect us to live beside these beasts?!" One three toothed farmer shouted from the back of the hall.
Brana stood before them, three months pregnant and starting to show. Her Aunt and Cousin had refused to talk to them and had chosen instead to remain in their rooms, a show of defiance perhaps or plausible deniability should anyone ask why the land was now crawling with a couple of hundred Wildlings.
"I can and you will. They are as much my people as you are. The long summer has passed, and now the long night draws closer. Who do you think has experience with living in extreme cold? Who knows how to keep people alive in always winter? They do, they can keep us all safe from the Iron Born and alive to see summer again."
"How do we know they will not raid us?" A woman with a cowering child demanded.
"Why would they raid where they want to live?" Brana reasoned.
They had taken some convincing but she was now the bridge between the people and they seemed to take to the Wildlings once a baby had been saved by one of the Wildling midwives.
Perhaps she should tell Theon of his child. She thought watching as Lonn caught Rickon and swung him about.
Her bothers were jovial men now they didn't have to fight to survive. They all had the same dark brown hair as their mother but only she had the yellow cat like eyes of their ancestors, Tarron and Lonn had the blue that was so common north of the Wall.
"Lady Snow."
Brana looked round seeing a messenger approaching. Lonn watched the man approach with Rickon held by his right arm on the boy's calves over his shoulder and his left hand on his dirk.
"A message from Riverrun." The man said holding out the sealed parchment.
"Thank you." Brana said taking it from him, "Go to the kitchens they will see you fed." The man bowed to her and left in the direction of the castle.
'Brana,
I think that knowing you, you will not have told Theon of his child. I cannot tell you how much it grieves me that you are in this position and that you have put yourself there for me and my family. I will never forget this. I have myself the good news of having a wife with child. In truth I would have preferred you to be the carrier of my babes but you and I know that would be impossible.'
"Impossible because you are a brother to me." Brana muttered to herself. Lonn had continued to play with Rickon furthering the ruse that they were father and son. Neither particularly minded and Rickon had taken to following Lonn about at times. Lonn was the younger of Brana's two brothers but they were both ten or so years older than her.
'I know that you never saw me that way but I must confess now that I saw you. I loved you for your spirit and your attitude to life, you know when to admit defeat and it was never to me. Theon is lucky to have shared your bed. I will see you soon I hope. We cross the Twins in a week and after the marriage of my Uncle will march north to Winterfell and reclaim it for the Starks. I hope Corlan is well; it is good of you to take him in and I thank you for it.
My heart is yours,
Robb Stark, King in the North.'
Brana frowned at the letter. He had married a woman he did not love and thought that it would be acceptable to write to her of his affections. How did he even know of her babe? Of Corlan?
Jonelle. She thought. Brana kicked herself for being so foolish, her cousin and Lady Stark were of an age and close friends. Of course a messenger would have been sent with coded news.
"You alright?" Lonn asked. Brana jumped. She had been so deep in thought that she had not heard him approach.
"Yes. Everything is fine. It seems that I have gained the affections of the King in the North." She said tightly.
Lonn laughed a deep rumbling belly laugh that fit with his voice.
"That will be why he was so pissed off about you leaving. The men at the back could hear him howling like a wolf after we left."
"Yes, well it seems that our secrets need to be a little more guarded." Brana said attempting to stand.
Lonn grabbed her arm to steady her as she rose and Rickon giggled at her difficulty.
"You laughing at me little man?" She teased. He nodded with a smile, "I'm gonna get ya!" Brana playfully growled darting forwards. Rickon squealed with laughter and ran off giggling as her brother returned to the game.
Four moons and the babe will be in my arms. Brana thought to herself shivering as a chilling wind rolled through the woods.
She left the playing pair and waddled to the keep. Her people littered the place nodding and smiling at her as she passed. They loved her because she had given them a place to live, a place free from the pressing danger of the Night King's army of the dead, where they could be happy at least for a time.
"Tay." She called out to the young stable hand with dirty blonde hair. He looked round in shock. He can't have been more than twelve years old, perfect for what she wanted him to do.
"I need you to take a message to Winterfell. To Theon Greyjoy." Tay nodded rapidly.
"I need you to tell him that I am with child and that nobody else is to know." She said slowly.
"But we all know and so does the King in the North." Tay argued.
"Yes but Theon will know what it means." Brana said kindly. Tay looked confused but mounted a horse and left Cerwyn.
"A message for you your grace."
Theon looked over at the Iron Born who had just spat those words at him; he was tired of the Northmen fighting his every word and action, tired of the suspicion and fear. They would never love him he was sure of it now, the hope he once had turning to bitterness.
A young boy stood nervously behind him.
"Well go on." Theon demanded. The boy shook his head.
"I'm to tell you and only you." He squeaked. Theon sighed and nodded to the other man to leave his chambers. He did but only after he had shot Theon a dirty look and slammed the door behind him.
"Go on then." Theon snapped.
"Lady Snow told me to tell you that she is with child and that no-one can know." The boy said nodding at the end proud to have remembered the message.
It hit Theon like a tonne of bricks.
He was going to be a father. His child, his heir was growing inside the woman he loved.
"You're sure?" Theon demanded stiffly.
The boy nodded,
"She's huge!" He smiled gesturing with his arms Lady Snow's new size.
Theon frowned, if no-one was to know then why was she not hiding her pregnancy. Then he understood. She wasn't hiding her pregnancy, she was hiding that he was the father.
"Fuck." He swore loudly anger pulsing through him.
She had stolen Rickon that night and he had gotten her pregnant. Now nobody knew that she was hiding the boy or that she was carrying his child.
"Tell your Lady Snow that I will have what is mine." Theon threatened darkly.
The boy ran from the room as Theon seethed. How dare she try to keep his child from him, his heir, the heir to Pyke and the Iron Islands!
"He said he will have what is his." Tay said nervously. He didn't want her to react like Theon did, his face went red with anger and he became very scary.
Instead he watched as Brana threw back her head and laughed.
"L-lady Snow?" Tay prompted. Brana tried to still her giggles,
"It's okay. Thank you Tay."
Tay scampered off back to the stables as quickly as he could wanting to avoid being selected for anymore messenger roles.
Brana looked at her growing belly. Take what is his, she thought, I'd like to see him fucking try.
He did nothing as Brana thought he would. Instead she watched as a month later the news came with a bevy of Bolton men and a raven from the south. The Red Wedding they called it. Her Aunt was carried off to Winterfell and had not returned, nor had any news about Theon and his Iron Born other than that they had been defeated and that now the Bolton's were Wardens of the North, the flayed man banner flying from the walls of Winterfell.
"Have you heard?" Jonelle greeted her one morning as Brana hoisted herself down into a chair for breakfast.
"Heard what?" Brana asked frowning at the eggs, they still made her a little queasy.
"They have identified Clay as one of the victims of the Red Wedding."
"Oh." Brana said rubbing her now huge belly. She was at eight months now, almost to term.
"The Bolton's skinned my father and their newly legitimised bastard skinned my mother." Jonelle spat. She had begun to pace on the other side of the table. They always ate in their hall for every meal no matter how many of the family were there or not so Jonelle had a lot of space in which to pace.
"I want them dead." Jonelle said calmly. Brana knew she meant it too.
She hummed.
"That's all you have to say?" Jonelle demanded, "They kill almost our entire family and that is all you have to say?"
Brana drew in a deep breath.
"What would you have me do?" She asked calmly.
"Take back Winterfell; we have Corlan, let's install him as Warden of the North and set this back to rights." Jonelle said gesturing to the door leading to the chambers.
"No. He is a five year old boy. We cannot do that. Besides, the Bolton's sided with the Lannisters, do you really think the people who orchestrated the Red Wedding will be happy with another Stark loose in the North?" Brana said. "It is hard, I know, believe me I know, but we have got to do nothing."
Jonelle didn't say anything else just sat down in front of her cousin and cried.
Theon didn't know how much time had passed as he was tied to the cross. Weeks, months, years? He had no idea. Time didn't seem to matter to him anymore he was in such pain.
"Good morning Reek." Ramsey said brightly waltzing into the room. "I bring good news."
Theon looked up shakily,
"Your friend Lady Snow has given birth to a bouncing baby boy. I am told both mother and child are doing well, even if it is a complete mystery who the father is."
Theon began to cry.
"Oh dear Reek, did that upset you? I know that you wanted to marry her for a time so it must be hard to learn that the little slut just gave it away to anyone getting herself with child in the process." Ramsey said with false brightness.
"I mean you did know that she was pregnant didn't you?" He asked pouting in mock sympathy.
Theon shook his head no.
"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear Reek. You really aren't very good at keeping hold of your women." Ramsey laughed.
"I did want to bring her here to show you her, but she didn't want to come, and every time I sent my men to go and get her they were faced with several women each claiming to be Lady Snow."
This time it was Theon that laughed, it started out as gasps, then a wheeze and then to a full laugh.
Ramsey's joy turned to anger like a bitter ash in his mouth.
"What is so funny?" He demanded, "Shall I bring her here to cut bits off in front of you? Or maybe I'll fuck the bitch where you can see!"
Theon panted again,
"You, you will never get her." He wheezed out, he laughed again, "Or my son."
"The whelp is yours?" Ramsey smiled.
Theon nodded,
"You will never get to her." He panted. Ramsey pulled out his flaying knife and set to work making his toy scream.
Harlon Snow was perfect. He had his father's eyes and nose, his mother's hair and temper. He was perfect. Jonelle sat on the edge of Brana's bed watching as mother and child snuggled together peacefully.
"Let's see our nephew then!" Tarron bellowed bursting into the room with Lonn and Rickon close behind them. Jonelle rolled her eyes but smiled. After the Wildlings being here for so long the people of Cerwyn had taken to them affectionately.
Brana laughed and held out her sleeping child to her trusted brothers.
"He looks like you." Lonn said smiling as Harlon wiggled his tiny fingers.
"I think he looks like his father." Brana mused in love with her child.
"You going to tell us who that is anytime soon?" Tarron grumbled standing up and crossing his arms.
"Nope." Was all Brana said.
"He's so tiny." Rickon said softly reaching out to touch the baby's grasping hand.
"So were you at that age." Lonn said ruffling the auburn curls of his little boy.
Rickon giggled and leant back into the man who was now as good a father as he was ever going to get.
If only this moment could last forever. Brana sighed to herself. No Bolton men coming to pull me out of the castle, no threat of the dead coming, not even the threat of Lannister plots.
"Jonelle. Please write to Pyke. I think that Asha should know." Jonelle nodded once and left the room.
Now, Brana thought looking at the squished up face of her son, if anything happens to me Harlon will have family to run to.
"You betrayed my family." Sansa caught him before he could leave the room.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He squawked.
"You have to help me Theon, help me!" Sansa insisted tearfully holding the broken man now.
"He'll see us. You don't know him." Theon shook his head.
"Please Theon." Begged Sansa.
"Reek! My name is Reek" Theon panicked.
"You are Theon Greyjoy, last surviving son of Balon Greyjoy Lord of the Iron Islands." Sansa said firmly. Theon's lip trembled,
"You have to help me." She begged.
"Brana." He nodded, "My son." He gasped the words he had been too scared to utter since he had first let Ramsey know.
"Harlon is yours?" Sansa asked. Theon nodded quickly his eyes shooting furtive glances at the door.
"He wants them both. He'll kill them both." Theon insisted tears streaming from his eyes now.
"Oh Theon." Sansa sighed; her hope of freedom was growing ever smaller and ever distant. Theon had always loved Brana growing up, they were a similar age and now he had shown her just how deep the roots went. How much Ramsey had consolidated his control over the world they lived in now.
Theon thought how beautiful she must have looked all full and round with his child. Harlon Greyjoy was his only son, the only child he would ever have born to a woman who probably despised him. How could he put them in danger?
"Brana is surrounded by Wildlings. More come from the Wall every day." Sansa said, "They would never let anything hurt her."
Theon nodded fear still filling his heart.
"Rickon, she has Rickon too." Theon said softly. Sansa breathed hope again. Her family was scattered but not gone. No, her brothers still lived, kept hidden and safe by friends. She had been rude to Brana growing up and teased her about her low birth and her weird yellow eyes but none of that mattered to the Wildling woman, she had saved as much as she could into Cerwyn and Sansa would never be able to climb out of her debt.
"I am looking for my wife and my Reek. Both seem to have disappeared." Ramsey said with a smile.
Jonelle sat next to Brana on the dais, both holding back the bile they felt at seeing this man so brazenly standing before them.
"I am checking here because of your friendship to my lady wife's mother, Lady Cerwyn." He finished.
"I see, well Lord Bolton. We have no Starks here."
"Ahh no, but you have a Greyjoy." Ramsey said smugly. "And with Reek gone I am in need of a replacement."
"And where will you find this Greyjoy Lord Bolton? Squid's don't exactly grow on trees." Brana said smiling back at her foe.
"No but they do inside you." He laughed, "Where is your son? Give him to me now and I won't tear this place apart looking for him."
Brana sighed.
"I have no idea where he is. He gets into so many hide and seek games with his cousin that honestly I can't keep track." She shrugged. They all wore furs now as the winds were getting colder and winter had been announced.
"Then we will just have to look for him then." Ramsey nodded to his men who all filed out into the halls.
"Have you tried the Wall? I hear Jon Snow is Lord Commander and I'm sure that his childhood friend and sister would be very anxious to meet him again."
Ramsey's smile twisted and fell.
"You vile cunt." He spat all pretence of civility gone. "I am Warden of the North. I will not be so flagrantly disobeyed!"
"How have I disobeyed you my Lord?" Brana asked politely.
"You let Wildling's run amuck over your lands, you have them in your household, you defy me every chance you get, you don't pay taxes. Years you have done this but I have let it slide each time because I had Reek, your husband."
"When did I marry Theon? Can you remember Jonelle?" Brana mused. Jonelle looked at her hands to hide a smile.
"I don't think you did dear cousin. I would remember if you said the words before a tree or he stole you as is the custom of your people." Jonelle answered trying to keep her face straight.
Ramsey smiled through his fury but his right eye began to twitch.
"Can't find any children here m'lord." Bolton's man said entering the room once more.
"Did you search everywhere? Even the crypts and the dungeons?" Ramsey demanded.
"Aye m'lord." The man nodded. His eyes flickered to the ladies sat primly at the end of the hall.
Ramsey sighed deeply.
"Well then I shall bid you good day ladies." He bowed low and all but ran from the room, Brana felt sorry for the guard who had to take the punishment that delivering that news warranted.
The Cerwyn women waited until they could see the Bolton party fade from view.
"Move them." Jonelle commanded to a guard. He nodded and signalled back to the man stood by the crypts. Lonn ran back inside and lifted the stone tile covering the lower level. Inside the dark gloomy pit was all the children blow teenage years, they were all huddled together trying to be as quiet as they could.
"Only me." Lonn chuckled as he reached in to start pulling out the forty children hidden away.
Brana took her son into her arms. He was three now, a chubby toddler who had the look of Theon Greyjoy stamped on his face.
Soon there would be no way of hiding who his father was. Everyone with eyes that looked at him would know, and Rickon looked more and more like his brother Robb.
"My Lady, you have known us for many years. You have been our mother's friend and confident for as long as I can remember, we ask that you join our forces to defeat Ramsey Bolton and give the North back to our family." Jon said in his deep rasping voice.
Jonelle and Brana sat side by side as usual listening to the plea being brought to them. Tarron and Lonn stood behind them wanting to see the resurrected man for themselves.
"Brana?" He pressed the stoic woman before him.
Brana sighed and stood.
"I hope my advice to you last time we saw one another was useful." She began her hands clasped together behind her back.
"They were. Very. Especially with the Then's." Jon nodded. Sansa stood beside him silently and an older man stood behind her looking pensive.
"Good. I hear you have a Wildling army and what is left of Stannis Baratheon's forces too."
"We do."
"How many?" Brana asked.
"Three thousand." Jon answered frowning. He didn't think that they would help them.
"How is your child, Harlon?" Sansa asked politely.
Brana broke into a brilliant smile.
"More like his father every day." She laughed, Sansa smiled.
"I never saw Theon as a baby but I have an image of him being very cute." Sansa said, Jon's eyebrows nearly flew off his head they rose so quickly.
"Oh he is. In fact, Lonn, would you mind bringing the boys in here please?"
One of the huge men stood close to her nodded with a grunt and left the room.
"He is just adorable." Jonelle gushed looking full of grandmotherly pride.
Lonn returned a minute later with a small boy of three and a boy of eight.
"Rickon?" Jon gasped stepping back in shock.
"Sansa!" The eight year old cried running forward into his sisters waiting arms.
She held his tightly as she cried. Rickon was the heir to Winterfell now and she was just happy he was alive.
Harlon toddled over to his mother who scooped him up to rest on her hip.
"Now you see our hidden treasures." Brana said magnanimously.
The room was full of such family reunion joy that they nearly missed the entrance of another to the Hall.
"Fucking hell Snow, how long is this going to take!" A man groused entering the room briskly. His face was almost entirely covered in thick red hair but two small blue eyes peered out.
"Ahh, this is-"
"Uncle Tormund!" Brana cried and sped forward beaming. Tormund laughed spreading his arms wide to embrace the girl still carrying her child.
"-Tormund Giantsbane." Davos finished.
"I think they know." Jon said getting his own hug from Rickon.
"Where are those two useless aurochs?" Tormund laughed setting Brana down.
Brana was crying now and gestured to the huge men behind her.
"Ahhh haa!" Tormund laughed and launched himself forward.
The men caught him and tossed him up in a display of strength. Tormund laughed but then growled at them to put him down.
"Lady Snow, forgive me, how exactly do you know Tormund?" Ser Davos asked confused at the display of familial affection.
"He is my Uncle, the one who brought me here after my mother's death at eight years old. My brothers and I have not seen him in a very long time." She explained.
"Those are your brothers?" Jon exclaimed shocked. Brana laughed,
"They have a different father to me but yes, they are my brothers. We hid Rickon as Lonn's son all these years."
"Nobody is going to argue fatherhood with a man my size." Lonn laughed.
"No I imagine not." Davos said nodding.
Jonelle had smiled throughout the entire scene and now was dabbing at tears from her eyes.
Sansa turned her attention to the toddler on Brana's hip now; she smiled at him waved playfully.
"Theon helped me escape Ramsey." Sansa admitted.
"I know." Brana said quietly, "He came here looking for you; he tried to take my son away."
"I'm sorry." Sansa said deeply apologetic for any harm she had sent Brana's way.
"Don't. I knew what he was, we all knew what he was but could do nothing. He had Theon and I could do nothing." Brana said bitterly.
"He mutilated Theon, cut off fingers, skin, drove a screw through his foot. He raped me and beat me." Sansa admitted finally unloading onto a friend she could trust.
Brana looked sadly at her son who was playing with a button on her dress.
"I am sorry that this happened to you Sansa. You did not deserve it. Our house is yours, our men are yours, and we will fight for you. We bring one thousand fighting men. I hope this is enough.
"And what of Theon?" Jon asked.
"What do you mean?" Brana looked up, Sansa met her eye,
"Harlon is the only child Theon will ever father." She said heavily. Brana seemed confused for a moment.
"No?" Sansa nodded.
"Right, in that case, a letter to Pyke is necessary."
"No, Asha Greyjoy already knows, and by now she will know what happened to Theon too." Jon said, he pointed to Harlon, "He is the heir to the Iron Islands and the last of the line."
The heat of Mereen was intense, even in the cooled walls of the great pyramid Theon was still sweating.
"Why are you not Lord of the Iron Islands?" Daenerys asked her violet eyes calculating.
"I am not fit to rule, my sister is."
"Why are you not fit to rule?" She pushed.
"My brother was handled cruelly by Ramsey Snow. He was left… unmade." Asha said carefully. Theon looked down at his feet.
"I have a son." He blurted, Asha looked at him strangely. She never knew. The raven never reached her, Theon knew this when she never mentioned the boy.
"What?" Asha exclaimed. The dragon queen raised her eyebrows.
"When I took Winterfell, I had the two Stark boys. Brana Snow of house Cerwyn came to ask me for them. I refused and bedded her. She took the youngest and left pregnant with my child. His name is Harlon and he would be three and a half now." Theon explained.
"Why did you never tell me this?" Asha demanded offended.
"She didn't want anyone to know. In case the wrong people found out and killed the boy." Theon said to his shoes.
"This Harlon is the heir to the Iron Islands then?" Daenerys said confused.
"She is a Wildling your grace; she will claim marriage through stealing to legitimise him." Theon nodded.
"I see. And, why are you not with them?"
"She. She." Theon tried, "I can't." was what he finally got out. Asha and the Dragon Queen looked at him with pity. To be unmade so much that you feel unable to go back to the ones you loved was tragic.
"I accept your fealty. But certain things will have to change. No raping, reeving or raiding anymore."
"But that is our way of life?!" Asha exclaimed, the Queen's gaze hardened.
"No more."